Slow Burn: Dead Fire, Book 4 by Bobby Adair Read Free Book Online Page B

Mandi had gotten rid of those when I was passed out on the couch in the first few days of our residence in Sarah’s house. He answered, “The river.”
    “You pitched them in the river?” The tone of my voice maybe contained a little antipathy for the idea. “What about the water supply for those downriver?”
    Dalhover looked at me expressionlessly.
    Of course, it was the only idea that made sense. The bodies needed to go. It was the least bad of several options. I nodded toward the dead man. “Is that what we’re going to do with him?”
    Dalhover nodded.
    “Me?” I asked. “You want me to do it?”
    “You and Freitag,” Dalhover confirmed.
    Good, she could at least help me with her dead brother-in-law or whatever the fuck he was to her. “What about Specialist Harris?”
    Dalhover’s face went expressionless again. He shook his head.
    It occurred to me why. I was a little slow of late. I wondered if the virus was starting its grizzly work on my synapses. “You don’t want them both down in the boathouse alone, do you?”
    Dalhover didn’t respond , but his lack of response was enough to confirm it.
    “You don’t trust them not to run of f with our boat, do you?” I figured I’d push it. I already had a strong distaste for Freitag, but I still wanted to hear Dalhover’s reasons. “Why?”
    Dalh over played the blank face on me again.
    I persisted. “Why? I’m not saying I won’t do it. But I need to know why you don’t trust Specialist Harris and Freitag.”
    Dalhover looked over each of his shoulders and seemed to have some difficulty dredging up a voice. “It’s her. Something’s not right about her.”
    I raised my eyebrows in question.
    Dalhover just looked at me.
    He knew what I was asking , but he just didn’t like to offer up anything voluntarily. “What exactly is not right about her?”
    Dalhover’s lips creased shut for a moment before he said, “I don’t think she’s military.”
    “What?” I sat up straight. “Why?”
    “Just things.”
    “Like?”
    “She doesn’t speak like she’s in the Army. She doesn’t stand like it.” Dalhover shook his head. “She doesn’t act like it.”
    What the fuck?
    “Why would she lie about that?” I wondered aloud. “And Harris?”
    Dalhover nodded, but his face looked troubled.
    “You think he is military , but you don’t trust him, do you?” I thought about that for a second. “That’s why you want me to go down with Freitag. In case something bad happens, you think I can handle the chick but you can handle Harris.”
    Dalhover gave me a nearly imperceptible nod.
    “He’s twice your size.”
    Dalhover’s blank facial expression made it clear that that wasn’t a problem. “Can you handle the girl?”
    Fuck you! “Yes.”
    “Take the body down. Let her say whatever she needs to say. Put it in the river , then come back up. Don’t dick around. Got it?”
    “Yes. Are you going to confront Freitag about the military thing ?”
    Dalhover shook his head. “Not yet.”
    “Why?”
    “Captain Leonard chose not to .”
    “Why?” I was a little miffed about that.
    Dalhover looked a tad angry. He was miffed because I’d questioned a decision that came down the chain of command.
    Then it occurred to me. “Steph wants to wait until Freitag has time to get over the death of what’s-his-name.” I nodded toward the dead guy. “Can we have dinner first?”
    “It’s not ready yet.”

Chapter 8
    Freitag had his feet. I had the other end as we carried bird man down the tunnel to the boathouse. It was tense, nearly silent work, with Freitag spitting just enough words to facilitate the task. At least the guy wasn’t heavy.
    Once in the boathouse, with dim moonlight reflecting through the open door, Freitag stared at sparkles on the surface of the water and scrutinized the dark cedar forests covering the hills on the far bank. Somewhere in that reverie, her face changed. What had been a bronze-faced Medusa morphed into a