Read Online Predator by Kartik Iyengar - Free Book Online

and Karnataka, and the stretch leading to Joe’s vineyard was beautiful where the landscape boasted of long, serpentine, tar roads in fairly good condition.
    Lionel Ritchie was crooning softly in the car stereo. ‘Look at that skinny railway track, Derek, is that for toy trains, they’ve gotta be kidding?! Surely, it can’t be the mainline. You’d have to be plain loco to drive a locomotive down that track,’ said Chief, pointing to the railway tracks in the crossing. Derek kept Motormouth’s engine running as they waited for the train to cross.
    ‘I’m sure you’re right, Chief. It doesn’t look like a mainline. It must be one of those made by the Chinese. Probably the “Chow Mein” line. A narrow-gauge track in which they bring in all that awesome Chinese takeaway we keep having from time to time,’ replied Derek, hands on the steering wheel, nodding and looking immensely sagacious.
    Chief snorted. ‘So, are you thrilled to bits about the reunion party in that fool’s paradise?’ said Chief, hurriedly changing the topic and ducking any further bullets of wisdom from Derek. He knew the only way to deflect the trajectory of Derek’s crazy train of thought was to derail it completely.
    ‘Screw that! I’m really excited about seeing Grace again. I wonder what she looks like now. She was gorgeous then, I hope she hasn’t bloated up into a Zeppelin by now,’ said Derek, a faraway look in his eyes as the train chugged into view. ‘See! I told you! It had to be a narrow gauge Chow Mein line! The train looks so flimsy,’ said Derek beaming with pride.
    ‘Yeah, she and her sexy friend Salmonella’, said Chief, ignoring the train talk. ‘I remember Salmonella’s nose; so sharp that it could even pierce the heart of a bureaucrat. And her eyes, like bristling thorns. I guess she and her poof of a brother always hated me,’ said Chief, and Derek smiled. The train rattled by noisily in front of them, the din vying in vain with the snoring in the backseat.
    Derek slid down the window at the sight of a petite woman selling fresh strawberries. Strangely beautiful, she was probably in her late twenties. Her toned body looked perfect in the sky blue sari that hugged her tight. She reminded Derek of Grace, he couldn’t wait to see her again.
    The berries were as red as roses. Derek haggled adeptly and took them off her at a price that would have made him a mugger in a big city. The water drops sprinkled over them to keep them fresh looked like tiny pearls. The sweet smell of fresh berries filled Motormouth.
    ‘Ah! For a bowl of cornflakes with fresh strawberries and bananas! And a glass of fresh fruit juice, for pity’s sakes!’ exclaimed Chief, wishing out loud as he remembered their staple diet of momos for the past month.
    ‘You bet, Chief! We must have devoured half of the yaks and sheep in the mountains,’ chuckled Derek as he handed over loose change to the woman, who graciously accepted it, smiled and left. He passed the strawberries to Chief. ‘Wake up, you bitches in the back! We’re just an hour away from Joe’s Vineyard’.
    ‘Just a couple of mouths to feed. This should wake up the sleeping beauties. Rise and shine! We can smell the wine already!’ hollered Chief cheerfully, and Derek stuffed a handful of strawberries inside the two half-open, snoring mouths in the backseat. It seemed to do the trick.
    ‘Huh? Wha … ! Did somebody mention wine?’ said Hound, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, as he sleepily nudged Goose who was still fast asleep. ‘Holy Cow! What’s this in my mouth? Is it strawberry? Derek! Bastard! Did you do anything kinky with me last night while I was asleep?’ thundered Hound, deeply worried that he’d now be scarred for life.
    Derek and Chief guffawed as Goose grinned and said, ‘Sweet God, Hound, Pipe down! You snore like a locomotive! I could barely catch 69 winks.’ Goose yawned prodigiously and stretched, still trying to wake up.
    ‘That was a real locomotive