Bloodland by Alan Glynn

Author:Alan Glynn [Glynn, Alan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Suspense
ISBN: 9780571275427
Publisher: Picador
Published: 2011-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

THREE

TUBE STEADIES HIMSELF with a couple of deep, measured breaths, replaces the revolver in his holster and steps away. Behind him now, the package is screaming, but what can he do? Venus and Scratch from the lead car were right behind him so they’ll be on it.

Kicking the door closed was dumb, and unnecessary, he could have just gone around it, or through the open window – but he had to feel like he was in a scene from a fucking movie, didn’t he? It’s the perennial temptation, the age-old problem – which comes first, the war or the stories? Put a gun in your hand and who are you?

He turns around.

Sweet Lord.

Venus looks at him.

Tube nods at the lead car.

‘Sir,’ he then says to the package, loudly, clearly, and with enough firmness to command the poor bastard’s attention, ‘these men will escort you to the airstrip. There you will receive immediate medical attention.’ He pauses. ‘Do you understand?’

The package nods. He’s pale, terrified, in agony.

Venus and Scratch take him away, quickly, out of the car and around the body. They shield him as best they can from what’s up ahead as well, and bundle him into the other car.

Tube just stands there. In theory, they could be vulnerable to attack here, some kind of retaliation, return fire, but it’s highly unlikely. Gideon controls this whole area, the airstrip, the mine, its immediate environs. Once you get near the compound, OK, things are a little different – the painted kids with bloodshot eyes take over … but they’re all still on the same side.

Except …

He looks around.

Except – you’d think – when something like this happens.

The lead car starts up, veers right, moves along the edge of the road for a bit and then speeds off.

Spokane, the driver of the middle car, opens his door and gets out, radio in hand.

He looks over at Tube. ‘Support on the way, sir.’

Tube nods.

Support. Clean up. Bags. At least one bag, anyway.

He shakes his head.

What a mess.

A few feet away is Deep Six. He’s just standing there, too, looking around.

Guess they’re both a little shell-shocked.

The silence now is the strangest thing.

Fuck.

No one moaning, no one crying, nothing.

Crazy, efficient motherfucker.

If anyone had asked him, Tube would have opted for Deep Six here, not Ashes, on the basis that it’s always the quiet ones you have to look out for – and Ashes was anything but quiet, fool couldn’t keep still for a second, slave to his ADHD or whatever he had, though he never seemed that disturbed, just a little weird, stupid actually. And that’s another thing, it usually isn’t the stupid ones who end up doing this kind of thing – for whatever reason it’s the smart ones, like Deep Six … who at any rate seems smart, but maybe he isn’t, maybe he’s as dumb as he lets on. And who knows, go figure, maybe Ray Kroner was smart after all. Doesn’t matter now, though, he’s gone to the bosom of the Lord and he sure as shit ain’t coming back.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.