BooksBarbecue
Back Whirlwind Save as PDF
Chapters (95)
  1. Title Page
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
  68. 67
  69. 68
  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
  74. 73
  75. 74
  76. 75
  77. 76
  78. 77
  79. 78
  80. 79
  81. 80
  82. 81
  83. 82
  84. 83
  85. 84
  86. 85
  87. 86
  88. 87
  89. 88
  90. 89
  91. 90
  92. 91
  93. 92
  94. Also by DAVID KLASS
  95. Copyright Page

Chief Parker reaches down and grabs a shock of my long hair. “You really need to visit a barber,” he says. “Or maybe I could just pull it out for you.”

“I don’t think so,” I tell him.

“What?”

“I’ve had about enough of this.” I pull loose from his grip.

“Oh, is that right?” He steps forward.

I spread my feet to the width of my shoulders, settling into a fighting stance. “Yes, sir,” I tell him softly. “More than enough.”

5

5

I turn sideways to present less of a target. Circle slowly, feet never leaving the ground. Somewhere between ballet step and boxer’s shuffle. Forward and to the side.

“C’mere, you lying punk,” Chief Parker growls, and reaches out for me.

I let him grab me and then twist my body and use his weight and forward momentum to throw him. He’s a big man and he goes down hard. Gets up surprisingly quickly. “So you learned a few tricks? I’ll fix you, you bastard.”

He throws a right hook that could tear my head off. But it doesn’t connect. I run away from it to rear of cell, jump and kick off stone wall, and somersault back behind him. He spins around, mouth wide open. Never saw anything like that before. “What the hell?” he gasps.

I don’t want to torture him so I end it quickly. Leap up off the left leg. Straight snapping kick with the right. Ball of foot catches him on point of chin. Snaps his head back. He collapses like a sack of potatoes.

I grab his key ring. Snap the cuffs open. Hesitate. Unclasp his gun belt. Hope I don’t need it. Never wore a gun in a holster on my hip.

First time for everything. Surprisingly heavy.

I unlock the cell door and head out. Through the empty cell block. There are overhead cameras. Chief Parker must have turned the surveillance system off when he came to persuade me to talk.

Unlock the metal door at the end of the cell block. Hurry silently through a dim hallway. Pass an empty side room. Glance in. Changing room! Uniforms hanging on pegs.

Two minutes later I’m dressed like a Hadley cop. Blue pants and shirt. Black shoes. Long hair tucked inside a police cap.

Jack, we’re running out of time. I can feel them coming.

Uh-oh. Me too. Prickles of cold all over my skin.

I head out into main station area. Pick up a file and hold the papers in front of my face. Pretend to be reading them intently. Police cap tilted down over eyes.