Read Online Skeleton's Key (Delta Crossroads Trilogy, Book 2) by Stacy Green - Free Book Online
Authors: Stacy Green
Ads: Link
padded into the kitchen, flicking on lights as she went. Cage kept cleaning supplies in the bare nook where a table should be, and Dani grabbed the dusty broom. A little heavy and harder to manage with the light, but she’d figure it out.
She tucked the flashlight under her left arm and then reached for the door, the shop broom gripped tightly in her right hand. Sweat beaded across her scalp making it itch. Another menacing growl from the basement, long and drawn out as though the animal knew she was ready to attack. Ignoring the urge to drop everything and run for Cage, she listened hard.
It sounded like the creature was probably along the side of the basement, deeper below the house, and not on the steps waiting to ambush.
Good.
Deep breath, broom ready, bladder weak, she yanked open the door.
“Ugh.” The rotten odor from this afternoon had strengthened. Her eyes watered. “What did you dig up?”
A snarl answered her.
Wishing she’d put on her tennis shoes instead of sandals that left her tender toes exposed, Dani began descending the stairs. They trembled with every step, and she hoped to God they didn’t give out and leave her injured with the stink and the snarler.
“I don’t want to hurt you, but you need to leave.” She pulled the flashlight out from under her arm and shined the beam into the black abyss.
And was it ever dark. The basement’s air seemed to have its own energy, bulbous and heavy, waiting for Dani to make her move.
Or perhaps that was just the set of glowing, yellow eyes that glared at her from the winter kitchen. Somersaults rolled in her stomach as she wiggled the light so her eyes would adjust.
“Please don’t be a raccoon. Anything but one of those mean bastards.”
An angry hiss replied. Sure enough, a large raccoon was balanced on what was left of the winter kitchen’s brick oven, gnawing on a piece of bone.
“Bad boy.” Her voice came out like an angry chicken squawk. “You drop it.”
The animal bared its teeth.
Gagging against the smell, Dani teetered on the bottom step and raised her broom. The raccoon flinched but held its ground. Getting rid of it meant getting closer, and she wasn’t going to do that without a real weapon.
But she couldn’t leave it there to ravage whatever was left of the bones. Which meant she was going to have to wake up Cage. “Bad boy!” She shouted again at the raccoon. “Thanks for making me look like a big wimp.”
He stood up on his hind legs, razor-sharp front claws extended and the bone dangling from its mouth. Strange looking bone.
She took a step forward, squinting. The raccoon turned and raced the length of the stove to escape into the pile of debris, leaving little doubt as to what it was carrying.
A finger.
A fleshy human finger.
Vomit burned in her throat. Dani staggered backward, nearly falling onto the dilapidated steps. Using the broom for balance, she tried to steady herself.
Another wave of horrid stench slammed her nose.
Reality caught up with Dani and punched her in the stomach. It couldn’t be. Mustn’t be.
Sweat beading on her forehead and her stomach ready to revolt, she forced herself to shine light on the area where the bones had been found. For a moment, she saw nothing but dirt. She managed to breathe easier.
Then she moved the beam to the right and saw dark plastic–a round, cylinder shape. Something was haphazardly sticking out of it, a lumpy shape that looked as though it had been pulled out of the ground by the determined raccoon.
Dani took a step closer. Then a second.
Fear gripped her insides until her breath evaporated. Her hot skin turned cold. Blood whooshed through her ears.
She dropped the broom. Clutched the heavy flashlight and staggered up the stairs. Through the kitchen and then the parlor. Into the foyer, plastic sandals loud against the marble.
Fumbled with the lock on the door and then wrenched it open.
Welcoming muggy air greeted her. She ran down Ironwood’s steps and
She tucked the flashlight under her left arm and then reached for the door, the shop broom gripped tightly in her right hand. Sweat beaded across her scalp making it itch. Another menacing growl from the basement, long and drawn out as though the animal knew she was ready to attack. Ignoring the urge to drop everything and run for Cage, she listened hard.
It sounded like the creature was probably along the side of the basement, deeper below the house, and not on the steps waiting to ambush.
Good.
Deep breath, broom ready, bladder weak, she yanked open the door.
“Ugh.” The rotten odor from this afternoon had strengthened. Her eyes watered. “What did you dig up?”
A snarl answered her.
Wishing she’d put on her tennis shoes instead of sandals that left her tender toes exposed, Dani began descending the stairs. They trembled with every step, and she hoped to God they didn’t give out and leave her injured with the stink and the snarler.
“I don’t want to hurt you, but you need to leave.” She pulled the flashlight out from under her arm and shined the beam into the black abyss.
And was it ever dark. The basement’s air seemed to have its own energy, bulbous and heavy, waiting for Dani to make her move.
Or perhaps that was just the set of glowing, yellow eyes that glared at her from the winter kitchen. Somersaults rolled in her stomach as she wiggled the light so her eyes would adjust.
“Please don’t be a raccoon. Anything but one of those mean bastards.”
An angry hiss replied. Sure enough, a large raccoon was balanced on what was left of the winter kitchen’s brick oven, gnawing on a piece of bone.
“Bad boy.” Her voice came out like an angry chicken squawk. “You drop it.”
The animal bared its teeth.
Gagging against the smell, Dani teetered on the bottom step and raised her broom. The raccoon flinched but held its ground. Getting rid of it meant getting closer, and she wasn’t going to do that without a real weapon.
But she couldn’t leave it there to ravage whatever was left of the bones. Which meant she was going to have to wake up Cage. “Bad boy!” She shouted again at the raccoon. “Thanks for making me look like a big wimp.”
He stood up on his hind legs, razor-sharp front claws extended and the bone dangling from its mouth. Strange looking bone.
She took a step forward, squinting. The raccoon turned and raced the length of the stove to escape into the pile of debris, leaving little doubt as to what it was carrying.
A finger.
A fleshy human finger.
Vomit burned in her throat. Dani staggered backward, nearly falling onto the dilapidated steps. Using the broom for balance, she tried to steady herself.
Another wave of horrid stench slammed her nose.
Reality caught up with Dani and punched her in the stomach. It couldn’t be. Mustn’t be.
Sweat beading on her forehead and her stomach ready to revolt, she forced herself to shine light on the area where the bones had been found. For a moment, she saw nothing but dirt. She managed to breathe easier.
Then she moved the beam to the right and saw dark plastic–a round, cylinder shape. Something was haphazardly sticking out of it, a lumpy shape that looked as though it had been pulled out of the ground by the determined raccoon.
Dani took a step closer. Then a second.
Fear gripped her insides until her breath evaporated. Her hot skin turned cold. Blood whooshed through her ears.
She dropped the broom. Clutched the heavy flashlight and staggered up the stairs. Through the kitchen and then the parlor. Into the foyer, plastic sandals loud against the marble.
Fumbled with the lock on the door and then wrenched it open.
Welcoming muggy air greeted her. She ran down Ironwood’s steps and
Similar Books
