Carter Webb Thriller 02-Webb of Shadows by Lopa Joe

Author:Lopa, Joe [Lopa, Joe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Suspense, American Suspense, Crime Procedural, Crime Thriller, Murder Investigation, Private Investigator
Publisher: Liquid Mind Publishing
Published: 2024-06-18T00:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN

The cold pebbles sunk into her cheek and the chill from the earthy ground seeped through her clothes, causing her to shiver. Slow, heavy breaths pushed specks of dirt forward. Dark circles of dried blood droplets sprinkled the ground, a stark proof of the reality of the situation she was in. Surveying the room again, she tried to formulate a plan. Staring at the table next to her, the room grew darker, blurring her vision. Her pain was gone, as her brain sounded the alarm to fight for survival.

She closed her eyes. The black behind her lids filled with white dots. Tuning her memories to her childhood channel, her grandfather’s face came into sharp focus. The hardest working man she ever met had his coveralls protecting his strong chest and thin muscular arms. His wealth of knowledge in so many things was evident through their conversations when she was a little girl. She always listened when he spoke, and there was one conversation she needed in this moment.

Leaning over the front end of an old Ford F-150, papa twisted at a gasket with an old rag. Smoke hissed from the radiator cap as the truck tried to cool down and resist overheating. He shook his head and threw the rag down onto the engine block.

“Poor girl’s too hot from all the work I’ve been giving her. Julie, you never open that cap when it’s smokin’ up like that, you hear me?”

Buselli stood at waist level to her papa, nodding with intrigue. “But papa, why not just get a new one? This truck is old.”

Papa chuckled, peering over his shoulder at her. He turned around and leaned his back against the front end. His arms folded across his chest, and he cocked his head back. “Are you saying just cause the truck is old you want to throw it away?”

“Well, yeah. You’re always out here working on it. Just junk the thing and get a pretty new one.”

His infectious laugh erupted as he shook his head, grinning ear to ear. “So is that what you want to do with your old papa here?”

She tilted her head in thought, connecting the correlation. “No, of course not, papa. I wouldn’t trade you for anyone!”

Papa’s laugh stopped. He nodded at the little girl. His nostrils expanded and chest puffed as he sucked at the hot summer air. He crouched down and gripped Julie’s shoulders. “That’s right, honey. Just because it’s old, doesn’t mean you throw it away. Life’s a gift. You want to keep on living as long as you can and help others around you do the same.

Julie frowned. “Papa?”

“Yes, dear?”

“I don’t want to ever die.”

Papa’s lips tightened and eyes glossed. He squeezed her shoulders, giving a slight shake. “Julie, none of us do. But that’s in your hands, and only your hands. Life’s going to test you sometimes. You can’t succeed without failure at first. When your back’s against the wall, you fight. You can be anything you want in this life and live a long life.

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