Living WIth Animals
Hardy's Vengeance
by
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The truck bounced over the mounds of dirt, rolled sideways and skidded, and sweat ran down the fat man's cheeks and he looked only at the floorboard,afraid to flinch. When they reached the far boundary of the field, Hardy slowed his speed, turned left, and crawled along the fence line , for he knew it wasn't far, and he had to be careful. Then he saw it, the shadow on the ground, the barbed wire fencing bisecting its twenty foot diameter. Long blades of dry grass bent forward into the pit, concealing the mouth of the ancient mineshaft. He'd discovered it years ago, before Robbie's reign of terror, and he'd never heard the rocks hit bottom when he'd tossed them in. Robbie had turned a ghastly shade of grey, and Hardy stopped the truck, opened the passenger side door, and yanked his passenger out. Relieved to be released from guard duty,Bella lay on the deat and closed her eyes, the strain of the constant vigil having drained her."Now," said Hardy. "No,please,you can't do this, I'm a human being," Robbie pleaded, his voice cracking with stress. "Precisely your problem," said Hardy. "And you have not been a good one." He dragged the screaming Robbie Ruth to the edge of the hidden pit and removed the handcuffs. "We don't need these anymore. " Robbie's eyes filled with terror as Hardy placed his foot on Robbie's butt and shoved .The fat man tripped on his untied laces and skidded on the slippery grass, landing on his stomach, sliding, sliding. He grabbed desperately at the long stalks of dried grass, yanking handfulls loose from the reluctant, crumbling earth as he slid downward, screaming,and then Robbie Ruth disappeared into the gaping maw. Hardy stood back, aware that the ancient edge could collapse, and listened as the screams of terror bounced , echoing against the mine shaft walls, growing ever fainter, and then all was deathly quiet. And still no splash,he marveled. No noise at all,except what he percieved to be grateful whinnies and eager munching as he drove back across the field past the herd. "Happy Thanksgiving you guys," he called. "I'll be back soon."
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About the Book
Frustrated by animal abuse that goes unpunished in his community, beloved town veterinarian,Hardy Johns, turns vigilante and takes matters into his own hands, wielding swift and deliciously appropriate justice on behalf of the abused. Estelle Greenwood, Hardy's wife helps, as sheriff, Mitch Downey looks the other way. This time however, the action attracts the attentionof the FBI, and Estelle's friend, handyman, Jack, the Ripper, takes over from there.
About the Author
As a child, Nell Boyer scraped road kill off the highway and buried the little bodies in her parents backyard, memoralizing them with crosses made from popsicle sticks. She conducted neighborhood veterinary clinics in the garage, ministering to the neighborhood cats and dogs. It seemed Nell's destiny was sealed from birth-she was an animal person. Unable to kill any living thing, she takes ants, spiders, the tiniest creatures to safety if they are in danger--it is a profound belief that all creatures have a right to life, and no one has the right to kill--unless it is done for vengeance in one of her novels. Nell and her husband, Jerry, have surrounded themselves with rescued animals and although she works to find homes for the homeless, they often wind up living with the Boyers on their seventeen acres in northern California. Animals need strong advocates for they are abused and taken advantage of mercilessly. Society needs to pay attention to what is going on in its midst, and although there is hope that animal rights are being taken more seriously, are always terrible setbacks-such as the aerial hunts in Alaska or the clubbing to death of seals in Canada. Passion for and a love of all creatures are Nell's credentials.