Stone Age Hero

  Complete Story: Books 1 and 2

  Quentin Kilgore

  Copyright © 2022 by Quentin Kilgore

  All rights reserved.

  No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  Contents

  1. Chapter 1

  2. Chapter 2

  3. Chapter 3

  4. Chapter 4

  5. Chapter 5

  6. Chapter 6

  7. Chapter 7

  8. Chapter 8

  9. Chapter 9

  10. Chapter 10

  11. Chapter 11

  12. Chapter 12

  13. Chapter 13

  14. Chapter 14

  15. Chapter 15

  16. Chapter 16

  17. Chapter 17

  18. Chapter 18

  19. Chapter 19

  20. Chapter 20

  21. Chapter 21

  22. Chapter 22

  23. Chapter 23

  24. Chapter 24

  25. Chapter 25

  26. Chapter 26

  27. Chapter 27

  28. Chapter 28

  29. Chapter 29

  30. Chapter 30

  31. Chapter 31

  32. Chapter 32

  33. Chapter 33

  34. Chapter 34

  35. Chapter 35

  36. Chapter 36

  37. Chapter 37

  38. Chapter 38

  39. Chapter 39

  40. Chapter 40

  41. Chapter 41

  42. Chapter 42

  43. Chapter 43

  44. Chapter 44

  45. Chapter 45

  46. Chapter 46

  47. Chapter 47

  48. Chapter 48

  49. Chapter 49

  50. Chapter 50

  51. Chapter 51

  52. Chapter 52

  53. Chapter 53

  54. Chapter 54

  55. Chapter 55

  56. Chapter 56

  57. Chapter 57

  58. Chapter 58

  59. Chapter 59

  60. Chapter 60

  61. Chapter 61

  62. Chapter 62

  63. Chapter 63

  64. Chapter 64

  65. Chapter 65

  66. Chapter 66

  67. Chapter 67

  68. Chapter 68

  69. Chapter 69

  Thanks for Reading

  Further Reading

  Even More

  Chapter one

  TEX DECKER PUT the carbine rifle on the floor of his pickup and screeched out of the driveway in the dim light of the midnight sun.

  Unsafe storage of a firearm, improper transport, possession of a weapon for a potentially lethal purpose…

  Blah, blah, blah.

  He easily rattled off the relevant firearms offenses. It was just something you learned when you lived in a high-crime, rural area. And Tex’s corner of Northern Alberta certainly was that.

  “It’s the Wild West!” his boss liked to say.

  Not that Tex feared being slapped with firearms charges. The chance of running into a Mountie on those roads was only slightly greater than driving past a Starbucks.

  By the time the Mounties left their detachment and drove down the long, empty highway, the thief would be far away.

  And Tex couldn’t have that. Not this time.

  The engine growled as he tore down the dirt road towards the storage sheds.

  He’d already identified the scumbag—or, rather, “the gentleman,” as the lawyers called him.

  The same “gentleman” had raided the property a year earlier during one of his meth-fueled crime sprees. He made off with an ATV, a generator, an antique rifle, and brand-new power tools.

  The Mounties had caught him a week later in a high-speed chase. The poor dumb fuck crashed into a tree.

  Ajay. That was his name. The judge handed him a measly six-month sentence, which turned into five when the parole board released him early.

  After that, Tex had developed the habit of obsessively checking the security cameras. After all, he was basically responsible for everyone’s safety at Tundra Lodge. His boss, the owner of Tundra Lodge Wilderness Tours, had semi-retired six months earlier, leaving everything in Tex’s hands.

  On this particular evening, Tex had been lying in bed staring at the faint sunbeams peeking through his blinds.

  He frequently glanced at the clock. At 11:49 p.m., a gut feeling told him to check the security cameras, so he snatched up his cellphone from the bedside table and opened the security cam app.

  “Motherfucker.”

  There was Ajay, snooping around the storage sheds. He was easily recognizable, thanks to his red hair and neck tattoos.

