Ghost Canyon (The John Decker Supernatural Thriller Series Book 7) by Anthony Strong (ebooks that read to you .TXT) 📕

matched Decker’s unique set of skills. The killer was a skeletal being with glowing red eyes. It was rare that law enforcement agencies took such claims seriously. If that were the case, Decker would do nothing but fly all over the country at the request of every sheriff’s office and police department whenever anyone thought they’d seen a UFO or arrested a perp who claimed voices told them to do it.

But in this case, there was corroborating evidence, not the least of which were eyewitness accounts by members of a trained search and rescue team and an experienced Las Vegas police officer who was wearing a body cam. Since the attacks took place in a mine, the resulting footage was blurry and dark. There was one brief sequence, however, which captured the killer on film. Once the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Las Vegas field office realized what they were dealing with, he contacted his superiors in DC, who called in a favor with Decker’s employer.

So here he was, jetting out to Sin City.

Even better, he had the entire jet to himself, except for the two pilots and a company flight attendant who wasted no time in approaching him as soon as they were at cruising altitude. He requested a bottle of water and then settled in for the five-hour flight.

He spent the first couple of hours going over the eyewitness statements the FBI had forwarded to Hunt. He also watched the police officer’s body cam footage several times.

One piece of information that intrigued him was the statement given by a man named William Fenton. He was one of three geologists who entered the mine to conduct a survey. He was also the only one who made it out alive. His two companions were still missing. But this wasn’t what caught Decker’s attention. It was a section of his statement that mentioned three mummified bodies huddled at the end of the tunnel next to a seam of gold, as if they had just sat down to die.

The three long-dead prospectors and the current attacks were related. Decker was sure of it. Especially since there was a strange symbol drawn in the gravel in front of them, although Decker had no clue what it was. Fenton had possessed the good sense to take photos, and Decker studied these with interest. The killings in the present had their origins in the heady days of Nevada’s Gold Rush.

Finally, having studied the information to the best of his ability, Decker closed his laptop and settled back for the duration of the flight. He felt a tingle of anticipation, mixed with a large dose of unease. Something had gone horribly wrong in the small ghost town south of Las Vegas. Three people were dead, and a creature of possibly supernatural origin was to blame. His thoughts drifted back to the frigid town of Shackleton, Alaska. He had traveled there to solve a series of gruesome killings by an unknown creature, much like his current assignment. It was also the first time anyone called him a monster hunter. He smiled at this, remembering his first encounter with Mina. Then the smile faded when he remembered she might be a monster of sorts now herself, thanks to him. With this thought weighing heavily on his mind, Decker reclined his seat and closed his eyes, hoping to get some shuteye and arrive refreshed and ready to go. But instead, he found the monsters of his past creeping from the corners of his mind and consuming his thoughts, just like they so often did. Frustrated, he returned his chair to the upright position and opened the laptop again.

Chapter Seventeen

Oscar Rossi waited for Harlan’s reply, as if it might change the outcome of his visit to the Prospectors Paradise that morning.

It would not, and Harlan knew this. He should never have borrowed money from Rossi in the first place, but he was desperate. Now he would, most likely, pay the price. “The hotel renovation is costing more than I planned. I’ve had to put extra money in from my pocket. It’s left me short.”

“And why is that my problem?” Rossi asked.

“It’s not. I understand that.” Harlan was starting to sweat. “I just need another week, maybe two, that’s all.”

“A week?” Rossi drew in a long breath and shook his head. “You’re already three days late. I think I’ve been more than generous. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“You have, yes. Goes without saying.” Harlan was being backed into a corner and he knew it. He would need to tread carefully, or Rossi might bring the goons in, and then he wouldn’t be able to tread at all. “I’m transferring money from an offshore account. It’s enough to cover the next two interest payments. By then the hotel should be open again.”

“We had a deal, you and I.” Rossi raised an eyebrow. “Did we not?”

“Yes.”

“And what did you agree would happen if you didn’t abide by the terms of that deal?”

“I’d forfeit the hotel.” Harlan licked his lips. They felt dry. “Look, Oscar, we go way back, our families. You know that. Surely we can work something out.”

“It is true that your father provided me with many years of faithful service. He was always there when I needed him.” Rossi glanced around. “If only these walls could talk… But it was a different time, and your father’s gone now, God rest his soul.”

“And he was faithful to the last,” Harlan said, pressing his advantage. “He could have rolled when the DA came calling, gave you up. But he didn’t. He kept his mouth shut even when they tried to take away his casino license. He let you funnel money through here for years at no small risk to himself.”

“All of which is correct.” Rossi nodded thoughtfully.

“He knew things that could have sent you down for a long time, but he kept them to himself. Just like I have.”

“Are you trying to threaten me?” Rossi asked, a flash of anger glinting in his eyes.

“No. That’s