Site icon THE CHESAPEAKE TODAY

Book World: DEAD ON – by Robert W. Walker – Chapter Twenty-Four

Spread the love

<figure id&equals;"attachment&lowbar;5427" aria-describedby&equals;"caption-attachment-5427" style&equals;"width&colon; 300px" class&equals;"wp-caption alignleft"><a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;amazon&period;com&sol;Dead-On&sol;dp&sol;B00EZEARY6&sol;ref&equals;sr&lowbar;1&lowbar;1&lowbar;twi&lowbar;4&quest;s&equals;books&amp&semi;ie&equals;UTF8&amp&semi;qid&equals;1418606210&amp&semi;sr&equals;1-1&amp&semi;keywords&equals;Dead&plus;On&plus;by&plus;Robert&plus;W&period;&plus;Walker"><img class&equals;"wp-image-5427 size-medium" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;the-chesapeake&period;com&sol;&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2014&sol;08&sol;DeadOnKen-300x300&period;jpg" alt&equals;"DEAD ON by Robert W&period; Walker available in paperback&comma; Kindle and audio book&period; Click here for free five minute sample&period;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"300" &sol;><&sol;a><figcaption id&equals;"caption-attachment-5427" class&equals;"wp-caption-text">DEAD ON by Robert W&period; Walker available in paperback&comma; Kindle and audio book&period; Click here for free five minute sample&period;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;<h1><strong>Robert W&period; Walker’s<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>DEAD ON <&sol;strong><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p><strong>Chapter TWENTY FOUR<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Marcus believed the smoke rising off the boat he swam toward was coming off the motor&comma; but now he wasn’t so sure&period; In fact&comma; strangely enough the smoke seemed to be curling up from the keel of the boat&period; It certainly looked this way as Marcus neared the last twenty odd yards&period; It reminded him of the murder scene in Atlanta&comma; how the smoke rose off Lawrence’s body&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Could it be that Carl had met the same fate&quest; Rather than left dangling from a tree had Schramick’s body been dumped into the boat and doused with an accelerant&quest; If so&comma; Marcus must brace himself for it&semi; if so&comma; Carl’s empty eye sockets and burned flesh would greet him when he pulled himself over the gunwale&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Had Cantu set the burning body adrift like some mockery of a pagan ritual&quest; With the wind taking the smoke and odor away from Marcus&comma; his nostrils told him nothing&period; All the same&comma; he could not put it past the madman&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Cantu might well be looking at his struggle now&comma; enjoying it&comma; peering through a pair of binoculars or a high-powered rifle scope just to see his reaction when he should scale the gunwale and climb into the muck of what was left of Carl Schramick&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He finally reached out and took hold of the gunwale&comma; taking a breath&period; The awkward oar on his back having taken on the weight of a gunny sack full of bricks&comma; Marcus steeled himself for whatever lay on the other side&comma; certain he’d find Carl’s remains&comma; for now he smelled the smoldering flesh&period; No doubt left now&period; None at all&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He knew Carl would be difficult to look at&comma; that his limbs would be broken at every juncture—wrists&comma; elbows&comma; shoulders&comma; ankles&comma; knees&comma; hips&comma; and that it’d all be folded inward&period; Inlaid&comma; so to speak&comma; all forced to the center of the torso&comma; lashed together by rope or tape&comma; all neatly packaged in a fishnet and set ablaze…but a careful blaze&comma; a slow cooking blaze&period; The victims of this monster&comma; Marcus had deduced&comma; were kept alive to feel the pain of each bone broken&comma; each searing patch of flesh cooking&period; The victim was in effect packaged alive&comma; trussed like Cantu said in his letters&comma; and then slow-cooked to death from a fire set beneath them until the skin popped and began its own smoldering fire&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>That’s what Canu had waiting for him in the boat&period; Lying in the bottom so he could not see it until he made the effort to see it&period; Where’s a lake cop when you need one&comma; he thought&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Sick son-of-a-bitch&comma;” he muttered&comma; raking in all his remaining strength&comma; might&comma; and courage&period; He then pulled his head above the gunwale to see exactly what he had to deal with and how he must manage&period; One way or another&comma; he meant to have this boat&comma; to get Nora and her kids and Kat out of harm’s way&comma; and to get Carl’s remains back into their hands for a proper burial&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Ready&comma; he told himself&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Now&period; Go&period;” He pulled up over the lip of the gunwale&comma; but no amount of preparation could have steeled him for what he found&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He fell back into the water on seeing the body at the bottom of the boat&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Yes every limb had been broken and packaged as he’d imagined&comma; and yes the eyes had been seared out&comma; and every feature exaggerated by fire and excruciating