The River Wild by Denis O'Neill

Author:Denis O'Neill
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2017-04-20T04:00:00+00:00

18

The rafts were packed and readied at the water’s edge. Tom sat in the back of one, with Gail at the oars. Roarke waited patiently onshore. Deke held the .22 while Terry checked the lashings. When he was done, Deke handed him two lengths of rope. “Tie ’em in. Don’t want anyone going for any swims without askin’.”

Terry tied Gail and Tom by their ankles to the D rings inside the raft. Gail managed a brave face for Roarke, who cowered behind Deke. “Honey, you okay?”

“Why can’t I go with you?”

“Everything’s going to be okay.”

“What about Maggie? She’s a city dog.”

“A city dog, yes … but a dog dog down deep. She’ll figure out how to stay alive. I bet she gets picked up by another boat. Just do what they tell you, okay? We’re just busing them to the bottom of the river, isn’t that right, Deke?”

“That’s how I see it.”

Tom aimed a finger and a hard eye at Deke. “He’s just a boy, Deke.”

“Luckily not just any old boy, but your boy … which makes him special to all of us, if you know what I mean.”

Deke grabbed Roarke by the back of his belt and swung him off the ground like a laundry sack. Roarke squealed.

“My group this way,” Deke said.

“Pops!” Roarke pleaded.

Tom popped right up in the boat. “Get your goddamn hands off him!”

When he lunged toward Deke, his ankle tether jerked him back … making him tumble awkwardly.

Deke released his grasp on Roarke, dropping the boy onto the beach sand. “Okay.” He stuck the .22 in the back of his jeans and pulled out his knife. Roarke picked up a handful of sand and threw it at the convict. “Moron!” he shouted.

Deke shielded his eyes with a forearm, then roughly grabbed Roarke by the scruff of his neck and swung him kicking and screaming into his raft.

“Leave him alone!” Gail yelled. Her lips were trembling.

Deke shot Gail a sarcastic look as he marched past her and advanced on Tom with his knife. He flicked the knife inches from Tom’s face, “You gotta understand something, Pop. Or is it Pops … as your boy calls you? There seems to be only one of you, so I’ll call you Pop, which you should know is actually one too many since you’re excess baggage on this trip.”

Gail struggled against her ropes. Tom stared past the knife blade at Deke’s leering face.

“He’s thirteen years old.”

“So you want me to pick on somebody else?” Deke asked. “How about her?” pointing to Gail.

“You’re really sick,” Tom told him.

Deke looked away. His knife-free hand lashed through the air and slapped Tom’s face with a stinging whack.

Deke leaned close, “Feel better, now?”

Tom blinked back tears. “You’re something with a knife in your hand and a tied-up opponent.”

Gail swung her gaze to Tom. “Tom … don’t. He’s what you said … sick.”

Deke grinned at Gail, mockingly pressed his hand to his forehead as if to take his temperature. He touched the tip of the

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