Chương 122: Chapter 122: Two Calamities
[Chapter 123: Two Calamities]
The gunfire finally ceased, and Erica held her gun, checking each of the other six people one by one.
Five of them had become corpses.
The first one shot, a tattooed thug, lost too much blood, struggling to breathe, quickly slipping into a dying state. Both Hawke and Erica had no intention of providing medical assistance. If they lost this skirmish today, their outcome would have been just as tragic -- there wasn't much more to say about it.
Hawke untied two shoelaces and wrapped them around the bald thug's injured ankles and wrists, hoping to keep him alive for a comparison when the FBI arrived. But he made sure not to give the thug a chance to retaliate, twisting the man's limbs behind his back and tying them into a bow shape.
Erica returned from a pile of rubble with two backpacks and the video recording device, coming over to the pickup truck and said, "They're all dead. What was supposed to be a good hunt turned into a massacre."
The bald man looked at Hawke and Erica's weapons and said, "You're not FBI. Who the hell are you?"
Hawke couldn't be bothered to respond to him.
The bald man continued, "Let me go, and I'll give you $500,000... No, $1 million!"
In those days, a million dollars was a huge amount of money. The thug's group had killed people but didn't have even a fraction of that much cash on hand.
Erica asked, "Where do you keep your money?"
If the sum was substantial and easy to access, she would consider offing him.
The thug sensed Erica was even more dangerous than Hawke and fell silent about the money, saying, "Just kill me!"
"Why would you want to die?" Erica stated plainly. "Don't worry, we won't kill you. I've already called the FBI; their helicopters will be here soon. You'll get special treatment from them."
The thug opened his eyes wide, "You can't do this! Don't hand me over to the FBI! I have family! They'll kill them all!" He shouted desperately, "Just kill me!"
Suddenly, he thought of dragging these two down with him, "Hey, do you know what we were doing? We... auh--"
Hawke kicked him square in the face, and the thug screamed, spitting out two front teeth.
Before the thug could say anything else, Hawke pulled out a hunting knife, sliced off a big chunk of the thug's shirt, and stuffed it in his mouth, tying it up with a belt.
Erica watched Hawke's actions with a mixture of skill and panic. "You seem awfully proficient at this?"
After finishing the binding, Hawke replied, "Frank taught me. He often bragged about playing this kind of game with many Hollywood starlets."
Erica conceded, "Nice job with the tying up. Next time, let me give it a try."
Hawke said seriously, "We don't need to know the rotten things they're involved in."
"Right." Erica understood this, "When the FBI arrives, we'll hand him over."
Hawke didn't trust the FBI, especially in a place like this. "Are they trustworthy?"
Erica replied simply, "The team leader is Brian's classmate from Stanford. She has an... unrequited love for him, and I called home too, so there shouldn't be any issues."
The bald thug continued to struggle on the ground, unsure if he had something to say or if he was in too much pain, making odd grunting noises. But both of them ignored him, finding a high spot to hide and keep watch.
...
Hawke took out two bottles of water and some chocolate from the bags, handing part to Erica. While the scene was gruesome with corpses and blood, it didn't stop them from hydrating and getting some energy.
Erica quipped, "We were supposed to hunt bears, but look where it ended up instead."
"Much more dangerous than hunting bears." Hawke took a sip of water, "Bears don't use guns."
Erica laughed, "But it was definitely thrilling." She leaned over and softly kissed Hawke, "Did you notice how well we're in sync -- working together so well?"
Hawke retorted playfully, "Exactly, we had great chemistry last night, and it carries over into today."
Erica replied candidly, "I lucked out -- picked someone whose body, spirit, and interests align perfectly with mine."
Hawke remarked, "More like I got lucky."
Erica shifted positions so they sat back to back, "When the FBI gets here, we can leave as soon as possible. Let them deal with the aftermath; this isn't California, and if the other side has dozens of people, the two of us won't stand a chance."
"We're just two people." Hawke agreed, "This excavation company doesn't understand what they're doing, getting so many Native Americans killed."
