Read Online Kris Longknife's Bloodhound, a novella by Mike Shepherd - Free Book Online

hissed, like a steam kettle desperate to let off pressure.
    “Good.  Good that we understand ourselves.  Now, I’m going to leave, and you go on fishing.  And, oh, by the way, there’s some of us that really don’t like you.  If you hadn’t warned that Longknife brat, she’d have charged right out of the elevator and into something she really wasn’t ready to play with.  No, that kid is definitely not ready to play with the big boys.  But you spoiled all that.  Shame,” Arlen said.  He paused, eyeing Taylor to make sure he was following the conversation.
    Taylor fumed but said nothing.  He’d definitely have something to say.  Later.
    Through a twisted smile, Arlen went on.  “Now some folks down at the office might be holding that against you.  Me?  I’m not.  You just kept missing her, time after time.  So sure, you’re hot to get your oar in the water when you get a chance.  You shoot off your mouth where it’s not wanted.  You make a habit of that and it could get you in trouble.  You know what I mean.”
    “I think I do,” Taylor said.  Calmly.  Oh so calmly.
    “Good, now you enjoy the fishing.  I’ll be seeing you.  Or maybe it would be best if I didn’t see you.  Ever again.”
    The man turned and sauntered away.  Once in a while he’d look back over his shoulder and chuckle.  He really seemed to be enjoying himself.
    Taylor reeled in his hook and baited it again.  He let his muscles get lost in familiar movement, although he did put the hook through his thumb. 
    Fortunately, it was only through the outer layer of skin.  It was more embarrassing than painful.
    Hook cast back into the sea, he let his eyes rove the ocean.  With intent, he loosed his lips and his nostrils, forcing them to give up the tension they held.
    “You knew this job was dangerous when you took it.  Everyone warned you.  You’re a big boy now.  There are no surprise here,” he said out loud, trying to believe it.
    Oh yes there is .  The threat against him, his agent, even against Kris Longknife was a bit more than he usually ran into in his Bureau work.
    “They warned me that getting too close to one of those damn Longknifes was dangerous,” he said to reminded himself, and, what was he close to, three of them.  No!  Four when you tossed in the father and five if you included Trouble for his proximity to the family.  He was way too close to a whole pot full of Longknifes.
    “So, Taylor, would now be a good time to fold your cards, toss in your hand and call it quits?”
    He thought for a moment.  He watched one wave chase another towards the near beach sands. 
    Suddenly, his line took off running.  His mind was so far from the pier that he almost dropped his pole.  That was something he hadn’t done since he was a boy and his dad took him fishing the first time.  He got control before he embarrassed himself for the second time in one noon hour.  He let the fish run a bit, then pulled in enough line to make sure the hook was well set, then let him run some more.  The fish jumped, trailing the line behind it.
    “Hey, that’s a big bugger,” came from the three old codgers fishing thirty feet further out on the pier.  “Ain’t seen a core that big for quite a few years.”
    The three of them gravitated down to him, one offering advice that was usually contradicted by one or both of the others as soon as it was spoken.  Taylor did feel that the pressure on the line was letting up and began to reel the fish in. 
    The core got its second wind and Taylor had to give it more line, but soon enough it he was reeling it up to the pier.  One of them offered a long handled net and caught it up.  Taylor reeled in the last few feet as the net man hauled it up, hand over hand.
    One held the fish while another expertly removed the hook from the fish’s mouth.
    “She’s been hooked a few times,” he said.  “Just look at her mouth.  But this time, you ain’t getting away, are you