BooksBarbecue
Back The Preserve
Chapters (56)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Half-Title Page
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  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. 45.
  51. 46.
  52. 47.
  53. 48.
  54. EPILOGUE
  55. AFTERWORD
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Lett’s head jerked up. The gears inside him launched, found their cogs, and meshed, the torque steeling him. Mechanically, he stood.

The three sergeants stiffened.

“Lay off these people,” Lett said to them.

The three stood, trying to clench those soft jaws but they just didn’t have the chops for it.

Lett lunged.

All went dim and blurred, yet he sensed his efficient movements, the pivoting and striking. Screams followed. Metal filled the air like shrapnel, but the metal was fear and it wasn’t his.

Lett heard a voice: “Stop! Stop it!”

The darkness in his head cleared out. He was standing over two of the sergeants who lay on their backs, the table and chairs upended. One had blood streaming from his nose and his chin quivered. The other was curled up in a ball. The third had pressed his back to the farthest wall, the pink drained from his face.

Lett whipped around.

The barman had vanished again. But Kanani was peering at him with, to his wonder, a calm look of understanding.

“Let me help you,” she whispered to him.

“Das enough! I going call da MPs,” the barman yelled from in back.

Lett started for the exit. Gotta keep moving. Stop and you’re cornered.

Kanani came after him, pushing chairs clear. She grabbed his arm. “Come on.”

Lett spun around. “Where to?”

“Where else? The Preserve.”

2.

Out they rushed, and Kanani led Lett over a short coastal wall and along a narrow beach.

Lett snapped up Kanani’s arm, but gently. “Wait a second. How do you know about The Preserve?”

“Because they’re expecting me there. How you think?”

“You?”

She pushed at him. “Yes, me. Why you think I was in that bar if I wasn’t the help?”

“Oh, all right. But, I’m not due till tomorrow.”

“Me neither,” Kanani said, and marched on ahead.

Soon the sand gave way to more of those slick, jagged formations of black lava rock and they tiptoed across them, keeping one eye on the calming waves. Without shoes, Lett’s feet would’ve been ground beef. Small black crabs jumped out of his way.

“So, we’re not going to The Preserve?” he asked.

“Not yet. We gotta get you calmed down. You can’t be back there when MPs come. Ho ka! You really bust ’em up. Quite the warrior, aren’t you? Those lugs had no chance.”

“Well, I just can’t stomach MPs,” Lett muttered.