"Economic interests," Erica clarified. "What else could attract them to treat Native Americans that way? When they delineated reservations, the designated areas left for Native Americans looked barren, forcing them to set up casinos to survive, but the technology, including prospecting, was relatively backward at the time. Recently, valuable minerals and resources have been discovered in some Native American reservations, which evolved into a new era of westward expansion."
Hawke nodded, "I've heard some of that before." He suddenly came up with an idea, "There wouldn't be anything valuable hidden under my small ranch, would there?"
Erica responded, "If there was something valuable, would you even be able to buy it back?"
Hawke found her point valid.
At that moment, they heard noise in the sky, and both of them stood up to look up.
...
After a while, three helicopters flew over from afar. When they got closer, Hawke looked through binoculars and saw the letters FBI on the body.
After contacting Erica, the helicopters landed in an open and flat area, and a large number of people wearing FBI jackets began to descend from the aircraft.
Leading the team was a female agent in a deep blue coat over a bulletproof vest, who quickened her pace upon seeing Erica.
Hawke followed closely behind Erica, letting her handle the communication.
The FBI agents quickly took control of the situation, and a doctor rushed over to provide emergency care for the bald thug.
As per protocol, Erica and Hawke were separated for questioning.
They didn't need to lie; they told the truth.
Erica even handed the recording device over to a female agent named Jennifer.
While the footage was not complete, it captured some events, particularly the shot of the Cougar Discovery Company arriving and disposing of bodies.
As the sun began to set, Hawke and Erica reunited.
The FBI reported that agents had thoroughly searched a wide area of rubble, carefully examining the Cougars' den, and alongside the two bodies discarded today, they found a total of eight sets of remains.
Many of the remains still bore Native American decorations.
Erica didn't inquire further into the specifics.
Half an hour later, Jennifer prepared to leave temporarily and arranged to have Hawke and Erica flown back to the ranch. She advised them not to leave Jeffrey City just yet.
After what had happened, Hawke heightened his vigilance, loading all of his firearms, stashing both long and short guns upstairs and down.
Both of them needed to conserve their energy; despite some restlessness, they held back.
Thankfully, the night passed without incident.
...
After breakfast, Jennifer called Erica to let her know they could leave now.
Hawke packed up his belongings and checked the ranch without finding anything unusual.
He contacted the real estate agency to continue managing the ranch, then drove the pickup truck back to Jeffrey City with Erica.
The main street of the town was now dotted with several SUVs sporting FBI graphics.
Even though they were both extremely curious, Hawke and Erica held back from asking anyone for details about what had happened.
They treated the entire situation as if it wasn't related to them.
They would discuss it further once they returned to their California headquarters.
Hawke filled the pickup truck with gas before heading straight for Buffalo.
In the truck, Erica held her gun and told Hawke, "No need to ask; I can guess that in that reservation area, they found something valuable. That's what attracted the Cougar Discovery Company, but it likely implicated some Native American land or property interests. The excavation company wouldn't want to give too much in compensation, or the Native Americans might demand too much, so they resorted to the most straightforward and violent methods."
Hawke remarked, "High-end corporate warfare, plain and simple, it's always been like that."
"High-end corporate warfare?" Erica laughed, "That's definitely what it is."
Hawke asked, "Your vacation just started a few days ago, and you want to head straight back to Los Angeles?"
Erica, not wanting to be apart from Hawke, replied, "Let's go to Yellowstone Park instead. We could have our little world there. Even if bad things happen, it'd still be simpler and more enjoyable than in Los Angeles."
Hawke agreed, "Sure, let's go to Yellowstone Park."
...
Since they weren't in a hurry to head back, they decided to stop midway in a valley to appreciate the autumn foliage.
Setting up the home DV camera on a tripod, Erica powered it on and filmed against the backdrop of the valley's red leaves, pulling Hawke into the frame.
She teased, "Hawke Osment, you still haven't confessed to me."
Hawke, being the decisive one, wrapped his arms around Erica and kissed her, sealing their bond.
They tangled together passionately, only parting after some time.
