Gatekeeper's Secret
Copyright© 2026 by Fick Suck
Chapter 25
“Hey, you’re Grady, right?” the mustached man asked, waving his hand that was loaded with big rings on the fingers.
“Yes, I am,” Grady said, putting on his best drawl. He closed the door to the shed. “You’re the buyer, I reckon.”
“Burak Karal, and I am the buyer, indeed,” the man said. “For three years, I’ve been after Ms. Witt to sell me some of her stock. Today promises to be a great day.” He paused. “May I ask, why to do you carry a rifle when there is no one around for miles.”
Grady gave him a smile. “Mostly snakes, now that the weather is warm enough to wake them up from hibernation. They wake up hungry and in need of an immediate meal. They’re desperate and desperate animals can be dangerous. In a month or so, they’ll choose to hunt farther away, mostly.”
“We’re in danger standing here?”
“No, Mr. Karal, they want to stay along the line of bushes, because they need to be wary of predators too. Look up over there towards the north and you can see a hawk circling over part of his territory looking for prey. In the hawk world, snake is good eating.”
“Fascinating,” Mr. Karal said. “Do you hunt out here?”
Grady nodded. “North and west is a protected reserve and no hunting is allowed. Across the street and to the east, there is plenty of good hunting. There are laws in place about when you can hunt and what you can hunt, but I can pack the freezer pretty easily.”
“No trophy hunting?”
“Trophies and bragging rights don’t much appeal to me,” Grady said, leaning into the drawl again. “If I’m really motivated, I’ll take my DSLR camera and go into the back country. Folks are willing to pay for decent pictures. Do you like to hunt?”
“Well,” the man grinned, “I’ve hunted and fished in some of the most remote places on the globe. I’ve got stories to tell that would raise the hair on your arms and your neck. Yes, I enjoy the sport immensely.”
“I’m sorry you’re visiting at the wrong time of year, Mr. Karal,” Grady said. “We’ve got elk and big horn sheep that folks like to hunt. Mule deer and elk are the best tasting as far as I’m concerned. Mountain goat tastes like goat and unless it’s in a strong sauce, I don’t much appreciate goat.”
“Eh, I grew up with goat,” Mr. Karal said. “The meat can taste strong but if you had a mother like mine, goat was good for the family dinner. Today, goat is not as popular where I live.”
“Where’s that?” Grady asked.
“Türkiye,” Mr. Karal said, watching Grady’s eyes go wide. “I grew up in the industrial city of Izmir, and now, God has blessed me, and I can buy horses in America.”
“Are you taking the horses back to where you live,” Grady asked, genuinely curious.
“No, no, these horses will join my stable in Colts Neck, New Jersey,” the man said. “This breed is somewhat rare, but recently there has been an uptick in interest in it on the international circuit. We shall see if this investment pays off, but I’m not particularly worried.”
“It’s a long way to New Jersey from here,” Grady said. “I hope you enjoy your stay here, Mr. Karal. It was a pleasure speaking with you. There’s more work to do and only so many hours in the day. All the best.”
“To you as well, young man,” he said.
Grady marched himself back to the house and sat down in the office chair. He brought up the map function and stared at the outline of the country of Türkiye, or Turkey as his screen presented. “He’s a long way from home,” Grady said as he zoomed out the map. He stopped procrastinating and started on the pile from the bookkeeper.
Jessica came in the back door, calling out his name. Grady closed the office door behind him and made his way to the kitchen. “Coming,” he called out. “What’s up?”
“We’re heading out for lunch with a swing by my attorney’s office,” Jessica said. “Bri and their team are preparing to load the horses now. When they’re done, the horse carrier will head out to the highway. If you’re heading into town later today, would you bring Bri with you and drop her off at my apartment. She’s miffed that she was not included last night.” She paused. “I wanted to tell you as we left last night that you surround yourself with good people. They’re all quite different, but good-hearted. We’ll must find time to talk later. Thank you.” She closed the door as she departed.
“Dear Diary,” Grady dictated to no one, “Today I learned that the bigger the mustache, the bigger one’s purse with ‘fuck it’ money.” He knew better than to gainsay the prices of rare or excellent breeds, but he was raised on the practical side of the ledger. Jessica had promised barn cats, and that promise had been promptly forgotten. He plugged the animal shelter into his phone, deciding to call them first instead of rushing out to find they closed on arbitrary days or some such nonsense. They were open, if not unenthusiastic.
After Grady let the horse trailer out the front gate, he drove up to the barn to find Brianna. When he told her he would give her ride into town, she was ambivalent. She was in a mood. When he told her he wanted to stop by the animal shelter, all her excuses and complaints vanished. “Kittens and puppies!” she exclaimed like a first grader.
As they drove into town, Grady began to regret the invitation. Bri kept describing her ideal cat as something out of a gentle novel of urbane life with gardens and hedges and neighbors and sidewalks and all-too-cute names. At first, he tried to interrupt her monologue, then he decided to let her run down on her own. Popping her little bubble of sweetness sounded cruel when he reconsidered what to say. Besides, he could let the shelter people burst her bubble for him when he told them he was seeking a barn cat.
“Do you think that Jessica is going to buy more horses or am I out of job?” Bri asked when she ran out of thoughts on a cat. The question threw Grady for a loop.
“She’d better,” Grady said. “She’s locked in a rental agreement for ten more months. Besides, I like having horses around. Then again, I like who she hires to take care of the horses too; they’re easy on the eyes if you know what I mean.”
“Bettina was right,” Bri said with wide eyes. “You tickle women with this heretofore unknown smooth tongue when they least expect it. You slip these quiet little compliments in like you’re talking about the weather. Jessica warned me you’re dangerous. Then again, she succumbed to your charms too. Is this cat quest just an excuse to get me back in your bed?”
“No, but if such a quest works, I’m all for it.” He was grinning.
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