BooksBarbecue
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

Suddenly his shadow appeared on the ground before him in a field of brilliant blue—someone had switched on a security light back at the house. Nick snapped his fingers and took off running, hoping that the dog would follow and that he could reach the outbuilding before they were spotted. Just as he ducked into the shadow of a small shedrow barn, he heard a door swing open behind him. He pressed back against the side of the barn and peeked around the corner; in the distance he saw Riddick exit the Braden house and walk across the grass toward the old abandoned hay barn. Nick adjusted his glasses and looked carefully—he had nothing in his hands.

As Riddick approached the front of the barn, Nick lost sight of him; the barn itself was blocking his view, but he could hear the squeaking of the metal wheels atop the doors—Riddick was opening them. He was apparently entering the barn—but why? Of all the outbuildings Riddick might be expected to visit, the hay barn would be last on Nick’s list—there was nothing inside. Nick did a quick mental review of the interior of the barn and the objects he had seen there—he could think of nothing that might interest the man. Then why was he there?

He surely went to the barn for some reason: either to drop something off, or to bring something back, or to pay a visit to something inside—or possibly someone. The thought gave Nick a glimmer of hope. He’d know soon enough; he sat down and waited, making sure Trygg stayed deep in the shadows behind him.

Minutes passed.

Nick waited—but as he waited he found his hope slipping away. He had already been inside the barn, and there was no place to hide a body there. Even worse, Trygg had already searched it too—and one of the finest cadaver dogs on the face of the earth had found no trace of Alena Savard.

39

39

Alena opened her eyes but saw nothing—everything around her was black. She couldn’t be certain that her eyes were even open; she blinked hard twice to make sure. Maybe she was dreaming; maybe she was still asleep and only imagining herself waking up—but when she felt the throbbing pain in her skull she knew this was no dream.