The Rescue by Steven Konkoly

Author:Steven Konkoly [Konkoly, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Action & Adventure, Thrillers, Military, Political
ISBN: 9781542042246
Google: 62j4ugEACAAJ
Amazon: B07GJL19B4
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2019-04-02T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Decker drove into the motel parking lot, cringing at how dilapidated the place looked after he’d spent a few hours in what he’d thought was an equally run-down shopping area. Apparently, nothing held a candle to the Ucky Ass Motel. After parking in front of his room, he sat there for several moments, seriously considering a change of venue. The room’s smell still lingered in his nostrils, despite having inhaled the smoky, griddle-burned air of a greasy diner.

Reluctantly, he got out of the SUV. Decker intended to check the room before off-loading the bounty of supplies and gear he had collected this morning. The motel was about as anonymous as any establishment could be, but Decker himself was a different story. He was utterly conspicuous here, drawing the wrong kind of attention from its few sketchy denizens. Not to mention from the motel staff, which probably consisted of one person, the owner, who undoubtedly had a copy of every room key. For that reason alone, he hadn’t left anything behind when he’d gone shopping. His entire life was locked away in the SUV.

Decker had turned the dead bolt’s lock halfway when the door two rooms down opened, disgorging a guy dressed in nothing but a pair of yellowish-white boxers. Decker couldn’t tell if the yellow tinge was a stain or the actual color of the underwear and had no intention of examining them long enough to make a final determination. The man’s gut hung over the front of the boxers, swinging sideways when he turned to face Decker, then settling again. A cigarette burned in his right hand, which he braced against the thick, pitted concrete column holding up the overhang.

“Hey, buddy,” the guy said, revealing a tallboy in his other hand. “You headed out again? My car’s deader than dead. I got a seat at a table. The dealer’s gonna slide some action my way. Kind of need to get over there as soon as possible. I was thinking. You know.”

Decker considered him for a moment, his initial revulsion softening just enough to engage the guy in a dead-end conversation. The guy had obviously hit rock bottom, a place Decker knew better than anyone.

“I really couldn’t say when I’m leaving today. I’m not exactly working on my own schedule,” said Decker. “I could spot you some cab fare, though. How far are you going?”

“Down to the strip. The old strip,” said the man, stuffing the cigarette in his mouth and taking a few steps toward Decker. “I got a spot in one of the back-room games. Big money. It’s a sure thing. Been playing there for years. My guy is going to hook me the hell up today. You could get in on this, too.”

“That’s okay. Thanks, though.”

“You don’t have to be there to get in on it,” said the guy, trading the cigarette for the tallboy. “I’ve got the table locked down, man. Any money you give me gets doubled. Maybe tripled.”

“I’m not a big gambler,” said Decker, fishing for his wallet.

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