First Thrills - Lee Child [31]
“Okay,” she managed. “Stop, just let me get them.”
He let go. Shoved her away and backed up.
Maty rubbed at the back of her head and the tangled knot of hair. She eased herself toward the other end of the counter, hanging on for fear her knees might give out. She kept an eye on William even as she opened the zipper of her backpack and dug her hand inside. He stayed put, waiting, looking tired, impatient. She hardly recognized this man, his hair tousled and face dirty. He wasn’t her husband anymore. No, he was some deranged madman who had killed the park superintendent and was about to kill her.
When Maty pulled the Colt revolver from her backpack William’s eyes grew wide. Before he could react, before he could move, Maty shot him twice in the chest. The blasts made her jump each time.
She didn’t cry. She didn’t scream. Her hands weren’t even shaking.
She laid the revolver on the counter. Stepped back, opened the refrigerator and poured herself another glass of orange juice. This time she sat down. She wondered if this was what it felt like for her grandfather when the madness took over.
She sipped the juice and said to herself, “Now, where to dump the body.”
*
ALEX KAVA has built a reputation writing psychological thrillers full of authentic details that blend fact with fiction. In Kava’s words, “If readers can’t tell where the facts left off and the fiction begins, I’ve done my job.” She is the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels featuring Special FBI Agent Maggie O’Dell, as well as two stand-alone thrillers. Before writing novels full- time, Alex Kava spent fifteen years in advertising, marketing, and public relations. She divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska, and Pensacola, Florida.
DEB CARLIN spent twenty-five years in the hospitality business, ranging from bars and restaurants to hotels, retiring with a stellar fifteen years at Darden Restaurants, where she helped write technical manuals and nonfiction business articles. She is the owner of eWebFocus, where she consults on business strategies for online presences. Her foray with After Dark is her first fiction endeavor, and she has plans to continue.
KEN BRUEN
Had.
Funny how vital that damn word had become in my life.
Had . . . An Irish mother.
Had . . . Big plans.
Had . . . Serious rent due.
Had . . . To make one major score.
I’d washed up in Ireland almost a year ago. Let’s just say I had to leave New York in a hurry.
Ireland seemed to be one of the last places on the planet to still love the good ol’ USA.
And, they were under the very erroneous impression that we had money.
Of course, until very recently, they’d had buckets of the green, forgive the pun, themselves. But the recession had killed their Celtic Tiger.
I’d gone to Galway as it was my mother’s hometown and was amazed to find an almost mini–USA. The teenagers all spoke like escapees from The Hills. Wore Converse, baseball T-shirts, chinos. It was like staggering onto a shoot for The Gap.
With my accent, winning smile, and risky credit cards, I’d rented an office in Woodquay, close to the very centre of the city. About a mugging away from the main street. I was supposedly a financial consultant but depending on the client, I could consult on any damn thing you needed. I managed to get the word around that I was an ex-military guy, and had a knack for making problems disappear.
And was not averse to skirting the legal line.
I was just about holding my head above water, but it was getting fraught.
So, yeah, I was open to possibilities.
How I met Sheridan.
I was having a pint of Guinness in McSwiggan’s and no, I wasn’t hallucinating but right in the centre of the pub is a tree.
I was wondering which came first when a guy slid onto the stool beside me. I say slid because that’s exactly how he did it. Like a reptile, he just suddenly crept up on me.
I’ve been around as you’ve gathered and am always aware of exits and who is where, in relation to the danger quota.
I never saw him coming.
Should have taken