fear and pain&period; All quite expected&comma; all quite dead and smoldering&comma; but it was not Carl Schramick&period; It was Tim Grimes&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Grimes naked and roasted like a Thanksgiving turkey too large for any conventional oven&comma; lying broken and battered&comma; bottomless black eye sockets wide against a majestic blue heaven on Blue Lake…Marcus’s lake&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>It sent Marcus into a panic and back into the water&semi; he threaded and bobbed on the surface&period; When he’d let go of the boat&comma; it had pushed off from him as if alive and trying desperately to flee him&period; He swam anew for it&comma; knowing it was the only way and knowing he must give Cantu his show&comma; wherever the bastard was&period; Thanks to Paco&comma; the bastard had learned that Tim Grimes and not Carl Schramick had meant something to Marcus&period; Thus the switch to jolt Marcus like a lightning strike&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>When he got to the boat a second time&comma; gasping from fatigue and horror&comma; he did not look into it&semi; he did not climb into it&period; Rather&comma; he untied the oar that’d become such a burden on his back&comma; and he laid it in over the side&period; He next splashed water over the side and into the boat&comma; cooling the burning body&comma; and finally he located the rear of the boat&period; There he worked to detach the useless motor which&comma; from what he saw&comma; had been destroyed by something as strong as a sledge hammer or a lightning bolt&period; It took a gargantuan effort to remove the motor&period; When this was finally accomplished&comma; he was pushing and kicking and guiding the boat toward home and shore&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>It might take another hour&comma; maybe two to guide the boat this way instead of climbing in and working with the single oar&comma; but he knew he couldn’t possibly pilot the boat with Tim’s remains between his legs&comma; not in the condition he’d been reduced to&comma; and he certainly wasn’t about to abandon Grimes’ body by throwing him to the fish&period; All this despite his fear for the others back at the house&period; All this despite his love for Katrina&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Maybe if it’d been Carl Schramick’s body in the boat he’d’ve reacted differently&comma; but it wasn’t Schramick&period; It was poor pathetic Georgia homebody Tim&period; And it had been Tim’s cries of pain and torture they’d heard in the storm the night before&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>It was a long&comma; difficult task fighting the inertia required to move the boat in the direction he wished&period; And it was a long way back&comma; pushing the small but heavy boat ahead of him&period; It gave him time to think&period; He wondered if at any moment he might expect a bullet to rip through him from a high-powered rifle&period; Or if the fiend would put multiple holes in the boat&period; The bastard was well on his way to accomplishing his sick aims&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>When nothing of the sort came&comma; he realized that Cantu was a &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;man of his word” in one sense&semi; he’d vowed that Marcus would be his last victim&comma; that Marcus would witness the details of the deaths of all those around him first&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The devil’s in the details took on a whole new meaning&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He thought of the children&comma; of Nora&comma; of Kat&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>And he wondered about Carl&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Where the hell is Carl now&quest; Is he yet alive&quest; Was that Carl’s arm that’d come through the window after all&quest; Could Nora have been mistaken&quest; Could Cantu have replaced Carl’s ring on Tim’s finger&quest; No…&period;not on your life&period; The flesh differential was too great&period; It had to’ve been Carl’s body part the night of the storm&period; Another look at Tim’s defiled remains showed two arms intact&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He continued pushing the boat…kick&comma; push&comma; kick&comma; push&period; Guiding&comma; pushing&comma; kicking&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>More time to think&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Carl either ran out on his family or was enticed to open that door and step into Iden Cantu’s game&comma; an end game for them all&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Kick&comma; push&comma; kick&comma; push&comma; kick&comma; push&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In his mind’s eye&comma; he again saw the bloated&comma; exaggerated features of Tim Grimes lying atop the spine of the boat&period; Horrible&period; But in that instant when Marcus had lifted up over the gunwale&comma; he’d seen something else&period; Something missing&period; Something beyond the soft flesh of the eyes&period; Tim’s uniform&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>No sign of it&period; He’d been stripped&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Lawrence Milton hadn’t been stripped&period; He’d been set aflame fully clothed&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He imagined the lunatic Cantu putting the uniform to insidious use&period; Of course&comma; he could pass himself off as a