Read Online Liar's Harvest (The Emergent Earth) by Michael Langlois - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael Langlois
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shoved Nell away from him. He bounced up out of his seat and swung a vicious right hook that caught Leon on the side of the head. He was fast.
Leon took the hit and shuffled back a few steps. He didn’t seem particularly fazed by the blow.
KC’s mouth was bleeding and his eyes were wide. “You have some kind of death wish, motherfucker? You know who you’re messing with?”
If that was KC’s best shot at intimidation, he was in trouble. The last person you want to try and scare with your gang reputation is a Recon Marine with two tours of duty in Iraq under his belt.
“You’re the piece of shit that’s about to get his ass kicked for laying hands on my cousin Paulie.”
“That punk got what he deserved for sticking his nose in my business. What, now he’s too scared to come down and take a swing at me himself?”
He pointed his chin at Anne and me. “He has to send you and your girlfriends over here to do it for him?”
The gorilla threw a smirk my way, just in case I missed the part where KC called me a girl. I ignored him.
Leon said, “Paulie’s dead.”
KC hesitated, just for a second. “Good. I told him something bad might happen to him if he didn’t stay out of my face. Maybe you need to be careful that the same thing doesn’t happen to you and your little friends.” His eyes flicked to Anne. “Or something even worse.”
Anne’s face went hard. “You really don’t want to bring me into this.”
The big man took exception to the tone Anne was taking with his boss. “You shut your mouth, whore, before I find a better use for it.”
“Why, KC not enough for you anymore?”
“Bitch.” The man’s jaw and fists bunched up, and he started to surge to his feet. He was thick all around, and he carried some extra weight on his belly the way truly big men often did. Even though he was sitting down I could tell that he was tall, probably six and a half feet, and strong as a bull.
As those tree-trunk legs powered him upwards, I clamped one hand on his shoulder and slammed him right back down. “You need to sit this one out.”
He looked up at me, pissed and little shocked. He set himself to shrug me off and heave upwards once more, so I hooked one foot under the bench for leverage and bore down hard.
He collapsed in on himself, air and spittle exploding out of his mouth. His legs gave out and the two-inch-thick wooden boards underneath him snapped. He hit the ground.
KC spun to face me, eyes wide. “Back off!” He reached into his jacket.
If Anne hadn’t been standing exactly where she was, to the side and slightly in front of me, I would have missed it. In that split-second, as KC made his move, I could see the other Anne take over. The one burned into her by Patrick in his zeal to protect her. The one with no expression and flat, cold eyes.
His hand was clearing his jacket and I could plainly see that he had a gun in it, some kind of chrome automatic.
Anne drew in a blur. KC froze in mid-draw, right eye staring directly down the barrel of Anne’s P250. I’m faster than any human being has a right to be, but I couldn’t have done it.
The atmosphere in the room changed. This was no longer a brawl, but something uglier.
A man sitting next to us screamed, “GUN!” and dropped to the floor. Everyone else in the diner starting yelling and crouching, or hunching over their children to protect them.
Anne and KC were statues as the panic broke out all around them.
Anne cocked the hammer of her pistol for effect. “Leave.”
KC slowly put his gun away and then flashed his empty palms at Anne. Then he turned and walked away without comment. I figured a man like that would normally have had something to say at this point, some bravado or attempt at intimidation, but the look on Anne’s face ruled that out. It was very clear that nothing existed for her now but the shot. She was unreachable.
His shoulder clipped Verna on his way out. I don’t know that he did it on purpose, but she
Leon took the hit and shuffled back a few steps. He didn’t seem particularly fazed by the blow.
KC’s mouth was bleeding and his eyes were wide. “You have some kind of death wish, motherfucker? You know who you’re messing with?”
If that was KC’s best shot at intimidation, he was in trouble. The last person you want to try and scare with your gang reputation is a Recon Marine with two tours of duty in Iraq under his belt.
“You’re the piece of shit that’s about to get his ass kicked for laying hands on my cousin Paulie.”
“That punk got what he deserved for sticking his nose in my business. What, now he’s too scared to come down and take a swing at me himself?”
He pointed his chin at Anne and me. “He has to send you and your girlfriends over here to do it for him?”
The gorilla threw a smirk my way, just in case I missed the part where KC called me a girl. I ignored him.
Leon said, “Paulie’s dead.”
KC hesitated, just for a second. “Good. I told him something bad might happen to him if he didn’t stay out of my face. Maybe you need to be careful that the same thing doesn’t happen to you and your little friends.” His eyes flicked to Anne. “Or something even worse.”
Anne’s face went hard. “You really don’t want to bring me into this.”
The big man took exception to the tone Anne was taking with his boss. “You shut your mouth, whore, before I find a better use for it.”
“Why, KC not enough for you anymore?”
“Bitch.” The man’s jaw and fists bunched up, and he started to surge to his feet. He was thick all around, and he carried some extra weight on his belly the way truly big men often did. Even though he was sitting down I could tell that he was tall, probably six and a half feet, and strong as a bull.
As those tree-trunk legs powered him upwards, I clamped one hand on his shoulder and slammed him right back down. “You need to sit this one out.”
He looked up at me, pissed and little shocked. He set himself to shrug me off and heave upwards once more, so I hooked one foot under the bench for leverage and bore down hard.
He collapsed in on himself, air and spittle exploding out of his mouth. His legs gave out and the two-inch-thick wooden boards underneath him snapped. He hit the ground.
KC spun to face me, eyes wide. “Back off!” He reached into his jacket.
If Anne hadn’t been standing exactly where she was, to the side and slightly in front of me, I would have missed it. In that split-second, as KC made his move, I could see the other Anne take over. The one burned into her by Patrick in his zeal to protect her. The one with no expression and flat, cold eyes.
His hand was clearing his jacket and I could plainly see that he had a gun in it, some kind of chrome automatic.
Anne drew in a blur. KC froze in mid-draw, right eye staring directly down the barrel of Anne’s P250. I’m faster than any human being has a right to be, but I couldn’t have done it.
The atmosphere in the room changed. This was no longer a brawl, but something uglier.
A man sitting next to us screamed, “GUN!” and dropped to the floor. Everyone else in the diner starting yelling and crouching, or hunching over their children to protect them.
Anne and KC were statues as the panic broke out all around them.
Anne cocked the hammer of her pistol for effect. “Leave.”
KC slowly put his gun away and then flashed his empty palms at Anne. Then he turned and walked away without comment. I figured a man like that would normally have had something to say at this point, some bravado or attempt at intimidation, but the look on Anne’s face ruled that out. It was very clear that nothing existed for her now but the shot. She was unreachable.
His shoulder clipped Verna on his way out. I don’t know that he did it on purpose, but she
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