Mosquito Chase by Jaycee Ford Read Free Book Online

like she’s leaving something out. I don’t really know all the details yet.” I sighed and added, “She’s pregnant, sir. I think they killed the baby’s father right in front of her.” I shook my head. “I’m out of my comfort zone. Besides the kidnapping of Jordan McCloud a few years back, and the handful of meth labs cropping up ever since, I haven’t had to deal with something this severe before.”
    “Keep her at your house. Don’t bring her into town. I’ll come to your place and we’ll try to talk to her. No reason for her to feel uncomfortable.” He leaned back in his chair and sighed in deep though. “I was a good friend of her father. I still miss that bastard.”
    I nodded with understanding and stood. If only Angela had as much honor in this town as her father did, I wouldn’t be her only hope.
    “Thank you, sir. We’ll shoot for after Thanksgiving. Maybe the Sigmon Road situation will get cleared up by then.”
    The door swung open as Devon entered. “Excuse me, sir. There’s a fire at the library.”
    I ran out the door. Sigmon Road would have to wait another day.
     

 
     

     
    The blinding sun hurt my eyes. I held up my arm to block its rays. A tall man stood in front of me, dark sunglasses and a buzz cut. His pants and shirt matched with funny splotches of green and brown. He crouched down before me and took off his glasses. I gasped when our eyes met; the same color! He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up. I sat on his tan arm, dark in contrast to my pale yellow dress. He bounced me in the air until I couldn’t help but smile. It was so familiar.
    “You remember me, sweetheart? You remember me, Angie?”
    I looked between him and the little flag I held tightly in my hand. Momma told me to wave it with all my might once the trumpets started to play, and then she buried her face against his chest. He hugged us both. A tear rolled down his cheek as his face lit up with a smile. His smile made me smile. He gripped me tight again.
    “Tell me you remember your daddy.”
    I wrapped my arms around his neck and breathed in his familiar scent.
    “Daddy! Welcome home, daddy!”
    I didn’t remember him, but he wanted me to remember him. And the way momma was crying joyful tears made me feel like I had to lie. It was only a little lie. No one would even know.
    I waved my little flag to the tune of the band. Drums started banging. An eerie chill crawled over my skin as dark clouds covered the sun. My father put me down. Feet on the ground, I stared at the flag in my hand until it became smaller. My body grew bigger. My father put on a helmet and gripped a rifle in front of him. The concrete tarmac bled into a waterless beach.
    “Angie. Stay home and be a good girl. Help your mother. I love you.”
    He turned away as soldiers dressed just like him stormed passed me by the hundreds. Black smoke billowed in the distance. I watched my father run away from me, disappearing into the smoke.
    “No! Stay here!”
    I ran after him.
    “Dad! Don’t go!”
    I ran harder, faster. Fallen soldiers lined the desert around me.
    “Dad!”
    He had to stop. He had to come home. He had to take care of my mother and me. He had his own duties, the duties of a father. Not this.
    “Come back!”
    I spotted him, alone, running toward the billow of black smoke barreling into the clouds. His rifle aimed in defense of his country, of his family. I ran harder and screamed, “Dad! Dad, don’t!”
    He stopped and pivoted to attention. The sky lit up like a New Year’s midnight. I came to a halt, my chest heaving for breath through the sobbing tears. I couldn’t reach him. He was alone out there. His eyes dulled as tears ran down his face. It was too late.
    Black tunneled around me. I watched my father get consumed by the earth. His blood dyed the sand red, a crimson river flowing into my sight, turning everything black. Pitch black. I blinked, my eyes shifted in every direction. My body shook as I raised a