The Prey

“We can talk after the hunt,” Wallace said when Wes tried delicately to broach the subject. Turning to Horton, he added, “Who is this kid you brought along, Bubba? Seems he’s more interested in conducting business than in enjoying these young, hot babes we’ve provided for your entertainment. You won’t find girls like this anywhere else, I guar-an-tee.” Wallace’s color was high. His wine glass had been refilled so often Wes had lost count. He mock-scowled at Wes. “You’re not one of those fairy boys, are you?”

Wes forced a hearty laugh, issued an outraged denial and promptly dropped the subject.

The chatter and laughter around the table quieted as Wallace tapped his glass with a knife. “Gentlemen, I want to welcome you again to Pirate Island. You are now part of a very special elite. As a condition of participation in the hunt, you have to swear never to reveal the details to anyone, even other guys who have been guests here on the island for our more, uh, usual offering. I don’t like to make threats”—he bared his teeth in a predatory, wolfish smile as he looked from man to man—“but if any word of this hunt leaks out on the mainland, we’ll know who did the talking. To put it simply, I will not be happy if that occurs.”

“And if Danny Boy ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” Horton cried drunkenly, waving his wine glass for emphasis and sloshing half its content onto the table in the process.

DJ laughed loudly. Ignoring his son, Wallace flashed a cold smile and continued, “Tomorrow morning, three naked girls will be released into the wild on the far side of the island. Those girls are resting up now for their big adventure. You three men, with DJ’s assistance, will have four hours to hunt them down. You’ll be pretty much on your own. When you capture a girl, you’ll let DJ know via walkie-talkie so we can keep track of who’s still in the game.”

“What if they hide so well we can’t find ’em?” Jed asked, his words a little slurred from alcohol.

“Oh, you’ll find them, don’t you worry. There are only so many places to hide out there, and the girls know it’s just a game. They’ll give you a run for your money, sure, but when the hunt's over, you’ll each have a girl, and that’s a promise.”

“Damn straight,” DJ added. “Those girls know what’ll happen if they don’t get caught. They won’t be able to sit down for a week.” Dan Wallace glared at his son, though nobody else seemed to notice.

Horton rubbed his hands together. “Can’t wait to hunt me some poontang,” he chortled. “We gonna have guns or anything to add a little authenticity?” He drew out the last word, carefully enunciating each syllable.

Wallace shook his head. “Knowing you, Bubba, you’d use it. We can’t have you killing off our girls.” He laughed. “But you will be supplied with a knife for clearing any brush if you need it, water and other supplies, including rope and cuffs to truss your quarry. We’ll include a few toys and a blanket roll in case you want to use them then and there. When you capture a girl, think of her as your property, won fair and square. There are no hard limits on Pirate Island. You can do anything—anything you wish, short of killing her, of course.” He barked a laugh, the other men around the table joining in, though the girls all stared silently down at their plates.

This whole hunting of human beings, however staged and playful, left a bad taste in Wes’ mouth. And what the hell did Wallace mean by saying ‘anything short of killing them’? That left a whole lot of room for sickos like Horton, who Wes knew from prior experience with the man, regarded all women as pieces of ass to use and discard, except for his sainted wife, whom he hadn’t touched in a decade. And DJ’s comment about not being able to sit down for a week—what the hell was that about?

Wes looked around at the pretty young women who had grown so subdued during Wallace’s speech. He tried to imagine voluntarily working under their conditions. Though he got it that they were working girls, the scenario seemed rather extreme, to put it mildly. These women must be paid a fortune to endure this shit. Wes had no choice but to go along. He’d let the other guys run around like horny teenaged lunatics. They could have all three girls. He’d take a pass.

Wallace had finished his speech, and now Dawn, who apparently served as some kind of madam or den mother, rose gracefully and said, “Gentlemen, we have four lovely young women here and only three of you. I know they’re all hoping to be chosen, so if any of you enjoy two sweet young things at once, you need only say the word.”