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Cain frowned at this odd behavior, but he was too tired to do h to cause any har such a large animal was a major feat; he knew because he worked for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and it was the kind of thing he did for a living “I’s and started toward the house, but Koda, his oldest and sht Cain up short

Koda didn’t spook easily…

Instead of returning to the house, Cain opened the gate and all three dogs raced toward hi because he’d already chastened the each of the as possible, but tonight they tried to slip between him and the fence so they could head out into the forest

“Hold on” He was planning to put them all on leashes, but Koda didn’t want to wait The black-and-tan bounded to the edge of the clearing, then glanced back for permission and whined

“If it’s a bear, you’ll get your ass kicked,” Cain told his would corner and hover until he arrived—and hopefully they’d be quick enough to get out of the way if a bear charged them

He relented with a wave “Fine,” he said, “do it”

And that was all it took to send the hounds racing out ahead of him

Taking a flashlight fro the noise they uide

It wasn’t long before the tenor of their barking changed They’d found so

Picking up his pace, he shone the flashlight to avoid obstacles Theto rain, and the extra light helped when he had to weave through the shadowy trees A lot of sturound But there weren’t many people in these mountains That hy Cain loved them so much

The dogs grew louder, more excited, as he neared the far corner of his property Whatever they had was on his land

He put the tranquilizer rifle to his shoulder, in case he needed it, and came up behind Koda But they hadn’t cornered a bear They hadn’t cornered anything threatening at all From the looks of it, they’d surrounded a life-size doll

Was this a joke? The boys in tohom he occasionally had a few beers, liked to pull pranks…

“Take it easy” He spoke low in his throat, his tone warning the dogs to calm down and back off Reluctantly, they inched away—and that hen Cain saw that it wasn’t an inflatable doll or a mannequin or any other inanimate object It was a woman

“What the hell?” Whoever she was, she’d been badly beaten She wasn’tto the noise and activity around her

Was she dead?

Cain used his flashlight to search the surrounding trees He appeared to be alone with the woman, but the existence of a discarded shovel and a partially dug hole a few feet to his right told an unsettling story Apparently, soht her out here to bury her