1. Cole

Chapter 1

Cole

‘Reacher!' Cole bellowed, his voice carrying through the rain sodden undergrowth of Ridgeback Forest as he called out for his trusty hound. ‘Quit chasing rabbits and come the hell back to Daddy.'

Cole pulled the hood of his black and grey camo raincoat over his head and called out for his dog once more. With the rainclouds closing in and the light dipping, the last thing that Cole wanted was to be out in the forest for any longer than he needed to be.

‘One more time, and you'd better come running,' Cole muttered before blasting out one more time. ‘Ranger! Get your tail back here.'

And it was less than five seconds later that Cole heard the familiar sound of twigs and leaves rustling as his great big old hound came charging toward him through the dense, wet bush.

A loud bark and some nuzzling later, and both Cole and Reacher were making their way back to Cole's place on the edge of the forest.

‘There's a storm brewing,' Cole said, increasing the pace of his walk and watching with pride as Ranger stalked ahead of him, ever vigilant and full of energy. ‘And my old ass doesn't need to get caught out in it.'

Cole Tyrant was forty years old, and his strong body was very much feeling the effects of a lifetime playing hockey and a full fifteen year professional career that was brought to an abrupt end five years ago.

With an arthritic hip, three knee operations, and several back injuries over the span of his career on the ice, Cole wasn't exactly as fit and flexible as he used to be. But one thing that Cole had in abundance though was strength and grit. Oh, and the kind of right cross and uppercut combination that was still more than able to get him out of most bar room brawls in one piece.

But bare knuckle dustups and overnight visits to the local police cell were something that Cole was trying to avoid as much as he possibly could these days. After the three year county jail sentence that brought a swift end to his hockey career, Cole was very much of a mind that if he could avoid trouble he most certainly would.

And while avoiding trouble wasn't exactly Cole's strong suit, the fact that he was well known and generally well liked in Ridgeback Falls was something that worked in his favor. The town sheriff was very much from the old school and saw no reason to throw fighting men into jail provided that everything was settled fair and square on the night. Cole knew that as long as he didn't take anything too far, he was good to go.

Of course, not taking things too far wasn't always part of Cole's natural makeup.

During his hockey career, Cole had risen to the top by playing harder and faster than his rivals. Cole might not have had the finesse of hockey's greats, but when it came to aggression, attitude, and winning mentality Cole Tyrant was legendary.

However as Cole racked up disciplinary issues for his on ice aggression, he had also found himself accumulating controversies off the ice too. Being known as a hard man on the ice saw Cole targeted off the ice by drunks and blowhards who wanted to make a name for themselves – and Cole was rarely able to resist the temptation to fight back either.

A trusted team manager and supportive head coach meant that Cole was able to keep on playing hockey despite his suspensions and fines, but if Cole ever thought that this loyalty would be never-ending, then he had been given a rude awakening in the aftermath of that one fateful night that ended his career.

‘Ranger, follow me,' Cole said, switching routes as he felt the first drops of rain hit his raincoat. ‘We're going to need the shortcut.'

Ranger barked and happily switched routes, trotting ahead of Cole as the pair of them made a left and took the steeper but significantly shorter route back home.

Cole couldn't wait to get back to his cabin.

With a hot stew slowly cooking its way to perfection and a loaf of perfectly chewy sourdough bread to accompany it, Cole was ready to fill his belly in preparation for a few beers down at Smokers Tavern that evening.

And with that prospect very much at the forefront of his mind, Cole and his canine companion Ranger powered their way through the forest very much in the hope that they would be home safe before the storm truly hit Ridgeback Falls.

Cole was feeling happy to be back home and under the shower's piping hot water. With Ranger curled up in his dog bed in front of the roaring wood burner, it was very much a case that the whole family was feeling warm and ready for the evening.

The only difference between Cole and Ranger though was that Cole was due to head out to Smokers Tavern in half an hour for beers with Vince and Roddy. Speaking of which, Cole saw his phone flashing up with messages from his friends – the only problem was that Cole didn't want to get out from underneath the hot shower just yet.

‘Quit messaging!' Cole barked, the sight of the flashing cell phone over on the other side of the bathroom proving too much of a distraction. ‘These guys are acting like we won't be sitting on our asses and talking all night.'

