Dead Shot by Jack Patterson (adventure books to read .TXT) 📕

Cal and Kelly had eluded him all day. Could it really be this easy?

Chapter 39

Beneath the blanket, Cal pulled out his iPhone and quietly began texting Guy. He knew it was risky, but without anyone else to trust in the whole town, he felt like maybe Guy could help him out.

Look up Coach Walker’s address & meet us there in 1 hr

Cal looked up at Kelly and smiled. He then typed a short message into a notes program:

We’re going 2 b ok.

***

Guy’s cell phone vibrated across his desk, alerting him to the arrival of a message. It was Cal.

Guy was overjoyed at the fact that Cal and Kelly seemed to be alive and OK. But meeting them anywhere in an hour was impossible with press time nearing. He typed off a quick text to Cal and shut his phone.

His anger had been replaced by relief and joy. Then his mind went to thinking about what this story that was rocking Statenville was really all about. Drugs? Power? Money? Revenge? He hoped Cal had some answers. If Guy was going to leave, he wanted to do it big, just like he had in Salt Lake City when he revealed the bribery of Olympic Committee members that secured the Winter Games for the city. Nothing like lighting a powder keg and walking away.

Guy had already begun plotting how he would do it this time. All he needed were Cal’s notes.

His desk phone rang. He knew what it meant: time to start press checking the special insert section. He left his office without answering the phone.

***

With almost every news staff member buried in their work and all the rest of the paper’s marketing, sales and circulation personnel gone for the day, Sammy figured nobody would notice him sneaking into the boss’s office. He was right.

Sammy looked through Guy’s recent calls list and saw nothing. Then he switched to the list of text messages, opening Cal’s most recent one at the top. He closed the phone and headed to the break room.

Mr. Gold would not be happy about this, but at least all his problems were gathering in one place.

Chapter 40

On the short ride to Walker’s house, Cal kept running through all the scenarios of why a government agency might be interested in keeping word of this drug operation from getting out. Was the government mounting a case against the company? Were there other people involved that he didn’t know about? How many people did know about this operation? Why go all cloak and dagger on him?

He knew that Sheriff Jones and some of his deputies were at the very least on the take. So, there were some people who seemed highly interested in making sure this information never saw wet ink on printing press. Just how far did this cover up go? Cal’s mind seemed to be stuck in a perpetual eight-figure, unable to advance any ideas in a meaningful way. His head began to hurt trying to hash out all the possibilities.

At the moment, all he knew was that he was thankful for Walker’s fortuitous timing. Without his intervention, who knows if he and Kelly would’ve ever made it out of Cloverdale Industries alive. He didn’t want to think about the grim possible outcomes.

Ten minutes had passed since they left Cloverdale. Cal thought Walker obviously lived much farther away than he claimed to live.

Just then, the car came slowed to a stop and Cal heard what sounded like a large door opening, but it didn’t seem like any garage door he had ever heard. What is going on?

“We’re heeere!” Walker said in a cheery sing-song voice.

***

Guy sat down at his desk and exhaled, rubbing his temples. “Forget it,” he muttered to himself. With the press check still 45 minutes away, Guy felt uneasy about leaving Cal and Kelly unexposed for so long. Besides, no one would suspect him. He could aid and abet Cal all he wanted. Who would be the wiser?

“Sammy, get in my office,” Guy bellowed.

Sammy hung up on his call and scurried from the break room into Guy’s office.

“What is it, boss?”

“Sammy, I think it’s about time you take on some more responsibility. Tonight, I’m putting you in charge of press check. You just reread all the headlines and stories once the first few papers come off the press and make sure Terry didn’t screw up any headlines or sneak some filthy double entendre in there. You think you can handle that?”

“Sure.”

“All right. Great. I’m out of here. You’re in charge, Sammy. Have fun.”

“Where you going, boss? Got a hot date?”

Guy shot Sammy a disgusted look.

“Don’t worry about my love life. You worry about making sure the paper comes out right. Got it?”

Guy didn’t wait for a response. He kept walking toward the back door without looking back.

Chapter 41

When Walker’s car stopped, Cal began to get an uneasy feeling about his getaway chauffeur. Walker seemed way too willing to help out when a more rational response would have been to report their whereabouts to his superior. And maybe he did. But at the moment, Cal felt like he had been tricked.

Before he had any more time to ponder if bumping into Walker had been fortuitous or staged, both doors to the backseat flung open at once. Cal heard Kelly struggling and shouting at whoever was pulling her out of the car. Cal, more concerned with Kelly’s well-being, protested as well. But the blanket wasn’t even fully off his head before he felt Walker slide a needle into his neck.

Cal slumped to the floor.

***

Walker and his colleague dragged Cal and Kelly into the same room where Cal had been held less than 24 hours ago. This time, they needed another chair.

“You better hurry,” the other man said. “You don’t have much time.”

Walker didn’t say a word. He just kept wrapping the limp bodies of Cal and Kelly to the chairs that were positioned back to back. No