The Hunter Version 1

“You aren't acting like yourself either. Be careful, they are watching you Hunters more closely. You will likely be tested. It won't matter for this boy, though. He'll be returning soon enough. His father is planning to pay the ransom.” Claire warned Max.
“I don't care. This is my domain, not their's. He's mine. Everything on the island is mine. Unlike Remi, it says so in my contract. If they take him back, I'm sure someday I will have him again.” Max said.
“I wonder. Well, now that you have confirmed that this one is, indeed yours, I would like the where-abouts of the other boy.” Claire replied.
“No.”
“Excuse me, Hunter?”
“I said no. Go after the others.” Max stated and got to his feet.
Max reached down and pulled Ben up as well, though Ben barely had the strength to stand. Claire stared at them-at Max, rather, but Ben certainly could feel the ice cold pricks of the stare-but then shook her head.
“Fine. You are right about the island. I'll do as you say in your domain, but I'm warning you to be careful. Whether or not this is your island, if they replace you, you own nothing.” Clair shrugged.
She turned on her heel and left. Ben slumped back down to the ground, though Max almost immediately dragged him back up.
“Come on, we have to find Toby before she does. If he's alone she'll say it was an accident when she kills him.” Max growled.
He dragged Ben through the trees after asking Ben which way Toby had gone. Ben tried to walk, but Max was going at too fast a pace for Ben to keep up with. Eventually Max paused by a large tree and told Ben to wait for him there. Max assured Ben he would both find Toby and return for Ben and then ran off at a sprint, calling for Toby. Ben slumped down and allowed himself to doze for a short time.
Twigs cracked and a figure moved through the trees toward Ben, pausing every so often to inspect him or the area around. Ben stirred and opened his eyes to see the same buck that had attacked him, prompting Max to first show himself. Ben stiffened up as Killjoy wandered closer, his head low to the ground. Behind the buck, Ben saw an unsettling number of other deer, watching silently as their king approached the human. Ben curled up around himself, trying to think of some sort of escape, but he could think of none. Ten feet away, the buck reared. The moment Killjoy's hooves hit the ground, he charged at Ben.

Max knew the forest of his island like the back of his hand. All ten miles of it. If there was something new, he made sure it quickly became familiar to him. Like Ben. Ben had been brand new to him; the Evaluaters had never sent a ransom prisoner to his island before. He had watched Ben and Toby from the moment they woke up from their drug induced sleep. At first he kept clear away, knowing he should probably not kill the boy until he was informed that the ransom had been refused or the boy's father tried some sort of trick.
Max quickly found himself becoming fond of Ben as he attempted to interact with his mentally ill companion, hunt, fish, and create. Max had made sure to make it difficult for them, hoping Toby Westcroft would die off or wander away so Max could swoop in to save the day, but he never did. Max left watching them after a week to hunt down a man that had killed three different politicians who had wandered too close to his mountain.
The man had proven difficult to kill. Whether is was sheer willpower or the remnants of various drugs, bullets and knives did not bring him down. Max eventually lured him into the territory around his cave where he had numerous traps set up and one of those had eventually done the trick. The task done, Max went back to watch Ben, only to find him knee deep in the river, attempting to fish. Max had watched him for a time, and then decided to offer a hand when Ben called out to him.