“So I’m warning you all here and now: If any of you hurts anybody, or shoots an animal out of season, or one that’s protected by any municipal, provincial, or federal law, the full weight of the justice system will be brought down upon you. So you think about what the ranger has said, and then you decide if you want to give the man a chance to do his job, or if you’d like to take your chances with me.”

Ernie Ilson gave a little laugh under his breath and shook his head. There were grumblings around the room, but the consensus was that they would give the ranger a couple of days to do it his way. Even so, both Garrett and the sergeant knew that if any other animals or livestock went missing, wolves—any wolves—would be fair game.

Satisfied, the sergeant called an end to the meeting. Everyone began filing out of the room.

“You think that did any good?” Garrett asked, when they were gone.

“I think most of them got it. Ernie Ilson’s a tough nut to crack. I wouldn’t be surprised if he still gives us some trouble.”

Garrett then asked, “Which do you think are the more dangerous ones here, the humans or the wolves?”

The sergeant answered without hesitation. “Humans. Definitely humans.”

Chapter 12

By the time Ernie Ilson got home later that afternoon, he’d had a lot of time to think about what Ranger Brock and Sergeant Martin had said about the pack of wolves terrorizing Redstone.

“They’re crazy!” he spat, as he slammed the door behind him. “Both of them are doggone crazy!”

He took off his shoes and hung up his coat, then went to a cupboard in the kitchen where he kept two bottles of Canadian Club rye whiskey. He grabbed the fuller bottle and a large glass and headed for the living room.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he said to the empty house. “I’m all for saving the whales and all of that, but these wolves ain’t no whales…and what’s worse, they’re here in my backyard.”

He sat down in his favorite chair and poured himself a big stiff drink. As the rye whiskey splashed into the glass, Ernie instinctively looked down at the worn spot on the floor where Jaeger would have been—if he weren’t dead.