by Dan Decker
Something tickled my mind.
It took me a moment to figure out what it was.
John Jeffords.
Only it wasn’t the name John Jeffords that struck a chord. I thought of another name. A name belonging to a sadistic serial killer I’d put behind bars back on earth during my time as a prosecutor.
John Jeffs.
I stared at Jeffords who had stopped his slow revolution. He now faced us while still floating above the ravine.
His eyes locked onto mine, a knowing look on his face. He had dropped his full name on purpose. I remembered how he had looked at me when he’d suggested some might have been lawyers.
That should have been my first clue. I should never have mentioned my full name to Dolores. I had gone against my instincts.
Earl Anders. Earl Anderson.
John Jeffords. John Jeffs.
Things clicked in place as my insides turned to ice. My mouth went dry. My hands clenched into fists. It was a good thing he was over the ravine because I might have really attacked him. My chest heaved as a flood of memories came back from the gruesome trial.
Why is John Jeffs here?
Had they recruited men from death row, thinking they’d make great soldiers? Why give Jeffs a second chance, much less command of recruits?
“This exercise serves several purposes,” Jeffords said to a bunch of pale-faced men. I barely processed his words as I stared. I could only see John Jeffs, though his present body could not have been more different from the one he’d had back on earth. Jeffs had been six feet tall with brawn and muscle and a gut to match.
There was no way to know unless someone told me.
If I’d kept my mouth shut things might have been easier. Everything changed the moment I said my full name.
“This exercise helps you maintain calm under pressure,” Jeffords said. “There is nothing like falling towards certain death to give you the most challenging circumstance of your life. If you can learn to master falling, there is little you can’t do.” He gestured at his uniform. “You’ll notice this fall was not without consequences. My suit is torn. Brambles, branches, and vines that were not here when this ravine opened three days ago have already grown in its depths. In two weeks, this place will be so overgrown we will no longer be able to perform this exercise here.”
He gave us a roguish smile. “Lucky for you new guys, ravines open all the time so we are always able to practice.”
He looked at me.
“Anders will go first.”
Another piece clicked in place. This was why he floated over the ravine and had all but told me who he was.
He was making me angry so I would jump and die.
I had expected him to make an example of me, but this took me off guard. When I saw him soaring toward us, I had assumed there would be something more he would teach, that there would be further instructions and that we would work up to what he had just done.
He expected me to hop off the edge and fall without knowing how to do any of this.
This was why his demeanor had changed at the infirmary.
I thought of how he had tried to send me into the dark without knowing how to protect against the crocks. It wasn’t his watch that saved him now, though he’d fiddled with it before jumping. I looked at his boots, thinking they made him levitate, but the air around them did not appear disturbed. Now that he was still, there was no sound. The whirring noise must have been caused by the air passing over his body.
Was it the jumpsuit?
That’s what he’d been talking about right before he’d jumped, but I hadn’t seen him do anything special.
“It’s a mad world, isn’t it?”
Jeffords’ smile showed teeth but had no mirth, he licked his upper lip. My last shred of doubt disappeared.
Those words were emblazoned on my mind for all time.
They had been written in a social media post by John Jeffs the day he’d slain his final victims. Something else tugged on my subconscious. It took me a moment to figure out what it was.
Jeffords’ smile.
It was that of victory. It was the same one he’d worn while I lay on the floor of the mess hall as I’d drifted into unconsciousness.
Like an avalanche revealing a hidden chamber, I remembered what I’d forgotten.
The connection formed again.
I’d seen a similar smile when I died. Not on the face of my shooter, the mask had hidden everything but his eyes.
No, the victorious smile had been worn by Sam.
My associate.
My hands formed fists as I realized what it meant. My subconscious had been working on the question I had done my best to ignore, analyzing something I’d forgotten in the throes of death.
Maybe I didn’t want to remember.
My heart raced, my eyes narrowed.
I was back in the alley, seeing it all play out in my mind. Sam turning as I bled, the smile distinct on his face as an airplane passed by overhead. The hitman had left the water in the alley so Sam knew where to stop.
Sam hired somebody to kill me.
The thought was jarring.
Jeffords’ smile grew bigger, apparently assuming my anger was for him. It was, but only in part.
Little things came back. Comments Sam had made about my wife. How he’d say negative things about me in front of her. He’d often speak in jest, but with a kernel of truth at its core.
I looked at the other recruits and saw horror at what Jeffords expected us to do but was numb to what they felt, boys in men’s bodies or not.
I took control, forcing down the anger, but not pushing it away. It would never go away. Like red hot coals that turned black and looked dead, it would always be there.
My associate had betrayed me.
My friend had killed me.
As if I didn’t have enough reason already to find my family.
Closing my eyes, I willed down anger and forced myself to think. Jeffords wasn’t going to wait forever.
Think, man. Think!
