Dark Thoughts by Katie Rush

Author:Katie Rush [Rush, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2024-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Sam winced at the crackle of gunfire as he climbed out of the vehicle. He had to resist the instinctive urge to draw his own weapon, reminding himself he was at a gun range, after all. There was supposed to be gunfire.

The air was crisp and filled with the acrid scent of spent gunpowder. Sounds of gunfire echoed throughout the area in rapid succession, creating an almost rhythmic pattern that resonated deep within Sam's chest. He took notice of the surroundings: rows of shooting lanes, some occupied by lone shooters while others had small groups huddled together in conversation.

"Intense, isn't it?" Dana asked, raising her voice to be heard above the cacophony

Sam nodded, feeling the vibrations of each shot reverberate through his body. "Feels like I'm back in training."

It was odd, thinking that this was where they'd been directed to find Willard Oakes, the man who had threatened Calvin Casalino's life. According to Oakes's mother, with whom they'd spoken on the phone, Oakes had been coming to this range more and more often in the weeks and months since the death of his seventeen-year-old son, Timothy, who'd been killed in a gang drive-by, an innocent bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As Sam searched the faces of the shooters, mentally comparing them to the picture he'd seen online of Oakes, he thought about the conversation he'd had with Dana the previous night. She had told him about her father's sudden and unexpected death, which had left her reeling and searching for answers. It made him wonder how the grief had shaped her over the years, turning her into the strong, determined woman she now was.

It had also brought back memories of his own sister, Sadie, whom he'd lost too soon. That shared pain created a connection between him and Dana, something he hadn't expected but welcomed. It felt good to have someone who could understand the weight of such sorrow, even if it was rooted in different circumstances.

"Willard Oakes," Dana mused, shaking her head. "I still can't figure out why he'd come to a gun range after losing his son to gun violence."

Sam considered the possibilities, trying to put himself in Oakes's shoes. "Maybe he's here for some kind of closure. You know, facing his fears or something like that."

"Or maybe it's a way of feeling some control over the weapon that took his son's life," Dana added, her eyes scanning the range.

"Could be," Sam agreed, his own gaze drifting from shooter to shooter.

Just then, Sam spotted a man he could only assume was Willard Oakes. He was tall and lanky, with sunken cheeks and a grizzled beard. His eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses, but there was an unmistakable air of sadness about him that seemed to cling to his every movement. The man held a shotgun, its long barrel gleaming in the sunlight as he took aim at the clay pigeons flying through the air.

"Over there," Sam said to Dana, gesturing subtly toward the man. "That looks like our guy.

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