It was safer to wear the orange reflectors, but if she did that, then the poachers might spot her. Or worse yet, a Sheriff’s Deputy. She didn’t want anyone catching her, or Kim, in the woods tonight. What they were doing was risky enough. She glanced at the clock. Her best friend would be here any minute. She tugged on her boots and quickly laced them up. The hiking boots would allow her to move quicker, and hopefully protect her ankles on the uneven terrain. There was a full moon scheduled for tonight, but they wouldn’t be able to tell beneath the canopy of trees. She’d pulled out a map of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Qualla Boundary earlier, circling spots that would be likely for poachers to set up traps. Every year she went out hoping to not find them and every year she came back disappointed. Some people just couldn’t abide by the hunting laws. She stood and stomped her feet to make sure her boots were secure. Nina heard the screen door creak. It was followed by a loud knock.
