Dead Cold Mysteries Box Set #1: Books 1-4 (A Dead Cold Box Set), Blake Banner [classic children's novels txt] 📗

Zak made a noise like a wounded pterodactyl that turned out to be a laugh. “We got a whole fuckin’ army out here, boys! We are gonna have a bloodbath!” He leaned over the gallery and said, “Hey! Gas, Lenny. Take the back door.” He turned back to the window as Gas and Lenny started moving down the center aisle toward me.

It was now. It had to be now. And as I thought that, the bullhorn started bellowing outside and Zak started shouting abuse back at it. I didn’t aim for the approaching Angels. I aimed for the two at the front door. I figured the shot at twenty yards and aimed for the middle of the body. They were big bodies; it was hard to miss. I squeezed off four rounds—two double taps. With all the noise of the chopper and the bullhorn, they went down in silence.

Gas and Lenny saw the flames spit from the muzzle of my gun in the shadows, and for a moment they stood staring. They were only about ten yards away. I’m a good shot and I was real mad, so they got it between the eyes.

Then I ran. I sprinted along the side aisle and took the stairs two at a time. Zak had smashed the window and was leaning out, screaming abuse at the Feds outside. His pal looked at me in astonishment as I came up the stairs. Instead of shooting me, he stared down into the nave, looking for his pals, trying to understand. Maybe Mephistopheles could explain it to him when he got to Hell. I shot him through his right eye, and he sank to his knees. Zak turned. He brought his shotgun around, but it was too late. I drove my fist into his belly, and we both went crashing to the floor.

I don’t know if he was tough, or if he just enjoyed the pain. A normal guy would have been curled up in the fetal position vomiting. He just grinned, grabbed me by the throat, and started strangling me. It’s surprisingly difficult to punch somebody when you are lying down, especially if they have their hands around your throat. So I didn’t even try. Instead I forced my elbow between his arms, placed it on his eye, and leaned on him, hard. He screamed and thrashed his legs like a speared fish, then let go of my throat and started tearing at my hair.

Somehow, he scrambled out from underneath me and connected two powerful blows that sent me reeling against the wall. Outside, the bullhorn was still going. Zak came at me. I drove my fist in his belly again, but he didn’t seem to feel it. He grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and hurled me toward the edge of the gallery. I staggered and stumbled, and he rushed at me, screaming. We collided and fell against the rail. For a moment I was going over. I clawed at his beard with my left hand. He backed away and pulled me back with him. I came forward, and as I did so, I smashed my right fist into his head.

However high you are, there are laws of physics that still apply. I saw his eyes roll and his legs wobble, and I laid into him until he fell on the floor. Then I cuffed him and ran down to the south transept, reaching for my cell. I dialed the captain.

“Stone! Where the hell are you?”

“In the church. Dehan isn’t here.” I swore violently and kicked a few pews. “Check the pickup and the Cherokee.”

“But… who’s in there?”

“They’re all dead, except Zak.”

I hung up and ran up the stairs. I had a few seconds before the 7th Cavalry came pouring in. I grabbed Zak by the scruff of his neck and woke him up with two powerful slaps. His eyes stared at me like animated saucers. I leaned down real close to him and snarled, “You have fifteen seconds, Zak. Where is she or I will gut you with a blunt screwdriver. Where is she?”

His head flopped back, and he closed his eyes. “I killed her, man. Out by the fucking lake at Camp Kaufmann.”

I stared at him. The church was rocking. I said, “No, you haven’t had time.”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Detective Dehan! Where have you put Detective Dehan?”

He laughed. “Oh dear, have we lost Detective Dehan?”

There were feet running, tramping up the stairs, and a voice saying, “Put the gun down, Detective. Put the gun down!”

I half turned. There was a special agent pointing a gun at me, and the captain was coming up the stairs behind him. I put my gun in my holster and stood.

“Go fuck yourself, Special Agent. I just did your goddamn job for you.”

I pushed past the captain and went down the stairs to the nave. The place was crawling with Feds who kept giving me quizzical looks. They were crouching over the bodies and sealing off the area. The agent I had just told to fuck himself came down with the captain. He showed me his badge. “I am Special Agent Turner. Did you kill these men?”

“No, it was the Tooth Fairy. Of course I killed them.”

“There will have to be an investigation, Detective Stone…”

I burst out laughing. “In to how I used excessive force against six heavily armed Hell’s Angels who were about to open fire on federal agents? Be my guest. You done?”

His face flushed. “There is also the matter of the agent you knocked out!”

“He was pointing a gun at me. Now are we done? Because right now there is the matter of my partner, who will be murdered in two hours!” I turned and pointed at Zak, who was being led