Read Online Just Past Oysterville: Shoalwater Book One by Perry P. Perkins - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Perry P. Perkins
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suppose if you start
getting under my skin I can always leave you on the side of the
road somewhere."
Cassie nodded enthusiastically, "That sounds
fair!"
"Just one thing," Jack said, pointing a
finger at her across the table, "No drugs, or any of that nonsense.
I mean it! I think anything funny is going on, I pull over and
you're walking again, we understand each other?"
Cassie nodded again, "Don't worry, I don't
do drugs."
"Good girl," Jack said, "I didn't think you
seemed like the type, but it's just best to have the understanding
out in the open, just in case."
"Understood," Cassie replied quickly.
Jack continued. "I'm warning you too, right
up front, I'm a grouchy old bear when I'm tired. I don't like
people chattering away at me all day long,” Jack paused, swallowing
the last of his coffee, “and I have it on the best of authority
that I can be a pain in the posterior on a long drive."
Cassie grinned in spite of herself, "Wife?" she
asked.
"Good Lord, no!" Jack exclaimed, "Just a
friend."
"A girl though?" Cassie pressed.
"You’re startin' already…” Jack growled.
"So," Cassie asked brightly, "How's your
pie?"
At that, Jack chuckled and dug back in. Soon
the pie was gone, along with another cup of coffee. “The road isn’t
getting any shorter just sitting here,” Jack said, gathering his
coat. “Let me settle this bill and we’ll go.”
Cassie dug quickly into her pocket and
pulled out a couple of dollar bills.
“ I’ll leave a tip,” she
said.
“ Fair enough and good
manners,” he answered, nodding. “Why don’t you meet me out front? I
need to talk to a man about a horse.” Cassie stared at him, not
having the slightest idea what he was talking about.
Jack shook his head and
jerked his thumb towards an overhead sign that read Men’s Room .
“ Oh,” said Cassie, blushing,
“Okay.”
Jacked walked toward the cash register,
chuckling, as Cassie escaped into the lobby.
Chapter Five
Cassie glanced through the scarred plastic
windows of the newspaper boxes, but the headlines held nothing that
caught her interest. Bored, she decided to meet Jack at the van
and, stepping back out into the cooling night air, she started
across the parking lot.
Recovering her duffel bag and whistling
tunelessly, she headed for the van. Cassie was thinking of what an
answer to prayer it was, meeting Jack like this, when from the
shadow of a big semi, a hand suddenly clamped down on her arm.
Cassie uttered a brief shriek, and then froze. Dark, scrolling
tattoos covered the hand that held her upper arm in a viselike
grip.
“ Don’t be scared,
sweetheart,” a soft voice drawled from the darkness, “I heard you
asking that old fella for a ride. Just happens that I’m headed that
way myself.”
Cassie was suddenly cold and numb with fear;
she could feel herself starting to shake, as the pressure of the
man’s hand on her arm slowly pulled her back into the shadows.
"It’s…uh…it’s okay,” Cassie stammered, “I’ve
got a ride already, thanks."
"Oh?" the stranger replied in a whispering
sneer, the stench of stale smoke clinging to him like a thick,
bitter smog, forcing Cassie to fight to keep from gagging.
“ Don’t you worry honey, my
truck is much more comfortable than his, and I promise ya, I’m better
company…”
She felt panic beginning to gnaw at the
edges of her mind, as the hand pulled her further back into the
dark canyon between the trailers. Cassie knew she should fight, she
should cry out, but she couldn’t make her limbs move or will her
mouth to open, all she could think of was the blackness of the
shadows behind her.
As those shadows closed in, she bit down on
her lip, hard enough to draw blood, and the sudden pain helped her
pull her whirling mind back under control.
Cassie tensed herself, ready to spin and
lash out; planting a knee where she thought it would do the most
damage.
She drew a great breath of air to scream as
she felt the man behind her fumbling with
getting under my skin I can always leave you on the side of the
road somewhere."
Cassie nodded enthusiastically, "That sounds
fair!"
"Just one thing," Jack said, pointing a
finger at her across the table, "No drugs, or any of that nonsense.
I mean it! I think anything funny is going on, I pull over and
you're walking again, we understand each other?"
Cassie nodded again, "Don't worry, I don't
do drugs."
"Good girl," Jack said, "I didn't think you
seemed like the type, but it's just best to have the understanding
out in the open, just in case."
"Understood," Cassie replied quickly.
Jack continued. "I'm warning you too, right
up front, I'm a grouchy old bear when I'm tired. I don't like
people chattering away at me all day long,” Jack paused, swallowing
the last of his coffee, “and I have it on the best of authority
that I can be a pain in the posterior on a long drive."
Cassie grinned in spite of herself, "Wife?" she
asked.
"Good Lord, no!" Jack exclaimed, "Just a
friend."
"A girl though?" Cassie pressed.
"You’re startin' already…” Jack growled.
"So," Cassie asked brightly, "How's your
pie?"
At that, Jack chuckled and dug back in. Soon
the pie was gone, along with another cup of coffee. “The road isn’t
getting any shorter just sitting here,” Jack said, gathering his
coat. “Let me settle this bill and we’ll go.”
Cassie dug quickly into her pocket and
pulled out a couple of dollar bills.
“ I’ll leave a tip,” she
said.
“ Fair enough and good
manners,” he answered, nodding. “Why don’t you meet me out front? I
need to talk to a man about a horse.” Cassie stared at him, not
having the slightest idea what he was talking about.
Jack shook his head and
jerked his thumb towards an overhead sign that read Men’s Room .
“ Oh,” said Cassie, blushing,
“Okay.”
Jacked walked toward the cash register,
chuckling, as Cassie escaped into the lobby.
Chapter Five
Cassie glanced through the scarred plastic
windows of the newspaper boxes, but the headlines held nothing that
caught her interest. Bored, she decided to meet Jack at the van
and, stepping back out into the cooling night air, she started
across the parking lot.
Recovering her duffel bag and whistling
tunelessly, she headed for the van. Cassie was thinking of what an
answer to prayer it was, meeting Jack like this, when from the
shadow of a big semi, a hand suddenly clamped down on her arm.
Cassie uttered a brief shriek, and then froze. Dark, scrolling
tattoos covered the hand that held her upper arm in a viselike
grip.
“ Don’t be scared,
sweetheart,” a soft voice drawled from the darkness, “I heard you
asking that old fella for a ride. Just happens that I’m headed that
way myself.”
Cassie was suddenly cold and numb with fear;
she could feel herself starting to shake, as the pressure of the
man’s hand on her arm slowly pulled her back into the shadows.
"It’s…uh…it’s okay,” Cassie stammered, “I’ve
got a ride already, thanks."
"Oh?" the stranger replied in a whispering
sneer, the stench of stale smoke clinging to him like a thick,
bitter smog, forcing Cassie to fight to keep from gagging.
“ Don’t you worry honey, my
truck is much more comfortable than his, and I promise ya, I’m better
company…”
She felt panic beginning to gnaw at the
edges of her mind, as the hand pulled her further back into the
dark canyon between the trailers. Cassie knew she should fight, she
should cry out, but she couldn’t make her limbs move or will her
mouth to open, all she could think of was the blackness of the
shadows behind her.
As those shadows closed in, she bit down on
her lip, hard enough to draw blood, and the sudden pain helped her
pull her whirling mind back under control.
Cassie tensed herself, ready to spin and
lash out; planting a knee where she thought it would do the most
damage.
She drew a great breath of air to scream as
she felt the man behind her fumbling with
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