cop&semi; all it took was a military bearing&comma; a straight spine&comma; and a loud mouth&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Kick&comma; push&comma; kick&comma; push&comma; kick&comma; push&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>As he swam&comma; he imagined Carl Schramick cowering alone in that room when Iden Cantu came knocking at the door&comma; dressed in Tim’s uniform&period; He imagined Cantu peering in at the windows&comma; making sure that whoever answered his knock must see his uniform&comma; the uniform of the Blue Ridge Sheriff’s Office&period; Tim’s gear and Tim’s outfit&period; Baggy perhaps&comma; soaked to be sure&comma; but badge and hat set straight&period; It’d be all that the Deacon would need to see to tear open the door and greet a cold blooded killer&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Little wonder Carl opened the door and welcomed the devil in&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Kick&comma; push&comma; kick harder&comma; push harder&comma; kick push&comma; pray you get back before the devil arrives at the door again&period; Kick…come on…push…kick&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>An early darkness settled over the lake&comma; and it’d taken hours of exertion for Marcus to be within twenty feet of his dock and the safety of the house&period; Nightfall was descending fast now&comma; and he knew it’d be suicide to attempt a lake crossing in the boat now that they’d told Cantu the when and where of it&period; He’d be waiting for the attempt at a night crossing&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>As always&comma; Cantu remained ten steps ahead of them&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Kat stood at the end of the dock in full view and danger&period; He waved and shouted for her to get back inside&semi; for one thing&comma; he didn’t want her to see Grimes&comma; and he didn’t want her shot to death either&period; Kat had her Glock in hand&comma; and she was shouting encouragements for him to keep coming&comma; while Marcus was feeling his age&period; He wondered how he could possibly stand once he got to shore much less find a way to cover and protect Tim Grimes from any further ravages or indignities&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>When Marcus finally felt the boat bump the dock&comma; sending a shock wave through his arms&comma; he waded out of the shallow area here where Nora’s children and Paco had splashed only the day before&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;K-Kee…keep No-ra…kids back&comma; Kat&comma;” he gasped&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;a-and for God’s sake don’t l-look into the boat&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It’s t-too late for me&period;” She shivered and tears flowed&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;That evil bastard’s killed your friend&period; No wonder you couldn’t get into the boat&period; Been watching from the windows&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He continued trying to get his breath &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Tie the-the boat to other side of dock&period;”&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Are you all right&quest; It’s a miracle you’ve got this far&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Ho yee of lit-tle faith&period;” He sat on a rock beside the wharf while she secured the boat&period; After a long wait to regain his strength&comma; Marcus waded over&comma; and with Kat’s help&comma; toppled the boat so that Grimes’s body&comma; like bundled cargo&comma; emptied out into the shallows&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;What’re you doing&quest;” she asked&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Going to weigh Tim down with rocks&comma; hope his body stays put until we can get help out here&comma; unless you have a better place to put him&period; Say carry him past the kids and put him in the freezer with Carl’s arm&period;” He hadn’t meant to sound so harsh but there was no easy way to say this&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Look&comma; obviously&comma; Cantu waylaid Tim on his way back to Blue Ridge&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;And so…so the yokels in his department have to know he and his cruiser are missing&comma; and—”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;—and right&comma; so they gotta come looking&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Right&comma; since we were his last stop&comma; they’ll come straight here&comma; so where the hell are they&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;People move a lot slower around here&semi; always have&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;That’s not funny&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;They might assume Tim took the day off and just forgot to call in the way they work around here&period; Trust me&period; We can’t count on anyone but ourselves&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Are you saying we have to spend another night here&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;We try to take the boat across&comma; we’re sitting ducks&comma; Kat&period; We informed him we’d be going by night&comma; remember&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>She nodded&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Real smart&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;At the time&comma; it seemed a good idea as you