Herb Hughes

Killing Rhinos Herb Hughes

SOMETIMES THE GOOD GUYS DON'T FIGHT FAIR... Jack Wheat is a Rhino hunter. At sixteen years old, he leaves home to roam the planet in search of Rhinos, the monstrous creatures that burst from the ground and rip humans to shreds with their great serrated horn. Two decades later, Jack is the greatest active hunter on Agrilot. But he hides a secret, one he cannot afford to have anyone discover. Jack and his horse, Killer, know the land well: every desert oasis, every rock, every hill and mountain and forest. They are a team, and Jack is a hero... Until he and his lady, Sheffie Jarrett, are lured to New Lisbon to help "solve" the worsening Rhino problem in Agrilot's largest city. While scientists in Lisbon work to recreate a technological society, lost when Earth abandoned the prison planet, Jack soon learns that not everybody shares their goals. With the newspapers publishing stories where the truth is twisted, warped, and sometimes absent altogether, Jack goes from hero to goat in a matter of days. Suddenly Jack has few friends outside of Crazy Mac, an old hermit who lives at a desert oasis. Jack listens to Mac when no one else will. He knows knew how to sift through the nonsense the old man spouts forth in his high pitched whine. Every once in a while, there is a valuable gem in the stream of nonsense. Then Mac and a stubborn old mule named Toadstool made a discovery that changes everything. Agrilot holds secrets, both above and below the planet's surface, secrets that might cost Jack and Sheffie their lives. Awarded 5 Stars by READER'S FAVORITE - "Killing Rhinos is such a fascinating tale. It's exceptionally well-written and smoothly blends normal human life with seemingly believable science fiction... will keep readers intrigued and curious until the very end."