Phoenix Noir by Patrick Millikin (ed)

Author:Patrick Millikin (ed) [Millikin, Patrick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: anthology, mystery, noir, Phoenix
ISBN: 9781933354859
Google: uoXdHOjVZmIC
Amazon: 1933354852
Publisher: Akashic Books
Published: 2009-11-01T07:00:00+00:00

When he came to, he was no longer in the front seat. He was in the backseat and he had the sensation that he was moving at high speed. He sat up and saw pine trees whizzing past him. He’d sobered up enough to know he was no longer in Crista’s car. The crew cut was driving.

“Hey! Where’s Crista? What’re you doing?”

“I had to get you outta there,” said the crew cut.

“Where’s that woman I was with?”

“I think she’s after us.”

“After us? Where’re you taking me? What’s going on here?”

“Hang on. You got your seat belt on? You’re gonna need it.”

Headlights pierced through the darkness behind them. Tom looked back to see the truck following them. It was gaining on them.

“That woman you were with practices sacrifice to get what she wants.” The crew cut pressed on the gas and made the curve past the scenic outlook above Sedona. Something moved outside the window. Whatever it was, it was keeping up with them. It leaped toward the window and Tom saw it. A beast covered with hair, covered with skins. He remembered the stories of the shape-shifters coming out at night to claim their victims. Whatever it was, it shook Tom to the bone, and his heart nearly stopped.

“Jeeezus! Did you see that?” he shouted to the crew cut.

“I know, I know. Bet you wish you hadn’t danced with her.”

“You mean …?” The pieces were beginning to fall into place. What he’d seen in the parking lot. The smell. Crista.

The tires screeched and he felt the car moving on two wheels before it turned on its side into the shoulder and rolled into the pine trees. The crash broke a trail of pine needles and dust, mixed with the metallic sound of glass and metal breaking.

When Tom opened his eyes he wished he knew a death song, something to make meaning of it all. He saw the tree tops swaying and detected the faint smell of pine. Then the dark shape of the face he’d seen earlier looking down at him.

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.