recall&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Now what&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I knew you’d ask&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I’m serious&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>She’d begun to help him plant rocks on the square of flesh that had been Grimes&period; Soon the body was held in place by rocks atop and around it&period; It lay in two feet of water looking for all the world like some bizarre archeological find&period; By day&comma; it might be visible from the windows&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Help me back to the house&comma;” he asked and leaned on her&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I need rest for the moment&comma; and I mean to arm myself and go hunting&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Hunting&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Like Tim wanted&comma; but I’ll be hunting Iden Cantu&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&num;  &num;  &num;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Only those who have been there know the complete serious darkness of a Georgia forests on a moonless&comma; starless night&semi; it seemed residual storm clouds had double-backed on the area&period; They now swirled in a back eddy&comma; angry and fierce&comma; but they remained to the east and in the heavens&period; In fact&comma; tonight developed into a complete contrast to the raging rain storm of the night before&period; In less than an hour&comma; the trees stood silent&comma; not a single leaf rustling&period; No wind existed&period; Only stillness and blackness&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Marcus had rested for an hour&comma; but it’d been a wakeful resting&semi; he remained troubled and guilty at having stepped into Cantu’s trap&comma; and at having led the others here&period; His regrets included Tim Grimes and Carl Schramick&period; Where Schramick might be and in what condition he could only imagine&comma; but his imagination did not have Carl alive—unless Cantu thought he could barter with Carl’s one-armed life&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Rising from the bed in the second floor room that Kat had been using&comma; Marcus made his way to a huge walk-in closet and began pulling down boxes and blankets and various items from many Christmases&period; Hearing the ruckus&comma; Kat came into the room&comma; asking if he were OK&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Fine…just ducky&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;What’re you searching for&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Got it&period;” He threw a military duffle bag onto the bed&comma; dust flying&period; He unzipped and tore open the stuffed bag and began pulling forth its contents—army fatigues&comma; camouflage gear&comma; night-vision goggles&comma; canteen&comma; two-way wireless radios&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;From my days as a marine&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Desert Storm&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He laughed loud&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Try another war&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Vietnam&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Now you’re talking jungle warfare&period; I thought you knew everything about me&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I saw that you were an ex-marine&comma; but I didn’t pursue it&period; Look&comma; you got an extra set of camouflage in there&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Sweetheart&comma; I need to know Nora and her kids are…have someone looking over them while I’m out&period; I mean to create a diversion of sorts&comma; and when you see it&comma; you’ll know to rush them down to the boat&comma; get &OpenCurlyQuote;em into the boat&comma; and get across the lake for help&period; Dave Montclair at the airport can get help up here&period;” He tossed one of the wireless radios at her and she handily caught it&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;We can stay in contact with these&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Suppose Cantu doesn’t fall for your diversion&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;He’ll have to when I locate his vehicle—likely Tim Grimes’ cruiser—see if the radio’s operational&period; Maybe blow the damn car up&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;So you want me to watch for a fireball&period; Get the kids and Nora out through the underside of the deck&comma; and across the lake&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;First house you come to raise hell&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;With a raging forest fire&comma; I’m sure we’ll get someone’s attention&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;That’s my thinking&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;But you’re not going to wait for help are you&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I mean to hunt this bastard down and put him down&period; And I want you and the others at a safe distance&comma; so I can do that without…without worry&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Still think of me as a liability&comma; Marcus&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Didn’t say that&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Like Paco&comma; a liability&period; By the way—”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Don’t tell me&comma; Paco came