The Maine Events, Rodney Riesel [best books to read in your 20s TXT] 📗

his cell phone and snapped a picture ofSpoon's lifeless body, then he dialed Allen's number.

Allen and Cam crawled across the backyard toward the house.Allen felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He paused and pulled out thecell.

“Hello?” Allen answered, as he positioned himself behind ashrub.

“Hey, it's Donnie.”

“What's the matter?”

“There's been a change of plans. I'm sending you a pic.”

“I'm going ahead,” Cam whispered. Allen flashed a thumbs up.Cam continued on all fours toward the back of the house.

Allen pulled the cell phone away from his ear and tapped thetext message icon. The photo of Spoon, complete with blood trail, lit up thescreen. He put the phone back to his ear.

“What did you do?” Allen asked. “Is he dead?”

“I think he's still breathing, but he hit his head prettyhard.”

“Where are you?”

“In the garage. This guy told me that Jacob is in the houseand that he's still alive.”

“Do you think he was telling the truth?”

“Only one way to find out. We gotta go in.”

“We don't know who's in there.”

“Strong is in there, and he mentioned another man, a friendof Strong's.”

“He say who the other guy was?”

“No, but he drives a red Mustang. You know anyone who drivesa red Mustang?”

“No. Maybe it's Vinny Tubbs' car.”

“Psst!” said Cam. His back was to the wall, between thewindow and the back door.

Allen looked over.

“It's the cop, Tucker—I met him when we were searching,” Camwhispered loudly. “He's inside.”

“Jim Tucker, the cop, he's inside the house,” Allen relayedto Donnie.

“What do you want me to do?”

“We gotta get inside.”

“The front door is standing wide open,” said Donnie. “Theguy left it open when we walked to the garage.”

“You get back to the front door. Cam and I will go throughthe back door. When you hear the commotion, come in ready to fire. The elementof surprise is our only ally right now.”

“What commotion? How will I know if it's the rightcommotion?”

“You'll know.”

Donnie took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said. “And, hey,Allen?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for being such a good friend to me over the past fewdays. I'm glad we met.”

“Don't get all gay on me, Donnie,” Allen joked.

Donnie snickered quietly. “Asshole,” he said, and hung upthe cell.

Allen put away his cell phone and crawled as fast as hecould to Cam.

“We're going in,” Allen said.

“Sounds good to me,” Cam said, pulling out his .38.

“It's nice that you and Mildred have matching handguns,”said Allen.

“We got these for each other on our fiftieth weddinganniversary,” Cam said, admiring the chrome finish in the fading sunlight.“They're not gold, but just as shiny.”

Allen pulled his 9mm out of his waistband. “Ready?” heasked.

“I was yanked outta my mama ready.”

The two men got to their feet, one on each side of the door.Allen quietly counted to three and nodded his head.

Cam stepped back away from the house and fired a round intothe corner of the window, shattering the glass, just as Allen threw hisshoulder and the weight of his body into the wooden door. The door jambsplintered, and the door smashed against the wall behind it. Allen's momentumsent him sprawling to the hardwood living room floor. There was a large woodburning fireplace to his left, and to his right a stairway leading to thesecond floor. In front of him was a doorway leading to the kitchen.

Cam came through the doorway next, leaping over Allen like agazelle. He scanned the room, pointing his pistol in every direction. The roomwas empty, but not for long.

“Benny!” Jim Tucker shouted, as he ran from the kitchen intothe dining room.

Allen, still on the floor, and Cam both pointed theirweapons at Tucker.

Tucker's hand went to the holster clipped to his belt.

“Don't even think about it,” Cam growled.

Tucker froze.

Allen was climbing to his feet. “Where's Jacob?” hedemanded.

“You just made the biggest mistake of your life,” Tuckersaid. He glanced back over his shoulder.

Donnie charged into the room with his weapon drawn. “Ifyou're looking for the other guy, he's tied up in the garage. He might be dead,I'm not sure.”

“Where's Jacob?” Allen asked again.

 “He's right here,” said Benny Strong.

Benny slowly descended the staircase. He was stooped over,with his arm around Jacob's throat, and a .45 to the boy's temple. The boy wasdisheveled and wide-eyed with terror but otherwise he looked okay. He managed awan smile upon seeing Allen, who grinned back encouragingly.

Even though they were only half brothers, Benny looked a lotlike his brother Bobby. Bobby had told Allen that Benny was his youngerbrother, but Benny looked a few years older, and slightly heavier.

Donnie's weapon remained trained on Tucker. Allen and Camswung their pistols around in Strong's direction.

“Let him go!” Allen shouted.

“I'm giving the orders here,” said Strong. “Put down yourweapons, or I'll dig a tunnel through this kid's brain.”

Allen and Cam exchanged glances. Allen started to lay hisweapon down.

“Don't,” Cam said.

Allen froze.

Cam pulled back the hammer and it clicked into position. He tookaim at the mobster. “Listen, ya fat bastard,” he said. “You're a much biggertarget than that boy. There's no way I'm gonna miss.”

“And I'll blow this kid's brains out,” Strong said.

“Maybe,” Cam said, “and maybe not.”

Without further warning, Cam fired, hitting Strong in theshoulder.

Strong's weapon fell from his grip as he stumbled backwardson the stairs. He struggled to regain his balance, and fumbled with his weapontrying to pick it up. Jacob pulled himself away from the big man's grip, andran down the stairs, stumbling on his third step. He fell forward, tumbling therest of the way down.

Tucker dropped to one knee and went for his pistol. Donniebegan pulling the trigger, not stopping until the .38 was empty. All six roundsmissed their mark, instead slamming into the window across the room.

Tucker spun on his knee, and as he got to his feet, hemanaged to get off two shots, plugging Donnie in the thigh and the abdomenbefore Allen put one in his back. Tucker teetered on the balls of his feet beforebuckling at the knees and crashing face-first to the hardwood floor upon whichhis busted teeth skittered like a box of Chiclets.

Strong snatched up his .45 and began shooting. He firedtwice at Jacob, missing both times. He swung his