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Back Less than Dead Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  4. DEDICATION
  5. CONTENTS
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A flurry of explanations flashed through his mind: Maybe he had inadvertently blocked a fire access and the car was towed away; maybe the rental car company had retrieved the car without notifying him; maybe Biff and his buddies from Endor High had hot-wired it and taken it out for a vengeful joyride. But he quickly rejected each potential explanation, because his mind told him that they weren’t explanations at all—they were just wishful thinking. There was only one reason his car would be missing: Someone had stolen it, but he had no idea who.

Then he thought about the little dog again, and he knew why his car was missing.

He felt a cold chill flutter down his spine.

Alena wouldn’t do that unless she’s in trouble, Gunner said.

He needed a car. He reached into his pocket, then let out a groan. His cell phone—he must have left it in the rental. He looked at the Skyline and at the ET&G across the street—all the lights were off. He looked back at the library. Gunner was still there—he had a car—it was the quickest way.

Nick turned toward the library and ran.

36

36

The winding road through the woods seemed endless—infinitely longer than when Nick drove it before. It had seemed to take forever to borrow Gunner’s car—to explain the situation, to hurry up the hillside and get the keys from Rose. It all took far too long and he didn’t have time to waste—and he had a bad feeling that Alena didn’t either.

He knew something was wrong the instant he reached the chain-link fence. The gate was open wide. Alena would never leave it that way, and Nick was the only other person who knew the combination. But whoever took Nick’s car didn’t need it, because he had left the bolt cutters lying on the front seat in plain view. Terrific, he thought. I give you transportation and a way in. Is there anything else I can do for you? Now, as he approached the trailer, he noticed something else. The dogs should have gone wild at the sound of his approach just as they always did, but the sound they made this time wasn’t furious or defiant—it was a strange cacophony of lamenting howls and whimpering wails.

Nick skidded to a stop and ran for the trailer. He saw Alena’s truck still parked beside it, and for a moment he hoped she might be inside and all would be well—but then he saw the furry black lump lying lifeless and still in front of the trailer door, and he knew for certain that something was terribly wrong.

He threw open the trailer door and stumbled inside.

“Alena!”

He scrambled through the tunnel-like living room and into the bedrooms in the back.

“Alena!”

There was no one there.