  He’d driven there in a shiny new F-150 Raptor.

  “Riding in style, eh?”

  Tex leaped into action, almost thankful he had an excuse to get up.

  As he drove down the forested road leading to the storage sheds, the faint rays of sunlight faded away and left everything in shadow. Tex saw in his rearview mirror that the sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving a strip of blue in an otherwise black sky.

  This weird, in-between world of twilight was the closest it would get to night time.

  Tex shut off his headlights and grabbed the rifle.

  Loss of property wasn’t his only concern. Ajay’s previous convictions included home invasion and rape.

  Several Japanese businessmen and their families were sleeping in the lodge, nearby. They’d just arrived that afternoon. If the methhead got into their rooms, there was no telling what kind of greeting he’d give them.

  The storage sheds came into view as Tex rolled into the clearing, the truck’s tires crunching over the gravel.

  One of the shed’s doors was ajar.

  Tex ripped across the clearing, halting in front of the shed and jumping out of his truck with his rifle at the ready.

  Alright, nice and easy.

  “Ajay, listen up! I’m pointing a rifle at the door. Come out slowly.”

  There was a pause.

  The door swung open and three pistol shots cracked the air. Tex took cover behind his pickup and aimed at the shed.

  His heart pounded in his chest, and he felt the biggest rush of adrenaline he’d ever experienced. Taking deep, slow breaths, he aimed at the shed.

  There was no way a local jury would convict him for blowing this scumbag’s brains out in self-defense. They’d be more likely to award him a medal.

  Ajay burst out of the door, firing blindly as he stumbled down the creaky wooden steps. Tex pulled the trigger.

  The shot blasted into the steps, sending splinters into the air. Ajay fell, but scrambled behind his truck, firing another shot before opening the door.

  Aiming through his scope, Tex fired again. The Raptor’s rear window exploded.

  All was still.

  The world seemed to stop as Tex stared at the broken window, wondering if the bullet hit its target.

  He raised the rifle again. The T-shirt under his flannel was soaked with sweat, but he didn’t feel nervous or scared. There was no time for that.

  He just had a massive rush of adrenaline.

  Suddenly, there was a movement in the Raptor. The engine started. The wheels spun, and the truck took off down the road that led to the lodge.

  Tex couldn’t shoot now, not when he’d be aiming in the general direction of the lodge. Besides, the case for self-defense wouldn’t be as clear-cut if he shot a thief who was running away.

  He saw the Raptor disappear down the forested road as he jumped into his truck. Putting the pedal to the floor, he swerved down the road and spotted the Raptor, well ahead, driving towards the lodge. He gripped the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

  But the Raptor sped past the lodge and made an insanely sharp left turn onto a gravel road. Almost ending up in the ditch, Ajay spun his wheels and tore down the road, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

  Tex grabbed his phone off the seat as he slowed down to make the turn. Opening the call history, he jabbed his thumb on the name “Sgt. Myers,” whom he’d rung at 11:52.

  “Hey,” a gravelly voice said.

  “He’s on Range Road 77, heading north from the lodge.”

  “You’re pursuing him?”

  “Yep.”

  A slight crackle came through the line. “You know if he’s armed?”

  “Oh, he’s armed. The fucker shot at me.”

  “What weapon did he have?”

  “Handgun.”

  “Listen Tex, I know you’re trying to help. I get it. But don’t approach him. Leave it to us; we’re trained for–-”

  “It’s fine. Just hurry your asses up.”

  “We’re on the way. Should be there in 15 minutes.”

  “I’ll keep you posted.”

  Moving his thumb to end the call, he heard Sergeant Myer’s voice crackle through: “Listen, Tex. That’s a dangerous road— ”

  Tex tossed the phone onto the seat and stepped on the gas. Ajay had already gained too much distance. He was driving at suicide speed for a road like that, but it was working for him.

