NorthWest (John Hazard - Book II) Read Online Free PDF Page B

feet in front of him. He tried to pull himself up, but the pain was too intense and he lost his balance falling face-first into the pine needles.
    He rolled over on his back hoping to see the chopper as it flew over to catch a glimmer of hope. He watched to see if it moved in any way to indicate that he had been spotted. He tried to wave, but the effort used up whatever was left of his strength. He lay there feeling life drain from his body. The thump of the helicopter blades was loud as it passed over without hesitation.
    He smiled at the ridiculous thought that anyone might see him below these trees. He would have laughed out loud if he’d had the strength. Sobering, he thought of his wife. She’d be waiting and worrying.
    Some ten yards behind him, his partner had stopped screaming as the creature devoured what was left of him. The sound of ripping flesh and gurgling of blood and gore was maddening. He did everything he could, not to think about his friend in that moment or what lay ahead for him.
    He caught sight of an arrow that had been tossed from its case when he had been attacked. It was only about a yard from him and if he could get to it the odds would be slightly increased in his favor. When that thing attacked, maybe he could shove the arrow through its eye straight into its brain.
    With every bit of strength he had left in him, he pulled himself through the pine needles and moss toward his only hope. The ringing in his ears prevented him from realizing that the sounds of carnage behind him had ceased.
    The creature sat for a moment watching him as he strained to reach his objective. It tilted its head like a dog, tensed its body and leapt into the air, landing on the hunter’s back effectively pinning him to the spot where he lay.
    Rearing its head back, the creature roared a sound more terrible than any he had ever heard. It shoved a bony protrusion from one of its arms between the hunter’s ribs and jerked back with a cutting motion. The hunter, still pinned to the ground struggled and screamed, blood spurting from his mouth. The world around him went dark as he heard the sound of his ribs cracking.
    The monster paid no attention to the final gasp of its victim as it plunged its jaws into the wide gash on the hunter’s back. With bone cracking precision, it ripped a lung out from the lifeless carcass, savoring the taste as it chewed the organ, blood drooling from its mouth. Pausing only a brief moment, it bent over the remains of the hunter once more, ripping and pulling, continuing the bloody feast while entrails oozed between its grinding jaws.

 
    Nine
     
    Emily felt hopeful as she walked off the campus. She had been told that the job was hers if she wanted it, and she did want it, kind of. Her only concern was that they were going to be gone for two weeks in the forests of the Pacific Northwest and, when she returned, she would be right back where she started, unemployed and desperate. Granted, she might have a little more cash in her pocket, but she really wanted to find a permanent job and this gig was far from permanent.
    They must have really wanted her to go with them. She had voiced her hesitation during the interview, saying a bit timidly, “I would love to go with you, but…” and they raised the offer from twenty-five hundred dollars to five thousand with all expenses paid. Just like that! She was so surprised she almost accepted on the spot. She figured it would cover two months rent and give her time to find something else when she got back.
    Still, there were a lot of things to arrange before she could leave.  One important matter was her cat, Ralph. He would need to be boarded somewhere. She didn’t like to think of him caged up like that. There was also a list of necessary camping gear with very little time and no money to get some. Oh, and her landlord would want some kind of payment since he had already warned her about eviction. She ticked through her list of concerns, and the