Read Online Renewal 6 - Cold by Jf Perkins - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jf Perkins
Tags: Science-Fiction
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and walked over to the bars, grasping one in each hand. “What about my family?”
“I overheard a conversation in the visiting area. You know the Dragon?” Charlie asked.
The Judge glanced down the hall. “Yeah...”
“Well he told his son to take a company of men down to find your family and kill them all. He said he couldn’t work with a moron like you.”
“That son of a...”
The second bullet entered the Judge’s left temple and plowed through his brain at an angle, bursting free from the middle of the far side of his head. Jerry Doan Jenkins lived long enough to suffer, but he quickly lost enough blood to stop his heart. Charlie had hoped to provoke the man to turn his head long enough for the shot. He was lucky that it worked. Charlie gripped the Judge’s hand on the bar as the man died to keep the hands within easy reach this time. When the body hit the floor, Charlie put the gloves on again. His legal opinion was that these were two entirely plausible suicides. Hard to explain the guns, he expected, but the Junior Dragon may have brought them in.
Unfortunately, Officer Jack Burton heard the second shot and threw the door open, with his own weapon drawn. He was just quick enough to see Charlie’s hand retreating from the second tiny weapon, just placed in the Judge’s hand. The officer’s mouth dropped open at the sight of the highest official in his chain of command committing murder. Charlie’s own gun was back inside his coat, and Jack reasonably concluded that the murder weapon was in plain sight in the Judge’s hand.
Charlie raised his hands and stood up before Burton gathered his wits to speak.
Charlie spoke first. “Listen, Jack. These guys are conspiring to send both their clans against the man who saved you. He’s going to be badly outnumbered, and everything I can do to help, I have to do. The last thing Carter needs is these two masterminds running the show. Understand?”
Jack nodded slowly.
“Here’s what happened. You never saw me. The Dragon’s kid smuggled these pistols in to his father who somehow gave one to the Judge. They committed suicide before we could hang them.”
Jack found his tongue. “What the hell, sir? You can’t just...”
“I know, Jack. I know. If you had asked me this morning, I never would have even considered this, but the situation is changing fast and I owe Bill Carter. You do too. This gives him a fighting chance. Is there any doubt in your mind that these two would be dead in a month?”
“No. I was looking forward to the hanging.”
“Right. All I did was speed up the justice system to save Bill and his people the trouble that these two would add to his problems. Even so, it’s going to be a hard fight. Every little bit helps, and if this helps, I’ll live with the guilt. Understand?”
Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ok, I agree with your argument, but in the morning, my ass is fired.”
“Jack, you know what you need to know. If you protect me, I’ll protect you. It won’t matter for more than a few days. Everyone wanted these two to die, especially inside your own department.”
Officer Burton though for ten seconds. Finally, he nodded and said, “Ok, Mr. Bell. They committed suicide on my watch. I’ll take the heat. You have my word.”
“Thank you, Jack. I won’t forget.”
Chapter 6 – 14
Terry waited with Seth in the Carter kitchen. As usual, Aggie had something to eat sitting on the counter. The men munched on squares of cornbread with butter and strawberry jam, while they waited on Aggie to get Bill ready for visitors. They had been turned away from Bill when they had returned the previous evening. Aggie told them firmly that Bill had done too much that day, and whatever they had to say could wait until morning. They had shrugged agreeably, and Seth had taken Terry home to his family’s house to give the Carters some peace. Now they were back, bright and early, in a golden haze of morning
“I overheard a conversation in the visiting area. You know the Dragon?” Charlie asked.
The Judge glanced down the hall. “Yeah...”
“Well he told his son to take a company of men down to find your family and kill them all. He said he couldn’t work with a moron like you.”
“That son of a...”
The second bullet entered the Judge’s left temple and plowed through his brain at an angle, bursting free from the middle of the far side of his head. Jerry Doan Jenkins lived long enough to suffer, but he quickly lost enough blood to stop his heart. Charlie had hoped to provoke the man to turn his head long enough for the shot. He was lucky that it worked. Charlie gripped the Judge’s hand on the bar as the man died to keep the hands within easy reach this time. When the body hit the floor, Charlie put the gloves on again. His legal opinion was that these were two entirely plausible suicides. Hard to explain the guns, he expected, but the Junior Dragon may have brought them in.
Unfortunately, Officer Jack Burton heard the second shot and threw the door open, with his own weapon drawn. He was just quick enough to see Charlie’s hand retreating from the second tiny weapon, just placed in the Judge’s hand. The officer’s mouth dropped open at the sight of the highest official in his chain of command committing murder. Charlie’s own gun was back inside his coat, and Jack reasonably concluded that the murder weapon was in plain sight in the Judge’s hand.
Charlie raised his hands and stood up before Burton gathered his wits to speak.
Charlie spoke first. “Listen, Jack. These guys are conspiring to send both their clans against the man who saved you. He’s going to be badly outnumbered, and everything I can do to help, I have to do. The last thing Carter needs is these two masterminds running the show. Understand?”
Jack nodded slowly.
“Here’s what happened. You never saw me. The Dragon’s kid smuggled these pistols in to his father who somehow gave one to the Judge. They committed suicide before we could hang them.”
Jack found his tongue. “What the hell, sir? You can’t just...”
“I know, Jack. I know. If you had asked me this morning, I never would have even considered this, but the situation is changing fast and I owe Bill Carter. You do too. This gives him a fighting chance. Is there any doubt in your mind that these two would be dead in a month?”
“No. I was looking forward to the hanging.”
“Right. All I did was speed up the justice system to save Bill and his people the trouble that these two would add to his problems. Even so, it’s going to be a hard fight. Every little bit helps, and if this helps, I’ll live with the guilt. Understand?”
Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ok, I agree with your argument, but in the morning, my ass is fired.”
“Jack, you know what you need to know. If you protect me, I’ll protect you. It won’t matter for more than a few days. Everyone wanted these two to die, especially inside your own department.”
Officer Burton though for ten seconds. Finally, he nodded and said, “Ok, Mr. Bell. They committed suicide on my watch. I’ll take the heat. You have my word.”
“Thank you, Jack. I won’t forget.”
Chapter 6 – 14
Terry waited with Seth in the Carter kitchen. As usual, Aggie had something to eat sitting on the counter. The men munched on squares of cornbread with butter and strawberry jam, while they waited on Aggie to get Bill ready for visitors. They had been turned away from Bill when they had returned the previous evening. Aggie told them firmly that Bill had done too much that day, and whatever they had to say could wait until morning. They had shrugged agreeably, and Seth had taken Terry home to his family’s house to give the Carters some peace. Now they were back, bright and early, in a golden haze of morning
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