back&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Back yes&comma; and now gone again&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Really&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Bolted again for the woods after alerting&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Good&comma; Cantu still thinks Paco’s his&period; Likely thinks the command to attack simply failed to trigger&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He shrugged on a Kevlar vest&comma; then the camouflage shirt&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Unless Cantu’s in the habit of talking to himself&comma; not sure we’re going to get anything back&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Maybe we can determine if Carl’s alive if we can pick up anything on that jerry-rigged phone of ours&comma;” she suggested&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Or perhaps we can learn he’s dead&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>She gave him a grim look&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I’m sorry about your friend Grimes&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;He handed her one of the two walkie-talkies and said&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I’ve set the two-way frequency&comma; but with Cantu&comma; we’ve got to be careful&period; Use it only if necessary&comma; and not until you’re off the lake and safe&comma; understood&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I don’t like the idea of leaving you&comma; Marcus&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;There’s no other way&comma; Kat&period; Just do it&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>She saw that there were enough fatigues and camouflage gear to throw over the children&comma; for Nora and for her&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;One of your shirts alone will cover Danny&comma; and this’ll do for Jen&comma;” she began but then dropped everything on the bed and grabbed onto Marcus&comma; holding him close&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I’m not sure why…you exasperate me…but Marcus&comma; I’ve come to care deeply for you&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He stopped what he was doing to gauge the emotion in her eyes&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>She continued&comma; swallowing hard&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Marcus Rydell&comma; if you get yourself killed out there&comma; I’ll…I’ll never forgive you&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I have a few advantages that both Tim and Carl didn’t have&comma;” he said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Training&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;That&comma; yes&comma; but I’m also prepared to shoot myself before I’ll fall into Cantu’s control&period; I’d rather die than suffer what he has in mind for us all&period; In fact&comma; with me dead&comma; his fun is over&comma; his game at an end&comma; and he knows it&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Bull&excl; He’ll just rearrange the game pieces and hunt us all down one by one&comma; and you know it&period; You can’t predict every move he makes on those damnable letters&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>She recalled the awful sight of Grimes’ body folded like some sick&comma; fleshy origami&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I don’t want to lose you&comma; Marcus&comma;” she repeated&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I don’t want to lose you&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He had pulled several high-powered rifles from below the bed along with a Cobra&comma; state-of-the-art&comma; scoped hunting bow&period; He stood before the weaponry lying now on the bed&comma; trying to decide which weapon was best for the moment&period; He lifted a Bushmaster &&num;8220&semi;Varmint Special&&num;8221&semi;&comma; a high-powered&comma; scoped rifle with the deadly accuracy of anything at a sniper’s disposal&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Meanwhile&comma; Kat had lifted a beautifully fashioned&comma; scoped&comma; high-powered hunting bow&comma; marveling at its craftsmanship and heft&period; It could hold multiple arrows&semi; in fact he had its own magazine and could fire six arrows in rapid succession&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Wow&comma; now this is way cool&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;What&quest; Oh&comma; the Cobra&period; Was my father’s&period; Man&comma; how he loved hunting with a bow&period; Made him feel that little corner of Indian blood in him&comma; I think&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Hey if Sitting Bull’d had one of these at the Little Big Horn&comma; things might’ve gone differently&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse won at the Little Big Horn&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Was he good at it&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;What&quest; Who&quest; Sitting Bull&comma; good at sitting&quest; I suppose so&period;” Marcus was distracted&comma; still deciding on what goes and what stays in the way of armament&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Was your dad good with this thing&quest;” she held the huge modern bow up&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Marcus took a moment to gaze at it completely&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The best&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;You ever use