Cole soon grew tired of watching his phone flash and decided that he needed to see just what was so important that Vince and Roddy couldn't let him shower in peace…

VINCE: Tyrant, we're headed over to your place to pick you up. This weather fucking sucks and there's no way you're driving home in it after ten beers. Old Joe is giving us a ride in his truck. We'll be there in twenty.

RODDY : Make it fifteen.

VINCE: Make it ten. And don't even think about calling time early tonight. I've got a feeling the game is going into overtime. And before you ask, yes I do have money riding on it.

RODDY: And by ten, what Vince means is five. Tonight's going to be a busy one at the Smokers, so we need to arrive early to get our seats. Let's Go Ice Bears!

‘And by five, I assume you mean one ,' Cole said, his naked body dripping water on the bathroom tiles. ‘But I ain't saying no to a ride, that's for damn sure.'

With that, Cole grabbed his thick red towel from the rail and proceeded to dry his body as quickly as he could. And no sooner than Cole had patted himself dry, he heard the sound of knocking on his front door.

‘You have to be kidding me,' Cole said, shaking his head in disbelief. ‘Let yourselves in, it's unlocked!'

Cole walked through from the bathroom into his bedroom and slung on a pair of black boxer-briefs, jeans, and a jet black t-shirt. Already, he could hear the sound of Vince and Roddy making a fuss over Ranger, and Cole figured it wouldn't be long before they were raiding his refrigerator to look for snacks to give to the dog.

‘Leave Ranger to sleep, you sonsofbitches,' Cole barked, striding into the kitchen and promptly throwing out a couple of playful punches to the arms of Vince and Roddy. ‘Anyway, I thought we were in a rush? You don't have time to get the dog all excited or he won't let you leave. Trust me, this dog knows how to keep a human occupied.'

‘Hey, you know we can't ignore Ridgeback Falls' King of Canines,' Vince laughed, his slicked back blonde hair revealing a painful looking scrape on the side of his face.

‘Don't tell me, another hunting accident?' Cole asked, arching his eyebrow and trying to figure out how Vince's scrape occurred.

‘That's what he tells me,' Roddy replied, shaking his head. ‘But I'm not sure. Something tells me things might have got a little wild for Vince in the city last weekend…'

Cole and Roddy exchanged a knowing look, but it was clear from Vince's ignoring of the banter that he wasn't about to go into details any time soon.

‘Joe's waiting in his truck, we need to bounce,' Vince said, feeding Ranger one last snack before standing up and making his way to the front door. ‘And if you really want to know more about my scrape, then I'm thinking the first four beers are on you two…'

‘Asshole,' Roddy smirked.

‘He knows we'll do it,' Cole laughed. ‘You two head out to the truck. I need to take my slow-cook stew off the stove. I don't want to come back to a pan of burned veggies and potatoes and let all my good work go to waste.'

And with that, Vince and Roddy made their way out to the truck.

‘Okay, you be a good boy,' Cole said, crouching down and helping Ranger settle back into his basket. ‘Uncle Vince gave you a nice snack, so I imagine you'll be fast asleep when I get back. Just remember, if anyone breaks in… rip them to fucking shreds, right ?'

Ranger simply nose-bumped Cole's outstretched hand and then rested his heavy head on his legs as he curled himself up to fit perfectly inside his bed.

‘ Hmmm , something tells me you're not in a shred-ripping mood,' Cole chuckled. ‘Some guard dog you are.'

With that, Cole gave Ranger one final ruffle on his wiry head and walked out of the cabin and made a quick dash over to the truck, ready to travel into town.

It was time to sink some beers and watch the Ice Bears big game against the Red Dolphins at Smokers Tavern. Hockey might have been part of Cole's past, but he still held a love for the game – almost as much as he loved sinking beer with his buddies.

And with the game coming at a high stakes part of the season, the atmosphere at the Smokers Tavern was likely to be jumping from the get-go. Emotions would no doubt be running high, but Cole was determined to mind his own business and keep himself to himself – after all, he had a piping hot and perfectly marinated stew waiting for him when he got home.

But there was something about the prospect of hockey alongside beers that sent Cole all the way back to his wild past. And the second his hand touched the truck door, all Cole could think about was tasting a cold beer and letting loose.

