Free The Bovine Connection by Kimberly Thomas

medical professionals are baffled.”
    Angelica looked at Matthew, “I don’t know what to say. Matthew, why would someone be so interested in cattle? The government sure wouldn’t need to mutilate rancher’s cattle. They could do that on Plum Island or a myriad of other undisclosed locations. These are questions that need to be answered.” Angelica shook her head, perplexed.
    “It is definitely not a scavenger event, based upon my eyewitness account here today. That narrows it down to a hoax, or some other human deviousness. If we rule those out, then it really starts to get interesting,” Angelica murmured.
    Matthew stepped away from the carcass as he listened intently to Angelica and put his hands on his hips. “I think it is very important now for you to meet my friend, Dr. Walter Goolrick. I know he’ll meet with you, but you’ll have to go to Denver, I suspect. After getting to know you, he’ll see you’re not a typical journalist.”
    Angelica looked curiously at Matthew, “What do you mean by that?”
    “Angelica, I don’t believe in accidents. I think there’s a reason you’re here covering this mutilation. I can tell you’re not going to make quick assumptions and you’re not going to give up until you uncover the truth behind what’s happening to these poor animals.”
    Angelica walked back around to the head of the carcass and bent down, then looked back up at Matthew and said, “Poor creature. Regardless of whether they’re human or non-human… you’re right, I want to know who did this and why.”
    The heat was starting to weigh down on them and Angelica was growing weary. Her blouse had moistened from sweat and was sticking to her back. She was pulling her blouse away from her wet skin as she heard a male voice in the distance.
    “Hey there!” Jack Keller was approaching with a slight limp.
    “Hey there!” he said again while waving as he walked toward them.
    Angelica looked at Matthew, “That’s Keller, isn’t it?”
    “Yep, that’s him,” confirming her suspicion. Jack stopped briefly to say something to Paul. Angelica noticed as the men laughed. Jack then continued toward Angelica and Matthew.
    His suntanned skin caused him to appear older than his actual age of forty-five. He was a pleasant looking man with reddish-blonde hair and light brown eyes. He wore a dark tan cowboy hat and wranglers. Right down to his cowboy boots, he fit the part of a Montana rancher.
    He extended his hand toward Matthew, “Good to see you, buddy! You can’t stay away!” he chuckled and then looked at Angelica still smiling, “You must be the reporter from Washington!”
    Matthew looked at Angelica with a sly grin. “Yep, this is Angelica Bradley from Washington, D.C. She’s here to uncover the truth,” Matthew said sarcastically.
    Irritated, Angelica quickly looked at Matthew and then to Jack. “Well, you could say, I’m here to write about the incident, and hopefully uncover the truth whatever that ends up to be.”
    Jack looked at Matthew and then back to Angelica and frowned. “Pretty awful sight… That’s one of my second-year heifers. I was pretty disappointed to see they got one of my heifers.” Jack looked inquisitively over at Angelica trying to read her body language.
    Angelica looked up at Jack and smiled while she reached into her bag and tried to retrieve her digital recorder, “Do you mind if I record our conversation? It would be for my notes. I would only publish what you agreed to release. You just say what’s off the record. And I don’t mind giving you an alias to protect you and your family.”
    Jack looked down at his boots as he slid them across the dry dirt, leaving a long imprint. Angelica looked intensely at Jack and patiently awaited his response.
    “Look, Mr. Keller, I understand your situation, and I understand how difficult it must be to experience something so unusual. But it’s in all of our best interest to find out what is happening to these