Read Online Half Past Midnight by Jeff Brackett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jeff Brackett
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dead.
Debra’s voice rang out from the edge of the tree line. “Don’t move, big guy, or I’ll kill you, too!”
Han’s eyebrows rose slightly, probably at the sound of a woman’s voice, but he didn’t move. I smiled shamelessly. The cavalry had arrived.
Chapter 5
* * June 13 / 7:02 p.m. * *
Lors que Saturne & Mars esgaux combust,
L’air fort seiché longue traiection:
Par feux secrets, d’ardeur grand lieu adust,
Peu pluye, vent chaut, guerres, incursions.
The year that Saturn and Mars are equal fiery,
The air very dry parched long meteor:
Through secret fires a great place blazing from burning heat,
Little rain, warm wind, wars, incursions.
Nostradamus – Century 4, Quatrain 67
Debra cautiously approached from the trees with her rifle pointed conspicuously at Han’s chest. “Lee?” Her eyes never left her target as she spoke, “Are you all right?”
It was a ludicrous question, considering the circumstances, but I couldn’t bring myself to laugh. Besides, I didn’t think she would find it very funny. “Fine,” I croaked “You want to untie me?”
She pulled a little utility knife out of a belt sheath. One good thing about being a knife maker, everyone in the family had a sharp blade.
As soon as she cut me free, I went over to Michael’s body and relieved it of the pistol he had been reaching for so desperately. Then I went over to my clothes and began to dress. As I pulled my boots back on, I noticed that Larry had stopped struggling and sat up. His left arm dangled uselessly, and his left leg bent awkwardly at the knee. I could see he was in a lot of pain, but his eyes held more hatred than anything else. I stood and pointed the pistol at him. “Okay, Larry, it’s my turn now. Toss me your pistol… slowly.”
He continued to glare as he complied.
“Thanks, Larry. Now I’d like to have my knife back.”
He tossed it without a word, bare of its sheath. He had still been clenching the blade as he thrashed about on the ground. It was a lucky thing that he hadn’t hurt himself severely, or maybe not so lucky. The world would probably have been a much better place without him.
“Toss me the sheath, too.”
When I’d gotten that, I walked over to him and searched his clothing for concealed weapons. Then I gave Han the same treatment.
Debra startled me, speaking from directly behind me. “Are you really all right?”
“Yeah, just a little bruised up.”
As I turned back to her, her eyes widened. “Oh, my God, doesn’t that hurt?” She reached out to touch my neck, pulling back bloody fingers. It’s funny how a wound you don’t know about doesn’t hurt… until it’s pointed out to you. As soon as I saw those bloody fingers, my neck began to sting as if I had been branded. I wasn’t as fast as I’d counted on; I hadn’t totally evaded the knife, after all.
“Didn’t even know it was there until just now.” I reached up to feel the shallow slice on the side of my throat, wincing as I touched the length of it. “Now it hurts like hell, though.”
Debra yelled back toward the trees, “Zachary! Bring the first aid kit. Hurry!” My wife, being who she was, had prepared for this eventuality. I would have been surprised if she hadn’t.
Zachary came into the clearing at a dead run clutching the kit to his chest. I noticed he steered around the bodies, but couldn’t seem to keep from looking down at them. I knew there was no help for it, but I wished he didn’t have to be exposed to that, despite what I had said about his having to grow up in a hurry. His eyes widening as his mother’s had at the sight of my neck, he handed her the kit. My wound must have looked pretty bad. Once cleaned, however, it proved to be no more than a scratch, one that bled profusely and burned like fire, but a scratch nonetheless. I covered Han and Larry with my pistol while Debra cleaned me up. It was eerily silent as she worked on me. No one said a word. Like truculent children, we
Debra’s voice rang out from the edge of the tree line. “Don’t move, big guy, or I’ll kill you, too!”
Han’s eyebrows rose slightly, probably at the sound of a woman’s voice, but he didn’t move. I smiled shamelessly. The cavalry had arrived.
Chapter 5
* * June 13 / 7:02 p.m. * *
Lors que Saturne & Mars esgaux combust,
L’air fort seiché longue traiection:
Par feux secrets, d’ardeur grand lieu adust,
Peu pluye, vent chaut, guerres, incursions.
The year that Saturn and Mars are equal fiery,
The air very dry parched long meteor:
Through secret fires a great place blazing from burning heat,
Little rain, warm wind, wars, incursions.
Nostradamus – Century 4, Quatrain 67
Debra cautiously approached from the trees with her rifle pointed conspicuously at Han’s chest. “Lee?” Her eyes never left her target as she spoke, “Are you all right?”
It was a ludicrous question, considering the circumstances, but I couldn’t bring myself to laugh. Besides, I didn’t think she would find it very funny. “Fine,” I croaked “You want to untie me?”
She pulled a little utility knife out of a belt sheath. One good thing about being a knife maker, everyone in the family had a sharp blade.
As soon as she cut me free, I went over to Michael’s body and relieved it of the pistol he had been reaching for so desperately. Then I went over to my clothes and began to dress. As I pulled my boots back on, I noticed that Larry had stopped struggling and sat up. His left arm dangled uselessly, and his left leg bent awkwardly at the knee. I could see he was in a lot of pain, but his eyes held more hatred than anything else. I stood and pointed the pistol at him. “Okay, Larry, it’s my turn now. Toss me your pistol… slowly.”
He continued to glare as he complied.
“Thanks, Larry. Now I’d like to have my knife back.”
He tossed it without a word, bare of its sheath. He had still been clenching the blade as he thrashed about on the ground. It was a lucky thing that he hadn’t hurt himself severely, or maybe not so lucky. The world would probably have been a much better place without him.
“Toss me the sheath, too.”
When I’d gotten that, I walked over to him and searched his clothing for concealed weapons. Then I gave Han the same treatment.
Debra startled me, speaking from directly behind me. “Are you really all right?”
“Yeah, just a little bruised up.”
As I turned back to her, her eyes widened. “Oh, my God, doesn’t that hurt?” She reached out to touch my neck, pulling back bloody fingers. It’s funny how a wound you don’t know about doesn’t hurt… until it’s pointed out to you. As soon as I saw those bloody fingers, my neck began to sting as if I had been branded. I wasn’t as fast as I’d counted on; I hadn’t totally evaded the knife, after all.
“Didn’t even know it was there until just now.” I reached up to feel the shallow slice on the side of my throat, wincing as I touched the length of it. “Now it hurts like hell, though.”
Debra yelled back toward the trees, “Zachary! Bring the first aid kit. Hurry!” My wife, being who she was, had prepared for this eventuality. I would have been surprised if she hadn’t.
Zachary came into the clearing at a dead run clutching the kit to his chest. I noticed he steered around the bodies, but couldn’t seem to keep from looking down at them. I knew there was no help for it, but I wished he didn’t have to be exposed to that, despite what I had said about his having to grow up in a hurry. His eyes widening as his mother’s had at the sight of my neck, he handed her the kit. My wound must have looked pretty bad. Once cleaned, however, it proved to be no more than a scratch, one that bled profusely and burned like fire, but a scratch nonetheless. I covered Han and Larry with my pistol while Debra cleaned me up. It was eerily silent as she worked on me. No one said a word. Like truculent children, we
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