Read Online Lone Star 04 by Wesley Ellis - Free Book Online Page A

quickly to the old man. His clothes were shredded, and his chest and arms were slick with blood. It was too dark to tell how badly he was hurt, and Ki had no intention of inspecting the wounds there in the middle of the field.
    When he lifted Gustolf in his arms, the old man groaned, opened his eyes wide, and stared up at Ki. “You ... see, I told you. The bullets do not work ... the thing cannot be killed that way ... it is ... no ordinary animal!”
    â€œDon’t talk,” said Ki. “We will discuss the business of wolves at a later time.”
    â€œIt is ... true,” Gustolf went on. “You can see that, can’t you?”
    â€œOld man, shut up!” Ki said sharply. “What I can see is that we are not yet out of this field. That thing is still out there, and at the moment it does not greatly matter what it might be. All right?”
    Gustolf’s eyes went dim, and he relaxed in Ki’s arms. Ki quickened his steps, ignoring the man’s considerable weight. He could feel the thing behind him, and didn’t give a damn whether it was Oriental senses or Western imagination at work. All he wanted now was to put that dark sea of wheat at his back, and shut a stout wooden door behind him.
    â€œAaaaaaah!” Gustolf came suddenly awake. His eyes went wide and he clutched frantically at Ki, nearly spilling him to the ground. “Stop,” he yelled hoarsely, “you must go back. Now!”
    â€œDamn it,” snapped Ki, “leave me alone, old man. I am doing the best I can!”
    â€œNo!” Gustolf shook his head wildly. “You ... don’t understand! The cane. It... it is still out there. I must have it. Without that... we are lost, all of us!”
    Ki’s arms were like lead. Gustolf pounded at him and kicked the air and cursed him in a tongue that seemed perfectly designed for that purpose. Ki walked stolidly on, praying he would reach the dark cottages before the wolf turned about and came at him, or the old man beat him to a pulp ...

Chapter 6
    Ki couldn’t remember when a fire had seemed brighter, cheerier, more welcome. Jessie brought him coffee and he held the cup between his hands, enjoying the solid feel of the mug and the strong aroma of the dark and heady brew.
    He understood what was happening. The fire, the mug, and the coffee were real and solid things, everyday objects from the world he lived in. They had nothing to do with shadow and superstition. His encounter with the wolf had shocked him more than a little. Nothing in his stern samurai training had prepared him for the thoughts that had preyed on his mind. He was more vulnerable to such things than he’d imagined.
    Jessie sat down beside him and sipped her coffee. “He’s going to be all right,” she said. “Scratched up pretty badly and he lost some blood, but you got to him in time.” She nodded over her shoulder at the back room. “Sonia brought in an old lady who has to be a hundred and ten. Did you see her? She’s got bags of leaf mold and little clay pots of stuff that smells bad. Nothing you ever saw in a doctor’s office, but it seems to do the job. You’re not listening to me at all, are you?”
    Ki looked up quickly. “Yes. And no, Jessie. I’m afraid I’m only partly here at the moment.”
    â€œThat business out there got to you, didn’t it?”
    â€œYes, it did. Very much.”
    She studied him thoughtfully. “I don’t see any reason why it shouldn‘t, Ki. You don’t have to believe in all this for it to affect you. Wolfsbane and silver bullets and things howling outside...” She hugged her shoulders and shivered. “Gives me the creeps, I’ll tell you.”
    Ki nodded in agreement. “Fear and superstition are most infectious diseases. My problem is, I didn’t think I could catch it.”
    â€œKi...”
    He shrugged and shot her a weary grin. “Don’t