Rainbow Reflection

Chapter 8

"I already got my own place in No-man’s Land!" I snap turning away as I utter the lie.

"How about Jacob, you, and I, sit down and have a few beers? It’s not like you’re meeting a woman. Let’s just catch up for a few hours so both Jacob and I can go back and tell Ma you’re fine, she worries you know," Ken urges.

I think about it for a few moments, as much as I would prefer to be off in the bush hunting with Hank I know my brother is not going to back down easily. Plus our mother is prone to worrying about us.

"Okay," I concede with a grunt of annoyance.

"Great," Ken says enthusiastically. "How about we head to the pub, they do a good meal there and I haven’t eaten yet. I’ll call Jacob and we can all catch up,"

"Sounds good," I agree. "I could do with a feed about now," I push the knowledge that Harley will wake to stale sandwiches and fruit out of my mind. Harley has been difficult the last week whenever Hank and Mutto come around. She gets mad with Hank over small things, ends up sulking if I want to go hunting with them and has refused to come along twice now.

"Hope the kitchen is doing roast, I could eat an entire roast myself tonight," I say with a grin as I fall into step beside my brother. It feels good as we walk along the sidewalk and I think of Jacob joining us as Ken begins to talk to him, it’s been too long since I have been around my brothers.

The pub is surprisingly busy and it takes several minutes to get our beers before we head to the back room for a game of pool and to order our food. I am just setting up the balls for the pool game when Jacob walks in followed by Stuart Baxter and Edwin Williamson. I feel a snarl start to build up as I give Edwin Williamson an angry glare and turn my back on him. I want nothing to do with the low down creep.

"Drew you little poof! Come here you bastard!" Jacob says loudly, I step into my brother’s hug and return the embrace along with several strong slaps on his back.

"Jacob! Good to see you," I say fondly before acknowledging Stuart with a nod and "Good day," Jacob clears his throat beside my ear but I ignore him as I step out of his hug and turn back to the pool table and my glass of beer.

"Been in these parts long?" Jacob asks as he stands beside me watching as Ken lines up the first shot of the game.

"Just a few hours," I grunt as Ken fails to sink any balls and I step forward to take a shot. I line up an easy shot, I should be able to sink three or four balls if I used the right amount of force with each shot.

"Just be aware there are stock killers in the area," Jacob says as I take the shot. I frown and glance his way when the numbered ball nearly doesn’t fall into the pocket. "No one is real sure on who or what has been doing the killing but it has happened in several other areas in the last two or three months."

"I’ll keep my eyes open," I murmur as I line up a second shot and sink another ball easily.

"Feral dogs have been getting the blame so far," Ken says lightly. "Apparently there have been tracks of a couple of large dogs. The tracks have been big enough to belong to a Mastiff, Doberman or even a bloody big Dingo. Were even,"

"Is there a point to all of this?" I ask dryly as I face Ken. The danger will come from him if there is one.

"No, just a brotherly warning." Ken says and motions towards the pool table with the cue he is holding. "You have been seen talking to two individuals that are believed to be a pair of young male dogs that have been driven out by the dominant male. No one has linked them to the stock killings and one confrontation doesn’t mean a hunting alliance,"