I took a deep raspy breath and as I let it out I realized it had the effect of oxygen on a bed of coals. I did it again but more slowly, harnessing the tumult inside that threatened to overwhelm me and put me into a rage.
The only way out is through. The only way through is to think.
Flying had not been taught during orientation, judging by the other’s reaction. Sam’s smiling face came to mind, but I pushed it away. Even if I could figure out how to fly, what about protecting my hands and face? Neither Jeffords’ hands nor his face had any scratches.
He was waiting for me to respond.
It’s a mad world, isn’t it?
The words threatened to make me lose control, but I stuffed it away by focusing on Ricky.
I can do this. For him.
A memory of Ava came next as she held Ricky in the swimming pool while he kicked and splashed.
I can do this. For her.
For them.
“Yes, sir,” I said through narrow eyes. “The world is crazy as it comes.”
I looked at Jeffords, thinking perhaps he wanted me to ask how he had done it, how he had flown. I might have hesitated before but I did not now. The question came with far greater ease than the last one had about the crocks. Every shred of pride was gone. This was about survival.
I would follow his instructions and orders exactly, assuming they worked. I would do everything exactly … until I didn’t.
Until the moment came when I could execute the judgement he’d escaped on earth.
Maybe this is hell after all. Maybe Jeffords is in the right place.
Maybe we are all in the right place.
“What are your exact instructions,” I asked. “How do I fly?”
“Jump.” I could tell by Jeffords’ triumphant face there would be nothing more. “Do it now!”
I nodded. “Yes, sir!”
And did just that.
25
To: Lieutenant General
Regina Adams
From: Brigadier General Katrina Roth
Log date: 00429.209-05:12:48
Re: Officer Training Protocol
General Adams,
I have discovered Sergeant John Jeffords and Earl Anders have a history. Was this an intended construct of your program?
Please advise.
Respectfully,
Brigadier General Katrina Roth
Dead Man’s Fear
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this book. Dead Man’s Fear, the sequel to Dead Man’s Game will be published in July 2019. Sign up for my newsletter at dandeckerbooks.com to be notified when it is published!
Turn the next page to see a sneak peek.
Sneak Peek
Dead Man’s Fear comes in July 2019.
Meanwhile, down the ravine…
My heart raced as I fell, anxiety welling up inside my considerable chest because I expected to die within moments of my ill-thought decision. Walking off a cliff with no idea how I would survive was the most dangerous thing I’d ever done, in this life or the previous.
Not to mention the most idiotic.
An unreal feeling filled my mind but it was driven out by the rushing wind. If I survived I wouldn’t make this mistake again. I didn’t consider myself reckless, but something about this planet and my situation brought it out. Perhaps I had more testosterone running through the veins of this mammoth-sized body, causing me to take more risks.
One moment I had been on solid ground; the next, falling.
One moment I was calm, certain of my decision; the next, I knew I’d been rash.
My anger at Sam and John Jeffs fell with me.
They taunted me while fear and frustration threatened to override my brain. It was only with great effort that I turned my thoughts to my predicament. Sam had killed me once already, it would be my own fault if he caused my death again. If the time ever came, I would repay him for what he had done, I certainly had to live today to see that tomorrow.
The walls of the ravine sped past as the scant predawn light diminished, making me feel like I had fallen into a tunnel. The walls moved in, closing an inch or so at a time but at a sickening rate when compared to my speed of descent. Claustrophobia crept up the back of my mind and interacted in sickening harmony with the terror that wracked my soul.
I didn’t have long to figure out how to fly. Somehow, I refrained from looking down, knowing it would only make matters worse.
My hop off the edge had been instinct more than anything else. Anger had been part of it as well, but I’d known from the look on Jeffords’ face he wasn’t going to give me the information I needed. It had been an act of defiance more than obedience to his order.
If a fool like Jeffords could fly so could I. If I came back alive it would be like spitting in his face.
Quite the gamble just to stick it to somebody…
Author’s Note
If you would like to receive notifications about other upcoming works, sneak peeks, and other extras, go to dandeckerbooks.com and sign up for my newsletter. Finally, if you would like to reach out, please feel free to drop me a line at [email protected]. I always enjoy hearing from readers.
Books by Dan Decker
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Dead Man’s War
#1: Dead Man’s Game
#2: Dead Man’s Fear (Coming July 2019)
War of the Fathers Universe
Prequel: Blood of the Redd Guard
Volume One: War of the Fathers
Volume Two: Lord of the Inferno
Volume Three: Enemy in the Shadows
The Containment Team
Volume One: Ready Shooter
Volume Two: Hybrid Hotel
Thrillers
Jake Ramsey Thrillers
Black Brick
Dark Spectrum
Blood Games
Silent Warehouse (Short Story)
About the Author
Dan Decker lives in Utah with his family. He has a law degree and spends as much time as he can outdoors. You can learn more about upcoming novels at dandeckerbooks.com.
