Flaw-Abiding Citizen by Christy Barritt

Author:Christy Barritt [Barritt, Christy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: River Heights
Published: 2017-11-27T23:00:00+00:00

I grabbed a small shovel from my trunk. I only carried one because my dad had insisted I always keep one there for emergencies. He’d also insisted that I know how to change a tire. I’d kind of resented the lessons at the time, but now they seemed really handy.

Not only that, but Zane emerged from the car to see what I was doing.

He swatted his neck and muttered something under his breath.

Yep, the flies were getting to him also.

“What is it?” he asked. “You look excited. And you have a . . . shovel?”

“I’m like a Girl Scout. Always prepared.” Except for the fact I was wearing flip-flops, and didn’t have any bug spray, and no one knew I was here.

Minor details.

As I crossed back toward the tree, I explained to Zane what I’d found. Before I finished, I’d reached the tree again and sank my shovel into the ground. I had to dig only about six inches before the metal tip hit something.

“A root?” Zane asked.

“There’s only one way to find out.” I used the metal edge of the shovel to scrape away more of the surface dirt.

What I saw there wasn’t a tree root.

No, it was a beige waterproof tub.

My heart rate increased. Maybe my crazy idea hadn’t been so crazy after all. Someone had left something here, and my best guess was that it was my dad.

I suddenly forgot about all the dangerous critters and squatted down. I used my fingers to uncover more of the eight-inch-square container. When I could wrap my hands around the edges, I heaved it from its hiding spot.

“I’ve got to hand it to you, Joey,” Zane said, grabbing the other side of the tub to help me. “This was very clever. I’m impressed.”

“Let’s not be impressed until we make it out of here alive,” I said.

“I’m so attracted to you when you talk like that.” He smacked another fly on his neck.

I let out a fake laugh. He was joking. I hoped.

Yep, there I went hoping and feeling uncertain again.

Wasting no more time, I brushed the remaining dirt from the top and then tugged on the lid.

I could hardly breathe when the contents greeted my eyes.

Papers. A CD-ROM. Pictures. So much to sort through.

And this wasn’t the place to do it. I needed to get this somewhere a little more secure than Red Riding Hood’s backyard.

I slipped the CD-ROM into my back pocket, put the lid back on the tub, and stood. “We’ve got to get somewhere private to look through this.”

Zane swatted another fly from his arm. “Couldn’t agree more.”

But as he stepped over the gate, I heard something behind us.

“Stop right there,” a deep voice said.

I recognized the voice before I ever set eyes on him.

Currie.

And suddenly a bear or alligator didn’t seem that dangerous . . . not with a gun pointed at me.

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