“This is happening everywhere in the galaxy, Lan.”
His face turned beet red. “Screw that. The shark says I’m getting old and they’d have the state put me in a penal institution for mistreating animals. Mistreating animals, can you believe it? If I hadn’t laughed so hard, it might have been funny at the time. I might have even taken them seriously. Slapped a big wad of twenty pages down for me to sign and a big cheque for 400k yols.”
Yul whistled. “That’s a lot of cash. You sign?”
“Course not. Why the hell would I? But that’s when they got mean and ugly. Started threatening my wife, Tira, sabotaging my herd and operation. Tira’s staying with her sister over in Capervale village in the outback, it got so bad. No one would think to find her there. Three dead dengals poisoned just the other day. I sniffed the water they drank and smelled arsenic in the mix. Buggers! Killing innocent animals, and poaching others. I have a fence down, probably lost some stock. It’s disgraceful. That was no accident, Vrean.”
“So, if they can’t buy you out, they’re trying to force you off your land, then out of business?
“Seems the obvious conclusion. Force me to sell, or buy into their shitty deal.”
“Low level bastards.”
“That’s too kind of a description for these low-lifes.”
“Why dengals?”
“Not just dengals. Other animals too. They got a whole pantheon on the go that they sell to Veramax out on Borealis planet: lizards, monkeys, firrits, vorcofs, you name it.”
“What about the local authorities? You try bringing them in?”
“They won’t touch it. Poachers? Bah, small fry. Miles of fence to patrol. No scope in their budget for a mega acreage like mine. Say I should hire a wildlife protection agency. Yeah, right. Like they’re growing on trees. Bigger problems to deal with than a bunch of poachers.”
Yul nodded in understanding. “These sound like developers, not poachers.” He looked away, having second thoughts and bad feelings about the whole venture.
“ Look, Vrean, word is, you’re in the line of work that deals with scumbags like this. Been a friend of your father’s for many years, ever since you’ve been away—serviced my cropping and feeding engines. Sold me decent new equipment.”
Yul hesitated. “Best I can do is look around, Lan, see what I can come up with. But you’ve aroused my sympathy. They’re an interesting creature, these dengals, and don’t deserve that fate, nor should you be browbeaten. I hate shysters muscling in on a man’s livelihood, making profit at the expense of innocents.”
“And you could use the money yourself.”
“That too. You’re my father’s friend. As for fees—”
“You fix my problem, you got yourself 20k yols. 10k yol bonus, if it’s clean and keeps me out of the courts and no follow up with Veramax’s thuggery.”
“That’s not a bad deal.” Yul grinned, gave a satisfied chuckle and a brisk handshake.
“Don’t let me down, Vrean. This could get ugly and I could lose more than a farm and a few million yols if these bastards come down hard on me. They’re heavy players. Not pushovers who’ll go away with a warning or couple of gunshots.”
Yul gave a grim laugh. “No need to worry, Banzari. I’ll come through.”
Banzari bared his teeth. “Okay, just tell me what you need.”
“Just keep your head down and do as I tell you. I’ll need some transpo around the facilities and some familiarization with your operation. Plus intel on the ranch hands and the layout of the ranch. If I can catch them in the act, maybe I can collect enough evidence to nail them. Failing that, there’s always the hard way.” His hand brushed the blaster at his belt.
Banzari gave slow nod. “You can find everything in the utility shed with the dust buggies. Trixie can take you anywhere you want to go.” He peered at Yul. “You ain’t scared of these men? I mean, you’re just one guy against a whole gang of ruffians backed by big money.”
Yul gave an unpleasant sneer. “I never was a momma’s boy myself. Doesn’t pay to be too afraid in this line of work either.”
“Good for you. Guess it don’t.” He laughed, but his mirth was shortlived. “I told you, some animals were snatched away recently. Wouldn’t put it past them to plant a hired hand or take out some protection muscle like you. Other acts of random vandalism on the ranch include the fencing blown away. You saw it.”
“You tell the local police?”
“Told you, they’ll do nothing,” he scoffed. “Too many miles of fence. Bigger problems to deal with than a bunch of poachers.”
“You see any of these men?”
He hissed. “Had some muscly yobos come by the other day, try to rough me up.”
“What exactly did they say?”
“Same old.” His voice hardened in a sneer. “Sell the place, or else. Told them to buzz off.”
Yul gestured. “So, I’m guessing that bruise on your cheek is a gift they left you?”
He growled. “Had me a taser and flare gun for backup, otherwise we might not be having this conversation right now.” He turned away with disgust then headed back to the lodge, throwing up his hands in the air as he muttered dark words. Yul grunted in understanding.
Chapter 3
Yul wandered back to the fence, his mind churning, trying to pull the pieces together. A bunch of professional thugs hired by corporate money. Force a ranch owner to sell his property and livelihood. Direct threats and random animal killings. Could dengals be worth it—with a thousand acres thrown in? Maybe the gene-splicing song and dance was just a story. What other use might they have for the animals? Yul paced, chin in hand.
How to catch them? Maybe just easiest to
