Their battered pickup truck was parked near an unauthorized trail.
Several illegally killed animals had already been loaded into their vehicle.
For the brothers, it was another ordinary day.
Until Liam heard something. A faint mechanical click.
He turned toward the trees.
About fifty yards away, a young man was standing beside a tripod.
He was adjusting a camera. A notebook rested on a nearby rock.
Liam narrowed his eyes. “Who’s that?” Mark glanced over.
“Some hiker.” “He’s filming.” “Probably animals.”
Liam lowered his voice. “He’s filming us.”
According to Mark, fear took hold of his brother almost immediately.
Liam had already served time for illegal weapons possession and poaching.
Another serious conviction could send him back to prison.
And he believed the stranger’s camera might contain
everything needed to identify them. Mark insisted they should leave.
“Come on, Liam. He probably hasn’t even seen us.”
But Liam was already walking toward Jaden. Mark followed.
From a distance, he watched his brother approach the young scientist.
Jaden looked up. “Hey,” he said. “You guys hiking out here?”
Liam didn’t return the greeting. “What’s on that camera?”
Jaden looked confused. “Wildlife footage.” “Show me.” Jaden hesitated.
“Why?” “Because I said so.”
Mark remembered how quickly the atmosphere changed. Jaden stepped back.
“Look, I’m just doing research. I’m not bothering anyone.”
Liam pointed toward the camera.
“You’ve been taking pictures of our truck.” “No.
I’ve been filming deer.” “You’re lying.” Jaden’s expression hardened.
“I’m not giving you my camera.” For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Liam reached for his rifle.
Mark’s voice broke as he described what happened next.
“I told him to put it down.” Rivers watched him carefully.
“Did he?” Mark shook his head. “No.” According to Mark, Jaden turned,
perhaps intending to retreat or protect his equipment.
Liam raised the weapon. A single shot shattered the forest silence.
Jaden collapsed. His notebook fell to the ground.
His camera tilted sideways. And in a matter of seconds, a bright,
curious young man with plans for the future lay motionless beneath the trees.
Mark stared at the tabletop.
“I kept saying his name wasn’t even known to us.
We didn’t know who he was.” He began crying. “He hadn’t done anything.”
Rivers asked the question he already feared answering.