  Tex kept waiting for him to crash, but somehow, he stayed on the road.

  They drove farther and farther north, the lonely pine forest speeding past on either side of the road.<
br />
  A few times, the Raptor escaped Tex’s view, disappearing around a bend or over a hill, but he always regained a visual.

  As he came around one of these bends in the road, he saw a certain landmark that terrified everyone who lived within 100 miles of the area.

  The Hill. That’s what the locals called it. Not just any hill. The Hill.

  Why should it have surprised him to see it? He knew it was there.

  I just didn’t realize we’d gone this far already. Fuck’s sake!

  The Hill and its surroundings were associated with a lot of disturbing stories. Paranormal activity, to call it what it was.

  Tex watched the Raptor as it mounted The Hill and disappeared over the other side. He’d been over there once before to check out an old, abandoned gravel pit— the creepiest place he’d ever seen.

  He gritted his teeth and floored the pedal. The pickup rumbled as he climbed the steep hill.

  From the top, he saw no sign of the Raptor. The road went straight for quite some distance but then snaked west, disappearing behind the trees. Ajay must have been going extremely fast to get around that corner so quickly.

  It seemed almost impossible.

  However, when Tex came speeding down the hill, something passed on his right: the old gravel pit road.

  He slammed the brakes, skidding over the gravel.

  “He’s gotta be there,” Tex grumbled, reversing his truck and turning onto the old overgrown road. “The fuck are you going down here for, dumbass?”

  Tex didn’t relish the idea of chasing an armed methhead around that creepy place. Still, as strange as it might sound, part of him was enjoying it.

  It was the biggest adventure he’d had in a while.

  The pickup bounced over the rough road, as tall, dark pines towered in the twilight.

  Tex grabbed his phone.

  “Yeah,” Sergeant Meyers grunted.

  “He’s going down the Old Gravel Pit Road.”

  “Huh. There’s no other way outta there.”

  “Correct. I’ll block the road.”

  There was a pause as Sergeant Myers listened. “Are you going in there?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Listen Tex— ”

  “Gotta go. Talk soon.”

  He tossed the phone on the seat. Of course Sergeant Myers was going to tell him not to go in. But there was no way he could stop now.

  Driving through the long, dark tunnel of pine trees, he finally saw the bleak landscape of the abandoned gravel pit.

  The Raptor’s revving engine jangled in the air, its tires spinning in mud and water. Yup, Ajay really was dumb and/or high enough to think he could drive straight through.

  Tex’s truck trundled to a stop, blocking the only way out by vehicle. He turned off his engine, grabbed his rifle, and jumped out.

  Mounds of gravel rose on either side of a path that wended its way to the other side of the pit, about 40 yards away. Spindly white trees populated the mounds, and the path was covered in patches of yellow grass and murky puddles.

  The Raptor was stuck about halfway across. Tex leaned against his pickup and watched mud flying up from the tires.

  Finally, Ajay turned off the engine, cursing. The Raptor door flung open, and Ajay tumbled out, his handgun splashing into the mud.

  “Hey!” Tex boomed, striding forward.

  Ajay looked up in surprise.

  “Don’t even think about grabbing that gun. Sit tight. Your friends’ll be here soon.”

  Ajay’s face twisted with scorn. “What friends?”

  “The boys from the detachment, who else? Come out of the mud and get down on the ground over there, on your stomach.”

  Ajay stared Tex in the eyes for a few seconds.

  Then he turned his back on him and splashed through the mud.

  “Stop!” Tex bellowed.

  It was almost certain that Ajay himself wouldn’t have had any qualms about shooting an unarmed man—or woman, for that matter—in the back.

  But he was betting Tex would.

  Tex cursed and slung his rifle, running after him, avoiding treacherous puddles and patches of mud. He knew some of them could be deeper than they appeared.

  Ajay scrambled up a steep gravel hill, stumbling and grabbing hold of gangly trees to pull himself up.

