Standing Alone (Matt Standing Thrillers) by Stephen Leather

Author:Stephen Leather [Leather, Stephen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781529367461
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2022-01-05T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

They eventually found a small deer about three miles north of the farm. Brett despatched it with a single shot, then hung it head down from a low branch and expertly skinned and gutted it with a large knife, before taking off the head. He wrapped the meat in a sheet of plastic and gave it to Standing to carry. ‘That’ll last us a week or two,’ he said.

Standing put it over his shoulder and followed Brett as they headed back to the farm. ‘Any idea where Brianna might have been working?’ he asked as they walked.

‘There’s a number of small farms up that way, no big operations so far as I know,’ Brett replied.

‘Bulgarians, she said. Is that unusual?’

‘There’s been a long-running problem with organised crime in Humboldt and Bulgarians keep coming up. Don’t ask me why. So yeah, it’s possible they’re Bulgarians.’

‘You come across them?’

‘No, they keep to themselves. The Russians too. They don’t use the local store, you never see them in the bars.’

They reached the farm and Brett took him around the back of the containers where there was a solar-powered freezer and a metal table. Standing dropped the carcass down on to the table. Brett unwrapped it and then used his knife to cut it into manageable pieces, which Standing placed into the freezer. When they were finished they were both splattered with blood. ‘We should shower,’ said Brett.

‘Not together, right?’

Brett laughed. ‘Damn right. I’ll get you a towel and you can go first.’

‘That’s okay, I’ve got my own towel.’ He went around to his room and eased the door open. Brianna was still curled up and snoring softly. Standing tiptoed over to his rucksack and pulled out clean clothes and a towel and let himself out.

Brett was waiting for him and took him around the container. At the far end there was an open-topped canvas tent below a large plastic barrel that had been placed on the top of the container. There was a small length of hose with a tap on it, connected to a plastic shower head. ‘This works just fine,’ said Brett. ‘I’ve never been able to work out a way of getting the water up there without climbing up and pouring it in myself. But now that’s another job you can do for me at some point.’

‘No problem,’ said Standing. As Brett walked away he stripped off his clothes and showered. There were plastic bottles of shampoo and soap on the ground and he lathered himself up before rinsing and turning off the water flow. He dried himself off and put on clean clothes.

He dropped off his dirty clothes and the towel in his bedroom, taking care not to disturb Brianna. Brett was back in his deckchair. ‘Coffee’s on,’ he said nodding at the fire. Standing picked up the pot. Brett grinned at him. ‘Pour me one while you’re up,’ he said.

Standing poured two coffees and gave one to Brett. ‘Why don’t you get started on dinner,’ said Brett. ‘See what the deer tastes like.

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