Read Online False Prey: A Wildfire Novella (Wildfire Saga) by Marcus Richardson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marcus Richardson
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Your Honor. Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.” Danny turned to leave and had his hand on the doorknob when the Judge’s voice caught him.
“Just do yourself a favor and be careful, Mister.”
Danny paused and looked at the old man across the oak-paneled chambers.
“There are…people in this town you don’t want to upset. I’ve survived in office this long because…well, I guess I’m the oldest person in town and people still respect that here. But mostly, it’s because I don’t go upsettin’ the applecart too much, you catch my drift?”
Danny stared at the judge for a moment. “I do, Your Honor.”
“Good.”
Danny raised his notebook in salute. “Thanks again.”
He closed the door to the judge’s chambers and froze. Standing at the clerk’s desk was Officer Perkins, the great blue gorilla himself, chatting amiably with the overweight, overly-perfumed, overly-flattered clerk. His body language showed he was completely interested in whatever she was saying. His eyes, though, they found Danny’s and were cold as sheet metal left outside in January.
Danny swallowed and walked forward. As he passed the two civil servants, the cop turned sideways and his wide shoulder brushed Danny’s, throwing him off-balance. The clerk gasped as Danny’s flailing hand knocked a container of pencils to the floor. Danny winced at the sound.
“Careful, sir,” rumbled the huge cop with a smile as Danny righted himself. His eyes were humorless gray pits. He knelt to pick up the pencils in a long, sinewy movement that had to be calculated to emphasize his coiled strength. “You really ought to watch where you’re going.”
“Sorry,” Danny muttered and hurried out of the office. As the clerk’s throaty laugh followed him into the hallway, Danny felt a tingling between his shoulder blades. He imagined the cop’s cold stare boring into his back. He picked up his pace and turned the corner, leaning against the cold marble wall and letting it sap the fear from his body.
“I’m too old for this rookie shit,” he grunted once he had caught his breath. “I’m the reporter. I’m the one with the power to expose these bigots for who they are.” He gathered his dignity about himself like a cloak and made his way toward the police station down a side corridor, his footfalls ringing hollow in the empty hallway.
As he walked farther away he felt his confidence returning. We’ll see who needs to be careful.
C HAPTER 7
The doorknob rattled, jarring Thomas from his painful slumber. He rolled onto his side and groaned at the pain in his ribs then cracked his good eye open to look at the door. The knob rattled again. He heard a whispered voice on the other side of the door. A quick glance at the alarm clock showed the time was just shy of 2pm. Danny Roberts, the reporter—his protector for the time being—had only been gone a few hours.
“…want any trouble…”
Thomas sprang fully awake at those three muffled words. It was from a second voice, he was sure of it.
Suddenly someone pounded on the door hard enough to make a little dust drift down from the top of the door frame. “Hey, you Korean bastard! We know you’re in there! Open up and this’ll go a lot easier on you!” Someone else hooted in the background. That made three.
Oh Jesus, they found me!
The door shuddered again. “If you don’t open this door, I’ll bust it in!”
Fear propelled Thomas to ignore the many screaming nerves in his abused body. He rolled himself off the bed and got to his feet as quickly and quietly as he could. He padded to the bathroom in bare feet, hoping that there was a window or something he had overlooked before. There had to be another way out—
“…break the window, Carl…”
“Lemme get my truck, we’ll smash—”
“Stop it! Please! If you promise not to do anything
“Just do yourself a favor and be careful, Mister.”
Danny paused and looked at the old man across the oak-paneled chambers.
“There are…people in this town you don’t want to upset. I’ve survived in office this long because…well, I guess I’m the oldest person in town and people still respect that here. But mostly, it’s because I don’t go upsettin’ the applecart too much, you catch my drift?”
Danny stared at the judge for a moment. “I do, Your Honor.”
“Good.”
Danny raised his notebook in salute. “Thanks again.”
He closed the door to the judge’s chambers and froze. Standing at the clerk’s desk was Officer Perkins, the great blue gorilla himself, chatting amiably with the overweight, overly-perfumed, overly-flattered clerk. His body language showed he was completely interested in whatever she was saying. His eyes, though, they found Danny’s and were cold as sheet metal left outside in January.
Danny swallowed and walked forward. As he passed the two civil servants, the cop turned sideways and his wide shoulder brushed Danny’s, throwing him off-balance. The clerk gasped as Danny’s flailing hand knocked a container of pencils to the floor. Danny winced at the sound.
“Careful, sir,” rumbled the huge cop with a smile as Danny righted himself. His eyes were humorless gray pits. He knelt to pick up the pencils in a long, sinewy movement that had to be calculated to emphasize his coiled strength. “You really ought to watch where you’re going.”
“Sorry,” Danny muttered and hurried out of the office. As the clerk’s throaty laugh followed him into the hallway, Danny felt a tingling between his shoulder blades. He imagined the cop’s cold stare boring into his back. He picked up his pace and turned the corner, leaning against the cold marble wall and letting it sap the fear from his body.
“I’m too old for this rookie shit,” he grunted once he had caught his breath. “I’m the reporter. I’m the one with the power to expose these bigots for who they are.” He gathered his dignity about himself like a cloak and made his way toward the police station down a side corridor, his footfalls ringing hollow in the empty hallway.
As he walked farther away he felt his confidence returning. We’ll see who needs to be careful.
C HAPTER 7
The doorknob rattled, jarring Thomas from his painful slumber. He rolled onto his side and groaned at the pain in his ribs then cracked his good eye open to look at the door. The knob rattled again. He heard a whispered voice on the other side of the door. A quick glance at the alarm clock showed the time was just shy of 2pm. Danny Roberts, the reporter—his protector for the time being—had only been gone a few hours.
“…want any trouble…”
Thomas sprang fully awake at those three muffled words. It was from a second voice, he was sure of it.
Suddenly someone pounded on the door hard enough to make a little dust drift down from the top of the door frame. “Hey, you Korean bastard! We know you’re in there! Open up and this’ll go a lot easier on you!” Someone else hooted in the background. That made three.
Oh Jesus, they found me!
The door shuddered again. “If you don’t open this door, I’ll bust it in!”
Fear propelled Thomas to ignore the many screaming nerves in his abused body. He rolled himself off the bed and got to his feet as quickly and quietly as he could. He padded to the bathroom in bare feet, hoping that there was a window or something he had overlooked before. There had to be another way out—
“…break the window, Carl…”
“Lemme get my truck, we’ll smash—”
“Stop it! Please! If you promise not to do anything
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