it&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Not my style&comma; no&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Archery is my passion&comma;” she smugly said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Really&quest; You know how to handle something this complicated&quest;” He indicated the bow&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Yeah&comma; a custom made one for my size and weight&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Dad had a maybe a hundred twenty pounds on you&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;”I can ratchet it down&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;When all this is over&comma; I’ll be happy to show you how to use it&comma;” he promised and she flinched at the condescension in his voice&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Marcus&comma; I know about draw&comma; that there’s a specific weight per pound of draw&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The bow’s fine for whitetails and other big game but—”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;My current arrows&comma; fully rigged&comma; weigh 391 grains&comma; and my draw weight is 65 pounds&comma; and there’s no reason I can’t recalibrate your dad’s bow to accommodate—&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Your talking Greek to me&period;” He did not know the lingo&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;OK&comma; even so&comma; it’d take time to recalibrate&comma; time right now we don’t have&period; Besides&comma; you’re getting on that boat and outta here&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I’ve used longbows&comma; re-curves&comma; long bows&comma; wood arrows and steel&comma; and modern bows like this beauty&period;” She held it up high&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I know all about momentum and kinetic energy&period; I’ve shot a Hoyt MT set at 70 lbs&period; and 28 inches&period; I can get this Cobra within those perimeters in maybe fifteen&comma; twenty minutes tops&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;That’s fine&comma; if you&&num;8217&semi;re hunting white-tailed deer&comma;” he repeated&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;When’s a white-tail ever fired back at you&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Hey&comma; I hunted Elk with Terry&excl;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I don’t care if you’ve hunted Cape Buffalo&comma; this is a cunning&comma; evil adversary who will be hunting you as you are hunting him&period; I want you on the boat with the others&comma; Kat&period; No arguments and no bow hunting&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>But Kat was thinking how heavy his father’s arrows were&comma; the tips like razor blades for deep penetration&comma; which meant he hunted large game with this bow&period; She was thinking about the momentum factor&period; She saw that with this bow and these arrows&comma; she’d have no problem bringing down a man—even a man firing back at her&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>She grasped the bow anew and held it up to her eyes&comma; studying the beautiful black thermoplastic pistol grip&comma; its finger groove and serrated back made for a firm hold&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>She admired the sharp edge of a burr in the jaws of the bow&period; It had a caliper release—a Tru-Fire Hurricane Buckle&period; It appeared like new&comma; sleek and shiny&comma; and there was no wear on the loop or the bow itself&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;You look like Sheena of the Jungle or maybe Xena&comma; Warrior Queen with that thing in your hands&comma;” he joked&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I’m a good shot with the right equipment&comma; Marcus&period; Don’t you believe me&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Marcus frowned at her fascination with the bow as he tugged at the strangulation hold a set of night-vision goggles had on his throat&period; The goggles swayed from his neck as he began stashing flares and a flare gun in his baggy fatigue pockets&period; Finally&comma; he snatched up the high-powered rifle&period; The Bushmaster was a fine high-powered weapon&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Suppose you black out&quest;” she challenged him&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Then what&quest; He has you and us at his mercy&period; Look&comma; I can fire a weapon&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He looked from her to the bow&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;You know how much weight is on that bow&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I can crank it down&period; Then I could cover you from another angle&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He thought about the possibility of going into another blackout with Iden Cantu in his sights&period; It’d be a repeat of the disgraceful moment when he lost his best friend&comma; Stan&comma; except this time Stan’s children and Nora along with Kat would be left in the breach&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>They shared a knowing look&period; She said&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;You’ve no choice&comma; Marcus&period; I’m coming with you&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>They argued all the way down the stairs and to the living room&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;You’re too precious to me&comma; Kat&period; I won’t