Read Online The Black Death by Aric Davis - Free Book Online

Henley, standing now in front of the open door and looking even more alert.
    “You dig one for Jesse Ann, too?”
    “We was gonna—” said Henley as Sally interrupted him.
    “Then I got a better idea,” she said. “Henley butt-stroked her with his army gun, and we tied her down on a board, all spread out. We popped a muzzle on her, and she’s good as new. Some of the boys are having a throw-down with her in back, said it’s like fuckin’ a wildcat. I wouldn’t know what that’s like, but I think I get what they mean.” Sally paused, taking the package from Free and then tossing it hand to hand. “This feels light, Free, big-time. Send your boys outside, or tell them to get in line for one of the girls, don’t much matter to me which one. But you and me gotta talk in the office.”
    Henley stood aside as she walked back through the door into the rear of the RV and then took the offered pistol from Free before letting him pass as well.
    “You heard Mrs. Sally,” said Henley. “And besides, it ain’t a bad night out, so go on, get. Freebird will be back out soon enough.”
    Matt followed Danimal out the door and was beside himself to discover that, somehow, he was actually a little worried about Free. It was a ridiculous notion. The man was a horrible drug addict—he was slowly rotting away and contributing to all of the bad things happening here, but he also had an earnestness that Matt couldn’t help but appreciate.
I’d still put my ax through his head if I had to, and will, when the moment comes, but damn if I don’t feel for the guy being locked in there with her.
    Danimal must have been feeling the same way as they left the trailer, because rather than wait by the door, he walked swiftly back to the van. Once they were there, he climbed into his seat, and Matt hopped into Free’s.
    “What’s going on in there?” Matt asked Danimal, and for once, he actually cared about the answer. It wasn’t just a probing inquiry to report back to the sheriff.
    “Nothing good,” said Danimal, “nothing good at all. Not for Free, not for us, not for nobody. I swear to God, if we’re low, I’m going to go fuckin’ kill Luther. I don’t care if he lives in a church. That ain’t no house of God anymore.”

CHAPTER NINE
    “Can’t you call Bucky?” Matt said.
    “What did you say?” Danimal asked the question slowly, as if he really was wondering what Matt had asked him. In addition, Danimal looked almost scared, as though there was some detail Matt was missing in asking him to make the call, and it was a damn important one.
    “I asked if maybe you could call Bucky,” said Matt. “I don’t know if that’s possible, or something you can do, or if you even have his number, but if you can call, maybe he can help. He’s who’s in control of all of this, right?”
    “All what?” Danimal asked the question at the same time that he opened a beer with shaking hands, dropping the cap on the floor and then taking a long drink from the bottle.
    “All of this,” Matt said, spreading his arms. “All this meth stuff, the hookers in the RV, all the dirty stuff here—that’s his operation, right?”
    “Look, man,” stammered Danimal, “you’re new here, and just passing through. You don’t know some of the things going on behind the scenes here. Bucky’s been the dude for a long time, a big dude.”
    “But he’s not now?”
    “Hey,” said Danimal. “It’s not like that, and I couldn’t tell you exactly what’s up. Bucky is the man, but he’s been off. Big-time off.”
    “So he can’t help?”
    “That doesn’t matter. None of this conversation matters. Free is going to explain to Sally that Luther, being the dope fiend that he is, stole some of her delivery and smoked it. Just wait. He’ll be out any minute.”
    “He might and he might not,” said Matt. “That outcome assumes he tells them that Luther did it and that they believe him. Has Free ever come up light before?”
    “I