A Grave Invitation: A Murder Mystery Action Adventure Novel (The Kilimanjaro Club Adventure Series Book 1) by Ron Lamberson

Author:Ron Lamberson [Lamberson, Ron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hydra Heads Press
Published: 2022-06-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Twenty-Three

Parnell woke in complete darkness, drenched in sweat. His stomach cramped as he squirmed. The straps continued to pin him to the gurney. His eyes were sticky, the lids catching as he blinked, and his tongue felt like a discarded sponge. Hunger followed the thirst and consciousness. He had no idea how long he’d been strapped down. He remembered little after Helmut had left. They’d probably drugged him again, not to gain information, but to simply keep him quiet.

He put aside the hunger pangs and his parched mouth and thought of Bailey and Stuart. The incentive to meet his captors’ demands would have escalated. Bailey was operating with bad information. He and Stuart still assumed Helmut was being held captive as well. Perhaps, like he had, they assumed that Helmut had already been killed. Depending on what day it was, their deadline may have passed. It was impossible to guess the current stakes.

His flittering thoughts were interrupted when a narrow line of light broke across the room beneath the door. He heard footsteps, more than one person, and muted voices. The light flickered with shadows. The voices continued—gruff whispers growing argumentative—then silence. The door opened and the overhead light stunned him.

“Mr. Sumner. Top of the morning. Isn’t that what they say?”

Parnell craned his neck to see who had entered the room. His eyes swam in clouds of refracted color as his pupils adjusted to the brightness. There were two men again; neither was Helmut. The first, and presumably the one who spoke, was short and slender, dressed in a tight-fitting dark turtleneck and jeans. The second man was taller and bulkier, his bald head reflected the light of the naked bulb.

“You must be very thirsty, and famished, I would suppose,” the short man said. He stopped at the side of the gurney and peered into Parnell’s face. Now able to focus, Parnell recognized him as the man he and Bailey had met at the Hotel Hassler. “It’s a shame. I don’t think we remembered to bring anything, did we?” he asked, turning to the taller man. The big man grunted, laughed, and shook his head.

“I’m so forgetful sometimes. Surely you understand, don’t you, Parnell? Such as,” he said, raising a finger to his lips and gazing away, “today. Today is a special day, isn’t it? It’s the day you tell us about Malcolm’s little secret. Remember our agreement? You and your friend, Bailey, the big man, were going to meet with me again today and share the information I was seeking. The problem is, you’re not going to make that meeting. It’s . . .” he said, looking at his watch. “Well, all I can say is that I believe you may already be quite tardy.”

“What about Bailey?” Parnell said. “Isn’t he waiting for you? Unless you’ve done something with him as well, he’ll be there. I’m positive.”

Both men laughed, and the smaller one put a hand on Parnell’s forehead. “I suppose there’s still a chance he’ll show, but I’m doubtful he’ll deliver what we need.

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