The Coyote's Song by Ann Simko

Author:Ann Simko [Simko, Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Action & Adventure, Brothers, family dynamics, fatherhood, Suspense, Thrillers
ISBN: 9781601741912
Publisher: Uncial Press
Published: 2014-08-15T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

It was dusk, and I was a little surprised to find myself back at Medicine Rocks.

Maybe surprised wasn't the right word. I'd felt drawn to the place from the first.

The sun was dropping behind the hills fast. I had only moments of daylight left. I'd left the Jeep in the parking lot and walked to the rocks without bringing a flashlight. When I glanced up to the darkening sky, I saw gathering clouds. The walk back would be in darkness, if not in rain.

The last rays of sunlight played over the sandstone as I passed the teepee rings and the rock that looked like a chimney. The temperature had dropped significantly in the last few minutes. It left me shivering, as much as the conversation with my father had left me unsettled. My anger and frustration had faded, leaving me with a vague numbness and fatigue. It isn't every day someone learns the secrets of a lifetime. The experience was enough to leave anyone feeling a little off balanced.

Or maybe it was the whiskey. I wasn't a drinker, never liked the stuff. Dakota called me a cheap date. I laughed at the thought as I raised the bottle and took another healthy swig. The liquor tasted oddly comforting. My head had a fuzzy, heavy feeling that was not at all unwelcome. I didn't want to think. Just this once, I didn't want to have to confront the demons alone.

The demons had one hell of a sense of humor.

I heard the sound half a second before I recognized it for the slide of a weapon being pulled back. Without looking behind me, I dropped the bottle and dove for cover underneath one of the outcroppings of rock creating the unusual features of the landmark. I was unarmed, and I was working up a good drunk. Like shooting carnival ducks.

A spray of bullets erupted around me. When I heard the gunman drop his empty clip and reload, I pushed to my feet and ran for deeper cover. The memory of Tate firing at us in the library crossed my mind, to be immediately dismissed. Whoever was shooting at me knew what he was doing. The shots had been tight and uncomfortably close. They were not meant to scare. Somebody wanted me hurt or dead.

Another volley of shots. I recognized the sound of a semi-automatic rifle. They'd come from closer than the first round. Either there was more than one gunman or he knew where I was. Night vision? That scared me more than the threat of multiple bad guys. Night vision implied professionals. Somebody's still pissed off at you, Dave.

The impending rain clouds left the night dark, without moon or stars. Good news for me.

I heard another clip drop and knew I only had seconds to decide what to do. God! I had to pick today for my bender. Despite the adrenaline zinging through my system, my head was still fuzzed.

I tried to orient myself in reference to Tate's cave. Nothing looked familiar.

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