Nothing Short of Dying by Erik Storey Read Free Book Online Page B

ate the soup as the moon rose in the east. Then we both finished our drinks. There were no sounds except the crackling and popping of the fire.
    â€œLance won’t like that you’re looking for him,” Allie said, watching sparks drift into the dark sky. “He’ll be even madder when you lead the Feds to him. If we even find him.”
    â€œAbout this ‘we’ . . .”
    â€œYou need me, Barr.”
    â€œI need to find my sister. You’re not going to help me do that. You’re just going to give me one more person to worry about.”
    Allie stopped poking the fire and gave me one of those stop treating me like a child looks. “I can handle myself, Barr.”
    â€œUh-huh.”
    We both stared at each other, two equally stubborn people agreeing on a stalemate. A few seconds passed, then Allie broke the silence: “What did your sister say to you anyway? To make you so worried?”
    I looked up from the flames. “She made me promise to come get her. Said some guy was trying to kill her. When she’s high she can say anything, but she didn’t sound high. Anyway, the call ended before I could find out more.”
    â€œAnd you’re pretty sure it’s Lance who has her?”
    â€œEither he has her or he knows who has her. Same difference.”
    â€œWe’ll find him,” she said. “We know where to start.”
    I grunted. There it was again, more “we.”
    Allie seemed to sense my skepticism. “I know what Lance looks like. Most people don’t. That’s why he uses so many middle men. If you find him without me, and he has Jen hidden somewhere, how are you going to know you’ve got the right guy?”
    I nodded, took another slug. “Point for you,” I said. “But what happens when this gets nasty, like I’m afraid it’s going to? People will get hurt. A lot of people if they keep getting between me and my sister. Are you okay with that?”
    She sipped her wine and waited a long time before answering. The flames were down to half their original size when she said, “I’m okay with it. Brent and Lance are assholes. I’ve known a lot of assholes in my life. Too many. They always seem to get away with it. Except this time I have a feeling they won’t. I’m coming with you. It’s final.”
    I didn’t put up any more resistance. We sat in silence for another hour, each lost in our thoughts, listening to the crickets and the night wind. I was about to pour another cup when I looked over at Allie and finally saw her shivering. Without thinking, I rose, took off my coat, and put it gently over her legs. For the first time that day, she didn’t argue. Instead, she looked at me closely—eyes scrunched, the way I’d scan the sky for weather.
    A few minutes later she rose abruptly from her camp chair and I smelled wine and pumpkin on her sweet breath. “I’m going to sleep, Barr. We’ll talk in the morning.” I heard her rearranging things in the tent; then she tossed my sleeping bag out the door and into the brush. After that, the tent’s zipper closed tight.

CHAPTER NINE
    T he robins woke me up at false dawn. I slithered out of the sleeping bag, found fresh clothes, and changed in the pale morning light, under the trees. I assumed Allie was still sleeping and knew that it would be in my best interest to let her stay that way. I packed the bag, grabbed my rifle, and went on a little patrol that mimicked one I’d done last night before turning in. I didn’t think there was any chance of a new threat; I just wanted to smell the piney air and think.
    Gawain, Perceval, Lancelot, and all the other knights I’d read about as a kid would have been proud of me. I’d defended the beautiful maiden, hadn’t taken advantage of her, even made her a partner of sorts. What could go wrong?
    Making my way back to camp, I remembered the