Free Coyotes & Curves by Pamela Masterson

INTRODUCTION
    A Killing Moon
     
    A full moon shines brightly onto the secluded camp within the thick stand of tall pines; and two dirt covered miners sit across a fallen log – hungry and tired from a hard day’s work. Both men are rapidly waving the air – in attempts to clear a thick smoke that rises intensely from a small cooking fire. A cast iron pot boils over licking flames; hissing and cracking as small beads of water land into the dancing inferno below.
    “The woods too green,” Gabby Walker, the older of the two men, grumbles; while spitting into the flames; which screams its retort by quickly drying the sizzling glob. Brown saliva trails over a protruding lower lip, being slowly wiped away by a raggedly clothed arm. “You need to find ones dat ain’t so green; and day won’t smoke so much,” Gabby instructs with a slur; through a row of stained teeth.
    The boy was always doing something wrong, and it gets on the old man’s last nerve; making him want to get after the youngster for every little thing he did wrong– The boy can’t even find decent firewood!.. He ponders why he’s giving him an equal cut of the profits…
    Sure, he did most of the work – with old Gabby, having thrown his back out three summers ago – when an old pack mule lost her nerve on a narrow trail of switch backs he was traversing up. She started bucking; and it was everything he could do to keep from going over the side. In the end, he had lost all of his possessions, a favorite mule, and left with a limp; that has him looking like he’s stepping over a kicking ball with every gate.
    Gabby resolves why the boy is receiving a full share, and his mind wonders elsewhere.
    – Have you ever seen so much gold in your whole life? He had asked when they hit the massive vein –That was a week ago, today. And tonight they sit around the fire waiting for the return of the third man of their trio, who was sent into town for supplies – alone, as to not stir up any commotion about the find – Gabby not trusting to send the young boy; who would be sure to talk of the strike . And in today’s world, with thieves ready to kill you dead and jump on your claim; you can’t trust anyone . He didn’t trust the third man, any more than he did the kid; but at least he could find his way to town and back, while keeping his mouth shut.
    “Shouldn’t he have been back by now?” the boy asks, staring into the darkness; like the third man might walk out at any time, joining them for another meal of tasteless beans.
    “Yup.” Gabby answers with no change of expression to his face. He’s dreaming of the days to come, when he won’t have to sleep under the stars; listening to another man snoring and shitting his pants all night.
    “Well ain’t you worried, then!” the boy continues, agitated at the old man’s avoidance at engaging in conversations; and his continued one and two word answers.
    “Nope.”
    “Aw, to hell with you – I’m going to bed,” the boy adds, flustered; and tossing a small stick into the fire, he stands to go.
    A SHOT Rings out of the darkness with a yellow BLAST! The young boy’s body flies backwards; landing on the ground dead with a smoking hole in his chest… it quickly turns a crimson red, as the young boy moans softly; closing his eyes in death.
    “Jesus Christ, lord oh…” –the second blast hits old Gabby in the face, blowing his hat off; taking half of his skull with it, as he flies backwards, landing next to his deceased friend.
    Three mangy looking cowboys walk out of the darkness and into the glow of the fire; where they examine the two bloody corpses. Both men are kicked repeatedly and rolled over – checking for signs of life – Realizing there is none, they drop to their knees, ripping off the miner’s ragged clothes and begin feeding ravenously – tearing out their throats and savoring the guts, as the hungry trio of Coyote shifters, dine happily.
    “I love a killing moon,” Jasper, a