Read Online Smoke Signals (A John Tall Wolf Novel Book 4) by Joseph Flynn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joseph Flynn
Tags: Mysteries & Thrillers
Ads: Link
stink-bombed him,” Rebecca added.
Beebs nodded. “Yeah, I tried not to give him another chance after that.”
“Are we the first people you’ve had contact with?” John asked.
“Yeah, to talk to. I lost my phone in the woods, but I wrote a message on a blackboard in the house I’ve been using. Took a photo and sent it off to the cloud.”
“That’s good thinking,” John said.
He was about to ask another question when he heard something in the distance. He turned and looked at Rebecca. She nodded. “I heard it, too.”
Beebs said, “That was gunfire.” Certainty in his voice.
“Was that what the rifle firing at you sounded like?” John asked.
“Yeah, but a lot louder and one at a time, not all in a bunch at once. What the hell is going on around here?”
“Without giving away any secrets,” John said, “that’s what we’re here to find out. You know if there’s a place we can put our car? Somewhere off the street.”
Beebs nodded. “The garage behind the house I’m using has an extra slot.”
Chapter 16
Dulles Toll Road — Sterling, Virginia
Freddie Strait Arrow and Marlene Flower Moon rode in the back of his limo on their way to Washington Dulles International Airport. Freddie had read the chalkboard message Beebs had sent to his private online message board. The poor guy had been shot at and almost killed? Jeez. Freddie had never imagined things would get that scary.
Yeah, sure, he’d sent Beebs out into the woods where, he’d been told, people were growing weed on his land but, damn, wasn’t marijuana supped to make you mellow? Laid back and laughing at the world. That’s what he’d always heard. He’d never used the stuff, not even in brownies or candy. Hadn’t ever done any drugs at all, not even alcohol.
Mom and Dad had warned him about that, having a possible genetic predisposition to not handle booze well at all. He’d heeded their warning. Didn’t really need any pharmaceuticals to get him off. Freddie got high on math. Making numbers dance to the tune he called was his thing.
That and now sex with Marlene.
After reading the message from Beebs over Freddie’s shoulder, Marlene had said, “That’s not good, but Tall Wolf will take care of it.”
“Me, too,” Freddie replied, getting to his feet.
“You want to go where there’s gunfire?”
She wasn’t criticizing him, merely searching his eyes to see if she’d overlooked a building block of his character.
“I want to see Beebs, tell him I’m sorry about what happened, find a way to show my gratitude that he’s all right. See if there’s a spot in my company for him, if he’s interested. I mean, it was pretty damn cool, a guy using a stink bomb to fight off a bastard with a rifle.”
Marlene conceded the point. “That was imaginative, but you’re thinking about more than a lucky photographer. The situation has become personal for you.”
Besides the physical pleasure she brought him, Freddie delighted in how well Marlene could read him. Like many math and science guys, understanding his fellow man — or woman — was not his strong suit. Sometimes she had a fix on his emotions before he did.
That could be scary but it was also kind of comforting, as long as they were happy with each other. The situation being conditional was something even he understood.
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Marlene told him, “You’ve seen the scar on my chest.”
Freddie had but he’d had neither the nerve nor the bad manners to ask about it.
He only nodded now.
Marlene told him, “It came from a bullet shot from a rifle. I was very lucky. Not many people would have survived my kind of wound.”
To his unspoken shame, Freddie found her fortitude sexy.
That a woman who could spit in death’s eye had chosen him.
“I’m glad you did,” he said.
Marlene caressed his cheek, but stayed on point. “What I’m saying is you might not survive such a trauma.”
Freddie had to stop and think about that. Which he
Beebs nodded. “Yeah, I tried not to give him another chance after that.”
“Are we the first people you’ve had contact with?” John asked.
“Yeah, to talk to. I lost my phone in the woods, but I wrote a message on a blackboard in the house I’ve been using. Took a photo and sent it off to the cloud.”
“That’s good thinking,” John said.
He was about to ask another question when he heard something in the distance. He turned and looked at Rebecca. She nodded. “I heard it, too.”
Beebs said, “That was gunfire.” Certainty in his voice.
“Was that what the rifle firing at you sounded like?” John asked.
“Yeah, but a lot louder and one at a time, not all in a bunch at once. What the hell is going on around here?”
“Without giving away any secrets,” John said, “that’s what we’re here to find out. You know if there’s a place we can put our car? Somewhere off the street.”
Beebs nodded. “The garage behind the house I’m using has an extra slot.”
Chapter 16
Dulles Toll Road — Sterling, Virginia
Freddie Strait Arrow and Marlene Flower Moon rode in the back of his limo on their way to Washington Dulles International Airport. Freddie had read the chalkboard message Beebs had sent to his private online message board. The poor guy had been shot at and almost killed? Jeez. Freddie had never imagined things would get that scary.
Yeah, sure, he’d sent Beebs out into the woods where, he’d been told, people were growing weed on his land but, damn, wasn’t marijuana supped to make you mellow? Laid back and laughing at the world. That’s what he’d always heard. He’d never used the stuff, not even in brownies or candy. Hadn’t ever done any drugs at all, not even alcohol.
Mom and Dad had warned him about that, having a possible genetic predisposition to not handle booze well at all. He’d heeded their warning. Didn’t really need any pharmaceuticals to get him off. Freddie got high on math. Making numbers dance to the tune he called was his thing.
That and now sex with Marlene.
After reading the message from Beebs over Freddie’s shoulder, Marlene had said, “That’s not good, but Tall Wolf will take care of it.”
“Me, too,” Freddie replied, getting to his feet.
“You want to go where there’s gunfire?”
She wasn’t criticizing him, merely searching his eyes to see if she’d overlooked a building block of his character.
“I want to see Beebs, tell him I’m sorry about what happened, find a way to show my gratitude that he’s all right. See if there’s a spot in my company for him, if he’s interested. I mean, it was pretty damn cool, a guy using a stink bomb to fight off a bastard with a rifle.”
Marlene conceded the point. “That was imaginative, but you’re thinking about more than a lucky photographer. The situation has become personal for you.”
Besides the physical pleasure she brought him, Freddie delighted in how well Marlene could read him. Like many math and science guys, understanding his fellow man — or woman — was not his strong suit. Sometimes she had a fix on his emotions before he did.
That could be scary but it was also kind of comforting, as long as they were happy with each other. The situation being conditional was something even he understood.
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Marlene told him, “You’ve seen the scar on my chest.”
Freddie had but he’d had neither the nerve nor the bad manners to ask about it.
He only nodded now.
Marlene told him, “It came from a bullet shot from a rifle. I was very lucky. Not many people would have survived my kind of wound.”
To his unspoken shame, Freddie found her fortitude sexy.
That a woman who could spit in death’s eye had chosen him.
“I’m glad you did,” he said.
Marlene caressed his cheek, but stayed on point. “What I’m saying is you might not survive such a trauma.”
Freddie had to stop and think about that. Which he
Similar Books
