His mind flashed back to other dark places—other chases—until finally a suspect’s weapon had exploded from ten feet away. The slug had hit him right in the stomach and had knocked him back like a baseball bat. Down on his back, trying to scream from the pain and shock, but with the breath completely knocked out of him, barely managing a strangled moan. He finally curled up in a ball as the cramps hit him. The suspect was long gone before Paul could comprehend that his vest had saved him. He still had the scar from where the bullet cut him even through the vest. And now his mind was replaying the scene again.
He was still sliding carefully down the wall one foot at a time, trying to see something. Was this guy armed? He didn’t know, and didn’t want to find out the hard way. He’d had a couple of friends go down the hard way and didn’t want to be next. And he remembered when it had been him. If he could only see. Should have waited for the backup and lights, but then probably would’ve lost the guy. No time. Follow him in and get him before he could do someone else. But...the dark.
So dark.
He slowly reached ahead and slid sideways another couple of feet. He could see a dark shape ahead. Maybe a building wall coming up—the T of the alley? He was getting dizzy with the strain of trying to see. Reached out again, carefully, and touched—a fence? What…? Then panic hit him as he thought,
“Oh, god, I’ve gone past him. He’s…”
BLAM.
He almost screamed as he fell to the alley floor, trying to make himself as small as possible. Waiting for the next bullet.
Lying in the freezing water, but so scared the shivering had stopped. The adrenaline raced him up so high his heart felt like it was exploding, then dropped him back down until he was part of the slime under him. Over and over like a screaming roller coaster. He vaguely realized he was pressed tight against the base of the fence and felt the rubbish beneath him .
Funny what you feel when you’re about to die, he thought in an instant. Something was pressing hard into his side. Was that where he had been shot? Moved a bit and felt—a piece of rock? A brick? Suddenly realized it hadn’t been a shot. The guy had thrown a brick? Where was…?
Then he heard the slapping of feet running back down the alley and knew that the guy had to have been hiding behind the Dumpster. The only place he could have been, but how could he have gotten behind there? He tried to force himself up to go after him—then sank back down and lay in the freezing water in the filthy alley, shaking violently, trying to breathe.
Jim Magwood was born too many years ago in Vancouver, Canada. He was dragged south across the border by his parents when he was too young to protest and has lived in California the rest of his life.
His work in the military and business took him throughout the world and gave him a penetrating view of that world in chaos and out of control, and he remembers well the poverty and unrest (as well as the beauty) of so many places.
He retired early and moved with his wife, Gayle, to their quiet mountain cabin in Twin Oaks, California. The loudest noises now are some howling coyotes, the wandering cattle and a million raucous birds. The rabbits and quail have come to recognize that Shiloh (the ranch) is a sanctuary for them, so they hang around every day looking for handouts.
Jim is the author of the international suspense thriller, SANCTION, published in June, 2008. (ISBN: 978-1-60462-775-6.) He is retired and is writing novels of international suspense, political intrigue, and the people on both sides of the conflicts.
A third novel, COP, is coming soon.
You can visit Jim at his website,
www.JimMagwood.com.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER 54
CHAPTER 55
CHAPTER 56
CHAPTER 57
CHAPTER 58
CHAPTER 59
CHAPTER 60
CHAPTER 61
CHAPTER 62
CHAPTER 63
CHAPTER 64
CHAPTER 65
CHAPTER 66
CHAPTER 67
CHAPTER 1