‘Okay, Joe, let's rock and roll,' Cole said as he clambered inside the truck. ‘Get us there in ten, and I'm buying you a whisky. Get us there in five, I'm making it a double.'

‘Right you are,' Joe laughed, his wise old face breaking into a smile as he put the pedal to the floor and powered away from Cole's cabin. ‘You boys just ain't never gonna change.'

‘Hell no,' Cole replied, to cheers from his friends. ‘It's time to show the Smokers Tavern who runs this town.'

The Smokers Tavern was every bit as busy and full of life as Cole had anticipated. With its down to earth vibes and rough and ready décor, there was no room for pretension at the Smokers Tavern that was for sure – and this was just how Cole and his friends liked it.

‘I believe the first round is on you, Roddy,' Cole laughed, pointing his friend in the direction of the bar. ‘We'll grab our spot over in the corner.'

Roddy nodded and made his way toward the already bustling bar.

As Vince went to commandeer their preferred booth, Cole took a moment to cast his eyes around the tavern. There were plenty of familiar faces to be seen, plus some out of towners and occasional visitors too. This was pretty typical for a hockey game, and Cole couldn't help but notice a small pocket of Red Dolphins fans who had decided to sit themselves front and center near to the main projector screen.

‘It's a free country,' Cole muttered, somewhat unsure as to how things might turn out later.

The Ice Bears were very much the home team in Ridgeback Falls, and Cole had a feeling that the already loud Red Dolphins fans might need to be kept an eye on as the evening progressed. If the Ice Bears won big, then it could be a case that the Dolphins fans might try to cause some shit with the locals. Similarly, if the Red Dolphins won then it could be that some of the home fans might decide to take their frustrations out on the Dolphins fans.

Either way, Cole knew that he needed to stay the hell away from whatever went down. And he was pretty sure that both Vince and Roddy would agree too. The three of them had been involved in plenty of bar brawls over the years, and while they were never likely to back down to anyone, their days of actively looking for trouble were ideally best behind them.

‘Yeah, I reckon there could be trouble brewing,' Vince said, clearly thinking along the same lines as Cole. ‘We'll just keep our counsel over here. It's not like anyone's going to go out of their way to fuck with us, is it?'

‘Not if they want their limbs to stay intact,' Cole laughed, making himself comfortable next to Vince in the booth. ‘What are you thinking for the game? I'm saying Bears by two goals.'

‘I wish I shared your confidence,' Vince replied. ‘My heart says Ice Bears, but my head is saying Red Dolphins for this one.'

Cole shook his head. He was never going to play professional hockey again, but that didn't mean that his instinct for the game had gone. Cole wasn't a gambling man, but all his old instincts were telling him that this game had an Ice Bears win written all over it.

It was at times like this that Cole wished he was back on the ice. There was something so special about the game day energy that had fueled Cole for so long that was now sadly absent from his life. The crowd, the camaraderie with his teammates, the thrill of pushing his body to its limits…

‘ Shit , you wish you were playing?' Vince asked, taking his drink from Roddy as he returned from the bar. ‘I don't blame you, brother.'

‘ Nah , that was a long time ago,' Cole replied, trying his best to sound convincing. ‘Hockey was fun. Life was good. Then it turned to crap. Now… I'm an armchair fan who just wants a quiet life.'

‘Cole Tyrant and quiet life don't quite go together,' Roddy said, raising his beer bottle. ‘But screw it, here's to a quiet life!'

‘Ha! Fuck the quiet life, here's to screwing it !' Cole roared, clinking his bottle against the others and proceeding to down it in one long swig. ‘Now let's go Ice Bears!'

With that, the three friends began their evening in as they meant to go along.

There was another hour before the first buzzer, so plenty of opportunity for more drinks, more banter, and maybe even a detailed insight from Vince as to how he got the scratch marks on the side of his face.

As much as Cole might have missed the adrenalin rush of being a hockey professional, there was no doubting that at moments like this he was happier than ever. Sitting with two good friends in a bar that served good beer, and with his trusty hound Ranger waiting at home alongside a delicious stew.

What else could Cole wish for?

Perhaps the real question was who else could Cole wish for…