Book one of the Hunter's Home Anthology. Newly edited and updated!

As Alex Hunter watched in outrage through the scope of his rifle, a large uniformed man threw his mother from the porch of their homestead and into the yard. She landed hard, kicking up dust from the hard-packed earth. She gathered herself quickly as the man walked down the steps and stood over her. She made it to her knees, hands raised imploringly to the man.

Outrage quickly became boiling anger as he watched his mom’s rough treatment. He could see her pleading with the man as he approached to stand over her. His face was a mask of rage as he glared down at her. The man, the leader of this group at a guess, barked a few short angry seeming words down at his mother in reply. The next instant, Alex's hot anger became sickening horror as the man quickly stepped back and drew his sidearm.

With no hesitation, the muzzle flashed and Alex heard the distant report of the chemical-powered pistol that ended his mother’s life. His horror became unthinking shock as his mother’s body slumped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. This couldn’t be happening.

“What? Why?”

Alex’s head was spinning incoherently as the man holstered his weapon and started barking orders to his people. They immediately started to fan out to search the barn and the surrounding area. Shock became stone-cold rage. Alex watched the leader turn and start walking toward the house.

Something cold and dark was swelling in Alex’s chest. The man was just crossing the threshold back into the house when his head exploded in a fine red mist. The cold eyes of a killer looked out at the world from Alex’s face as he jacked the next round into the chamber.

Hunter's Game is the first book in the Hunter's Saga series. A work of military science fiction by Art DeForest.