Sheep's Clothing by Gary Lewis (free ebook reader for pc txt) 📕

Chapter 10

#Vance#

The blazing summer sun sparkled across the surface of Moss Lake where Vance found a discreet parking spot to leave his truck nestled in the shade of the giant elm trees that hugged the sky above the far corner of the parking lot. It was just a little closer to the hiking trails than the beach. But as tempting as the cool, refreshing water looked, he had other plans today. He threw his backpack over one shoulder and locked the doors as he set out in the opposite direction of the distant sounds of children shouting and splashing. It had taken him a few hours of driving around before finally spotting David's car parked at the Big Rock Nature Trail and he wasn't about to mess this up with a direct approach. A few extra minutes of walking in the heat was worth getting the jump on David.

Just as Vance strolled around the curve, out of view from the parking lot, he caught a glimpse through the trees of a police cruiser slowly rolling up to where his truck was parked. "Shit. Worst timing ever," Vance huffed while striding quickly up the hill into the cover of the woods. He couldn't tell if it came to a stop at his truck or not, but he didn't feel like waiting around to find out. Officer Benning didn't have anything on him, but it would be another long day if his pack got searched.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he picked up the pace through the cool breeze that swept across his face. After jogging the hike through steep terrain, even Vance needed to take a breather in the humid cluster of trees. He dropped his hefty pack to the soft moss-covered earth that had given the nearby lake its namesake. A large oak trunk became a sturdy backrest as he sat to unzip his backpack. From the side pouch, he first removed a shiny .45 caliber revolver and laid it at his side before shoving his hand through clanking glass bottles.

Vance tilted his head back to gaze at the canopy for a moment while he caught his breath and popped the cap off of the beer he pulled from his bag. "Bottoms up," he said, chugging at the dark glass bottle. Years of memories that place had to offer washed down his throat in a whirlpool of booze that went straight from his stomach to his brain. "Not here to reminisce," he said, followed by a loud belch that blew from his gut to echo across the trees. An inferno of vengeance cooked its way into his arms, focusing into his singular goal. He slowly lifted his revolver before standing to tuck it in the back of his jeans.

When Vance emerged onto the Big Rock Trail the fresh signs of travel were evident, leading uphill toward the power line clearing that went up the side of the mountain. "Heading up to the fire tower,” Vance said aloud. "I knew it." He powered his way up the steep section of trail, hiking beyond where David had obviously left the path to the parallel clearing that stretched straight up the hill to the right.

"You'll never even see me coming."

#David#

The cool breeze felt refreshing under the shade of the steel canopy that covered the top of the fire tower where the view stretched from Moss Lake down to the town below. The courthouse was plainly visible on Central Avenue, a tiny looking street lined with shops and a yellow sign that poked out from between them. Traffic was flowing into the Sunset Diner as usual for mid-morning. David adjusted his telescope to view the wide-open pastures to the left of the town where they narrowed into the gorges that led to the mountainous wilderness.

Long forgotten memories of the overbearing steel structure played past experiences with Tony and childhood friends. "How did we drift so far?" David gave the focus dial just a hint of a twist before checking through the lens once more. "Not the same as spending the night up here as a kid looking at the stars, but I suppose it will do." As he stared across the treetops, it didn't seem like very long ago when they all used to sneak out and race to the top of the cold, steel ladder. "Back before Vance was an asshole," he said with a chuckle as his stare wandered across the view of town. "Luckily, you're the last one I'd be caught hanging out up here with now." His eyes continued to drift where he found the speck of neighborhood that held Janice's place somewhere between the trees, grass, gardens and rooftops, barely visible from the distance he stood. But now it was a distance he could cross, he thought to himself.

A loud clank startled David from below. It could be felt almost as much as heard. As it got louder, it became evident that someone was coming up the metal ladder that led to the trap door. Caught off guard, his mind raced as his eyes darted to focus on the small latch that would lock it from above. David pounced in the direction of the hatch with his arm stretched down. Too late. The large metal panel started to raise up, blocking the view of who or what was about to emerge from the other side. A thick hand grabbed the deck and tossed out a sporty looking camouflage backpack.

"Shoulda’ locked this damn thing if you were so worried," grunted a familiar voice that filled David's stomach with dread. Vance emerged from below the hatch, climbing onto the metal platform before standing to his feet. David's eyes quickly darted in the direction of the trailhead down below, clearly visible from his vantage point.

"Yeah. I thought you'd see me if I parked there, so I took the long way," Vance said calmly with a grin out the side of his tilted back face as he sidestepped onto the trap door, holding