Right after they separated, Hawke suddenly dashed off towards the pickup truck.
Erica was puzzled and had no idea what was happening.
Before she could ask, Hawke opened the truck door, pulled out the Savage hunting rifle, and aimed in the opposite direction of Erica.
She quickly turned around to see a gray bear standing by the river, perhaps planning to fish or get a drink.
Hawke worked the bolt, took aim for a moment, and pulled the trigger.
After the shot rang out, the gray bear shook and turned to charge at them.
Hawke quickly cycled the bolt again and fired a second shot.
The bear collapsed to the ground.
Hawke didn't approach it; instead, he kept his rifle trained on the spot.
After a while, when the bear remained still, Hawke walked over cautiously.
Erica followed, quite pleased, "We've hit the jackpot together -- this lucky game just came to us."
Hawke said, "I was just contemplating what kind of engagement gift to get you when it showed up."
"I really like this gift," Erica beamed. One of her two main goals before coming here was completed last night, and now the second was achieved.
Even though she didn't shoot it herself, it felt almost the same as if she had.
As they got closer, they could see more clearly that it was an adult male gray bear, weighing over 200 kilograms.
Shooting was one thing, but getting it onto the truck would be another challenge altogether.
Erica rushed back to get the DV camera and digital camera, asking Hawke to take her pictures beside the catch.
After he snapped the photos, Hawke cautioned, "No one besides us should see these; it could cause problems -- especially you, half a celebrity already."
Erica understood the craziness of extreme animal rights activists and environmentalists, replying, "I'll cherish it just for us when we get back."
...
Hawke called a hunting company, and after more than half an hour, a truck for transporting game arrived.
He went over to negotiate while asking Erica to stay in the truck.
The bear couldn't be brought over, so four adults dragged and carried it with a net to get it to the truck.
From there, things got easier.
Hawke found the person in charge and asked, "I saw in your company's brochure that you can create taxidermy mounts. Can you handle this bear?"
"No problem," the person assured him. "We've done hundreds of them."
Hawke proposed, "How about you make it into a mount and ship it to Los Angeles?"
The person readily agreed.
Once the game was all loaded, Hawke drove along with them to Buffalo, signed a contract with the hunting company, and paid a deposit, leaving the shipping address.
Before leaving, he bought a few coyote tooth necklaces as gifts for Frank.
He also spotted some uniquely Wyoming stone carvings, all made from locally-sourced soapstone. He bought a few pieces to give away.
...
Next, they needed to head to Yellowstone Park, and since that required a flight, Hawke drove to the downtown buffalo gun shop to store his purchased weapons.
They could use them again when they returned.
He booked tickets for the next day and secured a hotel room, returning the pickup truck.
Erica pulled him into the hotel suite.
They had unfinished business from last night that needed to be addressed today.
Both of them had kept in shape with regular exercise, had good stamina, and the evening activities stretched on longer than expected, creating quite the commotion.
Thanks to the hotel's not-so-great soundproofing, they were complained about by neighbors on either side throughout the night.
When a hotel staff member knocked on their door, Erica donned a robe and candidly stated, "They're just jealous!"
Hawke completely agreed.
...
The next morning, the two of them left Wyoming and boarded a flight to Yellowstone Park.
Within the park, vacation cabins with yards were available for rent, fully equipped for living, ensuring no disturbances.
During the day, Hawke and Erica explored the surroundings.
At night, they studied the mysteries of the human body together.
Unfortunately, hunting was off-limits in Yellowstone Park, so they couldn't continue their game.
...
Five days later, they began their return journey.
On the plane, Erica specifically told Hawke, "This time, it was your treat, next time I'll treat you. Next time let's go to Florida to hunt alligators."
She thought of another target: "There's also an invasive giant lizard problem there. After legal hunting, you can sell the carcasses for money. I hear there are many lizard hunters in that area."
"Sure," Hawke thought. If they wanted to deal with the troublesome family member in Florida, it was best to bring along his brother-in-law for the job.
Erica smiled, "This vacation isn't over yet, and I'm already looking forward to the next one. I never used to be like this, always worrying about getting promoted faster..."
