Aaron shook her shoulder this time, rousing her almost instantly.
“I’m leaving now,” he said. “It’s time for me to go to work.”
“You’re going after him, aren’t you?” she asked, the fear coming out in the forced words.
“I’m going to get Beth…and put an end to this, once and for all.”
She began to rise. “Then I’m going with you.”
He put a hand on her shoulder, his blue eyes filled with determination. “No, you’re not.”
“You can’t go alone.” She implored. “Please, I could watch your back…or....”
He shook his head, cutting her off. “You don’t understand. He took Beth to get to you, not me. He thinks I’ll hand you over to save her. I have to make him think I’ll give him what he wants so he won’t hurt her. If I take you with me and he gets his hands on you again, then her life…and yours…mean nothing.”
Jenny nodded her head in understanding, sensing she wasn’t going to change his mind…or wanting to.
He took the Smith and Wesson .25 cal. automatic from his coat pocket. He held it up before her wide eyes. “But I won’t leave you unprotected.”
“I’ve never even held a gun before.” she said. “I’m a lab rat, remember?”
“Okay. I’ll show you. It’s easy.”
He pointed to a small red button on the weapon’s left side. “This is the safety. Push the red button to fire.”
She nodded in understanding.
He slid the magazine from the handle, showing her the bullet at the top of the stack, ready to do its deadly job. “It’s got a full clip,” he continued, driving the magazine home and racking the slide. He put the sleek black pistol in her upturned palm.
“You aim like this,” he took her trembling hands in his. “One hand on the grip, one hand underneath for support. Just point and gently squeeze the trigger. You aim for the center of the chest, none of that head-shot crap you see in the movies.”
Holding her frightened gaze, he intoned his final instruction. “If anyone besides me or Ed comes through that door, don’t hesitate, don’t think, just shoot.”
She again nodded in understanding.
He stood and checked the clip of his own weapon. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He shut the door and seconds later she heard the Warthog’s engine start with a roar, before the distinctive growl quickly faded into silence.
Staring at the orange and red of the fire’s dancing flames, she trembled in fear at danger he willingly sped toward.
Also from Andrew Draper
“Hailey’s Hog”
Twenty year-old Hailey Barrow dreams of a normal life, a life free of suffocating fear. This beautiful young woman lives in constant terror of the demons that plague her nightmares, but in her case the monsters are real.
When she inherits her uncle’s vintage Harley-Davidson, Hailey discovers a second side of her personality. The Hailey who rides is confident and tough, unlike the frightened introvert known to family and friends.
Determined to regain control of her life, Hailey takes to the road in search of the four men who took her humanity in a brutal, drunken assault.
Battle-weary police Detective John Smith is investigating a murder. Relentlessly tracking his suspect, he learns what people are capable of when pushed past the limits of human endurance.
From the concrete jungle of Tucson to the sleepy hamlet of Prescott, Smith traverses the harsh deserts and lush mountains of Arizona, racing against the clock, wondering if he can catch a killer before the body count rises.
A poignant tale of street justice, Hailey’s Hog is a full-throttle ride into crime, punishment…and the price of vengeance.
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author of “Epsilon” and “X-Creature”
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Radio station Programming Director
Prescott, AZ.
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"Chain Reaction" Power Failure Book I Page 60