  He’s tiring himself out, Tex thought as he ran towards the hill.

  It was probably the meth, but Ajay suddenly had a burst of energy and charged up the hill, disappearing over the top.

  Tex raced up the hill, but he slipped on the loose gravel, fell onto his hands and knees, and started sliding back down. He grabbed the spindly trees to pull himself up.

  Suddenly, a shout of surprise came from the other side, and Tex heard Ajay tumbling down the hill.

  “Got you now, fucker,” Tex muttered, thinking he’d charge down the hill and pounce on him.

  But just as Tex mounted the hilltop, Ajay screamed. And there was palpable terror in his voice.

  What the hell?

  The scream confused Tex, but he was already bounding over the other side, propelled by his momentum.

  He spotted the thief’s ginger head and shoulders sticking up from a dark pit at the bottom of the slope. He was clutching a spindly sapling as rocks and dirt tumbled past him and spilled into the darkness.

  Tex dug his heels into the gravel, trying to stop his descent down the steep slope, but the ground crumbled.

  In the eerie twilight, he could see the pitch-black chasm yawning wider as the ground disintegrated.

  Tex purposefully fell onto his ass, but it didn’t help. The hill was so steep and the gravel so loose that he continued sliding rapidly towards Ajay.

  There was nothing to grab hold of. The only thing he might put his hiking shoe on was the tiny tree Ajay was clutching.

  Tex lifted his foot and tried to get a purchase on the sapling, which was doubled over almost flat against the dirt. No luck. His shoe slipped down the stock, moving him closer to the chasm.

  Suddenly, more ground gave way and Ajay dropped farther into the blackness, the tip of the tree now pointing straight down.

  Tex squirmed against the shifting dirt, desperately trying to worm himself away from the chasm. Digging his hands into the crumbling gravel, his feet scrambled on the slippery sapling.

  “This fucking sucks!” he grunted through his teeth.

  As his shoe slid towards the end of the sapling, he saw Ajay’s horrified face looking up at him from the darkness.

  It was the last chance for a foothold.

  Tex planted his shoe on Ajay’s forehead.

  Chapter two

  “AHH! YOU FUCK! You’re trying to kill me!” Ajay howled.

  “Shut up and hold on,” Tex said.

  Ajay did hold on, but his fingers slid down the sapling, and Tex moved that much closer to the chasm. A gust of cold, earthy air drafted over him. The sound of flowing water echoed somewhere far down in the darkness.

  Ajay gasped as his fingers slid right to the end of the sapling.

  “Don’t let go!” Tex growled.

  Ajay let out a strangled cry. The sapling slipped out of his fists. He was gone, swallowed by the darkness. Tex rapidly slid towards the hole, his legs going over the edge, as the tree whipped back upright.

  Twisting himself around, he grabbed the sapling just in time. His hands painfully slid down the stock— he couldn’t get a grip on it. But he bent the stock into a noose shape just as descended towards its tip.

  Roots snapped and dirt flew into the air, but Tex came to a stop.

  His legs scrambled to find purchase, but the dirt crumbled beneath his feet.

  He froze, panting to catch his breath as his pulse pounded in his ears. Then he heard a faint sound that filled him with dread and wonder.

  Ajay’s scream.

  He’s... still falling?

  The sound was coming from a considerable distance, but Tex heard it for several seconds longer until it faded out of earshot. In the meantime, he made a tremendous effort to pull himself up, using the sapling like a lifeline, even though his hands were constantly sliding down it.

  Using the method of bending the stock, he painstakingly ascended a couple of feet out of the chasm, his heart pounding against his chest. For a moment, he smelled fresh air.

  Then, in the distance, he heard car doors slamming and voices.

  The Mounties were there.

  Just have to hold on… a little longer…

  “Hey!“ he roared. “Over here!”

  But the sapling’s roots suddenly popped out from the dirt, and Tex lurched back towards the darkness.