risk you&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;And the alternative should he get the upper hand&quest;” she argued&comma; pacing like a lioness&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;What then&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I couldn’t live with myself if I let those kids&comma; Nora&comma; and you fall into his hands&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>She fell silent&comma; seething&period; She had carried the bow and arrow down the stairs with her&comma; and now she flung them across the room&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Look&comma; this Bushmaster will take him out and end this madness&period;” He found a safe position at the window&period; Staring out from time to time&comma; using the night-vision&comma; he searched for any sign of Cantu&period; The Bushmaster felt wonderful in his hands&period; He knew its power&period; He’d always loved this rifle&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Kat watched him with it&semi; he held it as if it were a woman&comma; she thought&period; At the same moment&comma; Marcus caught her staring and looking like a jealous lover&period; He smiled across at her and said&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It’s a five &period;56mm or &period;223 Rem&period; Gas Operated Semi-Automatic with five rounds in the chamber&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Only five bullets in the chamber&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;She’ll take M16 rounds&comma;” he replied&comma; shoving them in&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;That’s fire-power&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;But with only five shots—”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It’s all I’ll need&comma; and I can always reload&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I’d feel better if you had an automatic&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;This baby only weighs eight pounds&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Only five bullets in the chamber&quest;” she repeated&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;She’ll do just fine&excl;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Kat nodded&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I can see it—errr she is quite…cute&period; Don’t yell&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Best grade chrome-moly vanadium steel&comma; and she’s got seven-fifty inches at the sight base to improve heat dissipation and decrease barrel whip&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I would’ve thought you’d like a little whip&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He lit with a brief smile at the innuendo&comma; pretended to ignore her&comma; and added&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Barrel design is for optimum accuracy&period; Stabilizes bullets up to 75 grains&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;You want a little privacy&quest;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Chrome lined bore and chamber…reduces friction&comma; increases velocity&comma; and aids in chambering and ejection&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Ejection or ejaculation&quest;” she continued to tease&period; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;God&comma; you sound like Terry whenever he’d clean his guns&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Hey&comma; this baby is laser bore-sighted at the factory&period; Manganese phosphate finish&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I have no idea what that means&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Means it’s protected against corrosion and rust&comma; and the manganese finish produces the gray-black military surface color&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Cool color&comma;” she agreed&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Bushmaster uses no paint whatsoever&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Good to know she’s not a painted woman&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;All per the latest military design specifications&comma;” he triumphantly finished as though he’d won an argument or a prize&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<figure id&equals;"attachment&lowbar;5427" aria-describedby&equals;"caption-attachment-5427" style&equals;"width&colon; 300px" class&equals;"wp-caption alignleft"><a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;amazon&period;com&sol;Dead-On&sol;dp&sol;B00EZEARY6&sol;ref&equals;sr&lowbar;1&lowbar;1&lowbar;twi&lowbar;4&quest;s&equals;books&amp&semi;ie&equals;UTF8&amp&semi;qid&equals;1418606210&amp&semi;sr&equals;1-1&amp&semi;keywords&equals;Dead&plus;On&plus;by&plus;Robert&plus;W&period;&plus;Walker"><img class&equals;"wp-image-5427 size-medium" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;the-chesapeake&period;com&sol;&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2014&sol;08&sol;DeadOnKen-300x300&period;jpg" alt&equals;"DEAD ON by Robert W&period; Walker available in paperback&comma; Kindle and audio book&period; Click here for free five minute sample&period;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"300" &sol;><&sol;a><figcaption id&equals;"caption-attachment-5427" class&equals;"wp-caption-text">DEAD ON by Robert W&period; Walker available in paperback&comma; Kindle and audio book&period; Click here for free five minute sample&period;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;

Spread the love
Exit mobile version