High Risk by G.K. Parks (books for 10th graders TXT) 📕

High Risk

A Detective Liv DeMarco Thriller

G.K. Parks

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and other concepts are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, establishments, events, and locations is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without express written permission from the author.

Copyright © 2021 G.K. Parks

A Modus Operandi imprint

All rights reserved.

Print ISBN: 978-1-942710-25-7

Full-length Novels in the Alexis Parker Series:

Likely Suspects

The Warhol Incident

Mimicry of Banshees

Suspicion of Murder

Racing Through Darkness

Camels and Corpses

Lack of Jurisdiction

Dying for a Fix

Intended Target

Muffled Echoes

Crisis of Conscience

Misplaced Trust

Whitewashed Lies

On Tilt

Purview of Flashbulbs

The Long Game

Burning Embers

Thick Fog

Warning Signs

 

Julian Mercer Novels

Condemned

Betrayal

Subversion

Reparation

Retaliation

Hunting Grounds

 

Liv DeMarco Novels

Dangerous Stakes

Operation Stakeout

Unforeseen Danger

Deadly Dealings

High Risk

Fatal Mistake

 

Lucien Cross Stories

Fallen Angel

 

 

 

For my mom and dad

Table of Contents

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-one

Twenty-two

Twenty-three

Twenty-four

Twenty-five

Twenty-six

Twenty-seven

Twenty-eight

Twenty-nine

Thirty

Thirty-one

Thirty-two

Thirty-three

Thirty-four

Thirty-five

Thirty-six

Thirty-seven

Thirty-eight

Thirty-nine

Forty

Forty-one

Forty-two

Note from the Author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

One

“We need to go.” Carter tugged the balaclava off and stuffed it inside the bag. He peered out the rear window at Star Cleaners. What had they done? He swallowed, eyeing the shattered front door. “Come on. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“Not yet. We have to wait for him.” Diego exhaled and squeezed the steering wheel, sensing waves of anxiety rolling off the man beside him.

Carter’s eyes darted back and forth. He could hear sirens. They were getting closer. He checked the mirrors. Were those flashing lights? He thought he saw a reflection on the slick streets. “The cops are coming. Don’t you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Diego eyed him curiously. “You feeling okay?”

“No.” Carter ran a hand down his face and bit his lip. “No one was supposed to be inside. He said no one would be there. It’s a dry cleaner’s. Why would anyone be there at this time of night?”

Diego swallowed. So the noise he heard had been gunfire. “Calm down.” He kept one eye trained on the side mirror. “What happened?”

“He’s fucking insane. That’s what happened.” Carter reached into his pocket with shaking hands and pulled out a pre-rolled joint. He held it between his lips while he searched for his lighter. “Diego, man, I’m telling you this was a bad idea. This guy…” He shook his head. “How well do you know him? Shit.”

“What?”

“He killed him. Shot him right in the head. Didn’t even think twice about it.” Locating the lighter, Carter held it to the end of the joint just as the back door opened.

“Put that out,” the third man said, tossing a heavy bag across the seats before climbing in beside it. “We don’t need to risk leaving evidence behind.” He tapped Diego on the shoulder. “Drive.”

Diego put the car in gear, glancing at Carter from the corner of his eye, but the man in the passenger seat didn’t say or do anything. The unlit joint remained hanging from between his lips while he stared straight ahead, as if he were too afraid to turn around and face the man in the back seat.

After a few blocks, the man in the back tapped Diego again. “Pull over up ahead. There aren’t any cameras in that alley. We need to ditch the car. Things didn’t go as planned. It’s too hot to drive around in this, unless we want to get caught.”

“No one wants that.” Diego checked the mirrors, but the streets were empty. He stopped in the alley and turned off the engine. “Did we at least get what we were after?”

Carter fidgeted in the seat, anxious to run. The bag at his feet contained only cash. That hadn’t been the goal, but Diego wasn’t going to argue about receiving a bonus.

The man in the back seat smiled. “We got them.” He reached forward and tapped Carter on the shoulder. “Hey, you all right?”

Carter flinched at his touch. “Uh-huh.”

“You ain’t acting right. Turn around and look at me.”

After sucking in another breath, Carter turned in his seat. “What?”

The man studied his face and searched his eyes. “You ever kill anyone before?”

“I didn’t kill that guy. You did.”

The man snickered and shoved the gun into Carter’s hand. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. It was your intel, remember?” Then he gave his nervous accomplice two friendly taps on the cheek. “Don’t worry so much. He was a security guard. He had it coming. And if I hadn’t intervened, that’d be you lying dead on the floor.”

“Security?” Diego asked. “Why would a dry cleaner’s hire a guard?”

“Who knows? But someone should have found that out when conducting the research. It would have been nice to know what we were walking into. Maybe things wouldn’t have had to get loud and messy. If you don’t like killing, try to do better next time.” The man stared into Carter’s eyes. “You got it?”

“Ye-yeah.” Carter swallowed.

The man smiled at him. “Good.” He tugged the mask off his face and smoothed his staticky hair as best he could. “Let’s wipe the car and torch it. It’ll delay the cops when they come looking, and you know they’ll come looking.”

Because you left a body behind, Carter thought.

“Gas can’s in the trunk,” Diego said. “I’ll find us something else.”

“No,” the man in the back seat said, “the police would expect that once they find the car. Let’s take the subway instead.” He checked his watch. “The trains are running, and the station’s not far from here.”

“Maybe we should split up,” Carter suggested, fingering the strap on the duffel at his feet.

The third man eyed Carter. Normally, they’d split up and meet back at the apartment later, but he couldn’t be sure what the Nervous Nelly might do. “No. We’re in this. We stick together until we see it through.” He tossed a rag into the front seat. “Start