Tyranny by William W. Johnstone Read Free Book Online Page B

approached the porch steps.
    â€œSomething wrong?”
    â€œDon’t ask questions. Just get inside!”
    The urgency in his grandfather’s voice was plain, thought Kyle. He did what G.W. said and took the steps quickly, then crossed the porch to the screen door.
    The wooden door was open. G.W. never locked up when he was leaving the house. Kyle pulled the screen open and stepped inside.
    G.W. was right behind him. He reached over and took down a rifle from a wooden rack where it hung with several other long guns.
    â€œWhat the hell?” Kyle asked.
    â€œStay in here,” G.W. snapped. “Don’t stand up close to the windows.”
    He pushed the screen door open with his foot and stepped back out onto the porch.
    Kyle’s confusion began to turn to alarm. He said, “Hey, if you’re gonna shoot somebody—”
    â€œI’m not plannin’ to shoot,” G.W. said as he nestled his cheek against the smooth, polished wood of the rifle’s stock. “I’m just usin’ the sight.”
    It was true that the rifle had a telescopic sight attached to it. G.W. leveled the weapon and cupped the rear end of the sight against his right eye. For a long moment he didn’t say anything and didn’t move.
    Kyle’s nerves were taut as he waited for his grandfather to tell him what was going on here.
    Finally, G. W. grunted, lowered the rifle, and said, “Looks like he’s gone.”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œFella on the ridge over yonder who was watchin’ us.”
    â€œWhat ridge?” Kyle asked. He recalled his days of exploring the ranch. “You mean that ridge all the way on the other side of the valley?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œThat’s miles away!”
    â€œAir’s clear out here,” G.W. said. “A fella with good eyes can see a long way. But what I saw was the sun reflectin’ off glass where there shouldn’t be any.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?”
    â€œWell, what I was worried about,” G.W. said dryly, “was that there was somebody up there drawin’ a bead on us with a high-powered rifle that’d shoot that far. Why’d you think I hustled you on into the house, anyway?” He rasped his fingertips over the beard stubble on his chin. “Of course, a bullet from a rifle powerful enough to shoot that far probably would’ve gone right through the wall. But at least the son of a buck wouldn’t be able to see what he was aimin’ at.”
    â€œWait a minute,” Kyle said as he tried to wrap his brain around what his grandfather had just told him. “You think somebody might have wanted to kill us?”
    â€œWell, if they did, they left. More than likely, though, it was somebody with a pair of binoculars spyin’ on us. Couldn’t take a chance on the other, though. Shoot, you just got here. We ain’t had a chance to visit much yet.”
    Kyle gave a little shake of his head as if what he’d just heard didn’t make much sense. He said, “Why would you even think somebody might want to shoot you?”
    â€œLike I said, I didn’t, not really. I was just bein’ careful. But there’s been some strange things goin’ on around here lately, Kyle. My hands have spotted fellas on the ranch who didn’t have any business bein’ here. So have I. We’ve never been able to catch any of ’em, though.”
    â€œMaybe they’re smuggling drugs or undocumented immigrants over from Mexico,” Kyle suggested.
    â€œYeah, I thought about that, but we’re a little too far from the border to make that likely. Some of that sort of stuff goes on around here, of course, but my gut tells me this is somethin’ different.”
    G.W. came in and hung the rifle on the gun rack again.
    â€œSaw a little dust hangin’ in the air, over on the ridge,” he went on. “Like a car drove off. That makes me think