She hesitated to mention this to Hawke, "Forget that. I estimate there will be an award ceremony before Christmas. Can you attend if I send you the invite?"
Hawke replied, "As long as you send me an invitation."
...
The flight landed smoothly in Los Angeles. As Hawke and Erica emerged with their luggage, Brian was already waiting at the exit.
They all got into Brian's Cadillac, and Erica said, "Let's drop Hawke off at Fountain Street first."
Brian drove them out of the airport, finally unable to hold back, asked, "I heard from Jennifer you two went out again and did quite a bit of killing?"
Hawke thought for a moment, "We got three coyotes, one mountain lion, one gray bear, plus six gangsters. Oh, and we severely injured one."
"Good thing I didn't go, thank goodness I didn't!" Brian exclaimed gratefully. "If I had gone with you two, I certainly wouldn't have made it back."
Erica bluntly critiqued her cousin, "You know yourself well. At the most dangerous moment, it was just Hawke and I against seven armed thugs. If you had joined, it would have been three against seven, and we would have definitely lost."
Brian looked glum, "That reasoning doesn't add up. Two against seven and somehow you guys beat three against seven."
Hawke lightly slapped the dashboard, inviting him, "Next time, Erica and I are planning to go to Florida to hunt alligators. Want to come along?"
Brian asked, "Aren't you afraid I'd be a liability?"
With their seamless chemistry, Erica chimed in, "Crocodiles spend most of their time underwater. To hunt them, you need bait."
Hawke added, "Preferably something that moves."
Brian understood; he would be that bait.
Hawke teasingly said, "Don't worry, we can guarantee your safety."
Faced with the relentless jabs from the couple, Brian decided to fight back and quickly found a point of attack: "I remember when you two first met, Erica shot little Robert Downey Jr. in the street?"
Hawke replied, "That's right, I recorded it on video."
Brian added, "Later, you guys were out on a yacht, attacked by drug dealers -- several people died at your hands?"
Erica clarified, "They were just low-life dealers."
"And this time?" Brian said, "Six dead and one seriously injured!"
He emphasized, "Didn't you find this suspicious?"
Erica naturally responded, "Hawke and I are capable and work well together."
Brian corrected her, "No, no, that's not the point. The problem is when you two are together, something always goes wrong -- sometimes a person dies; at worst, it's an absolute disaster."
Hawke brushed it off, "These are just small matters; they don't mean anything."
Erica continued, "That's right. Just minor incidents."
Brian deliberately remarked, "I feel like there will come a day when the two of you go on vacation together, and it'll lead to a huge incident resulting in dozens or even hundreds of deaths."
Both Hawke and Erica burst into laughter.
...
The Cadillac reached Fountain Street and pulled over.
Hawke got out to grab his luggage, and Erica followed, saying their goodbyes in the street with a kiss.
Across the street, Frank, holding a tattered ashtray begging for change, shook his head disapprovingly: "Another poor girl deceived by that loser."
After sending off Erica and Brian, Hawke turned to Frank and saw his disdainful expression, instantly replying with a middle finger.
Frank pocketed his small change, grabbed his ashtray, and crossed the street to follow Hawke into the studio.
Hawke opened his suitcase, pulled out a box, and tossed it to Frank, "Here's a gift for you."
Frank opened it and found a string of fearsome fangs, challenging, "After I guarded your door for over a week, you only brought me this piece of junk?"
Hawke explained, "Every tooth comes from an adult coyote. Do you have any idea how much effort I put into getting this gift for you?"
"Forget it, I'll keep it." Frank packed it away into his pocket, saying, "Everything at the studio has been running smoothly, no one has caused any trouble."
Hawke went upstairs to pack his things, "Help yourself."
Frank rummaged through the food Edward had bought in the fridge, enjoying himself as he ate and drank.
Free food was always the tastiest.
When Hawke came back downstairs, he called Edward, "Savior, I'm back."
Hearing his voice, Edward was overjoyed, "Boss, you finally returned! I made a big deal while you were gone!"
*****
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