Backblast
Page 43
Had some reformed Bambi-killer decided to make a statement against an unrepentant sinner by displaying the body here, all but on top of a deer stand at the height of hunting season?
It was worth considering.
The ME nodded. "I agree. He could be an experienced hunter."
She prayed so. The Bambi-lover theory might be the only thing standing between this crime scene and the discovery of a second, meticulously sectioned body. Unfortunately, given the particulars she and Tonga had noted, it was more likely they were on the verge of a timely repeat, no matter the motive, and they both knew it.
"Shall we proceed?"
"Sure thing." Kate offered an arm to the aging ME as he stood.
"Thank you, young lady."
Kate held her tongue as she returned the doc's smile. At thirty-one, she doubted she passed as a kid anymore, even to a man on the verge of retirement. But there was no point in reminding Tonga, not when he'd come to know her as the teenage daughter of a local deputy who did her algebra outside the autopsy suite while waiting on her dad's "work".
Just as well. The doc's indulgent humor disintegrated with each subsequent unbagging. By the time they'd pulled the upper torso out and laid it on its slightly flayed-open front to photograph the reverse, Kate's mood had sunk deeper and darker than the ME's.
Like her, their victim was a combat vet.
She might not have had a chance to roll their mystery man's prints, but between the half-dozen bullet and shrapnel scars, the excellent level of physical conditioning of the chest and limbs, not to mention the detailed 101st Airborne "Screaming Eagle" tattoo that covered the entire upper back, they were most likely dealing with the remains of a former Army soldier between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five.
All they needed now was a face and name to go with it.
Tonga's sigh was heavy with dread. "I'll get the last one."
"No, you opened the previous three." He was the worse for wear for it, too. The endless string of drunk-driving, drug-related and natural-causes deaths hadn't prepared the ME for this. Pulling out coldly sectioned human limb after limb had taken its toll on the South African giant, each shrink-wrapped piece peeling off another layer of his surprisingly tender soul.
Kate knew the feeling. For her, the rude awakening had come at nineteen. She'd been a cherry military policeman on her first tour in Afghanistan. She could still close her eyes late at night and feel the scorching heat on her skin, smell the ripening muck that had once passed for human fluid and flesh invading her lungs as she canvassed the aftermath of her first IED explosion. A black plastic garbage bag in one hand, the damned-near unidentifiable remains of a squadmate in the other as she bent down, again and again, to pluck up the disjointed fragments of flesh and bone scattered about the road like the burnt and bloodied leavings of some twisted Mardi Gras parade.
The sludge that had been simmering in Kate's gut since before she'd woken that morning began to churn.
"Are you unwell?"
She dragged on a smile. "Not at all. Look—Seth's waving to us. Why don't you head over and see what he needs while I verify the contents of that last bag?"
Shame mixed with the gratitude in Tonga's eyes—but he took the escape as Kate headed for the final sack.
One missing head laid out on the road, and they were done with the worst of it. The eyes would be the hardest. They always were. God willing, they'd be closed.
Kate braced herself as she knelt to pop the final row of staples. But as she reached inside to carefully cradle the head that did indeed await her, a wave of nausea crashed in, damned near swamping her. Instinct merged with an unexpected riptide of terror and she jerked to her feet.
The nausea worsened.
Threatened.
For the first time in her career, she was a split second from heaving all over her evidence. Instinct kicked in again as Kate spun to the right and bolted into the trees lining the road. She was still sucking in huge gulps of blissfully cool air to combat the nausea that continued to threaten when she felt the palm on her back.
Patting. Soothing.
Lou.
She kept her eyes on a spindly pine, desperately trying to focus on the fragmented lines in its bark and not the perfect, scarlet slash at the base of that shrink-wrapped head.
"Kato? What the devil was in there?"
"Nothing!" Scratch that—and calm down, damn it. "It's a head, Lou. Just a head."
So why did merely picturing it—a simple, solitary head attached to a face she'd never even seen before today—make her want to vomit all over again?
And her lungs. Why wouldn't they cooperate?
Kate clamped down on the dive watch wrapped loosely about her wrist and began to twist, forcing herself to draw her breath into her lungs, then push it out with each steady sweep. The exercise in tactical breathing helped. But it was the constant, scraping friction that gradually hauled her out of the past, slowly but surely anchoring her in the present.
Lou's hand pressed into her shoulder as she straightened, then disappeared as she edged away.
"You want me to call the doc?"
The irony of the ME having to hurry over to soothe her nerves almost caused Kate to smile. Almost.
She found the strength to face Lou. "I'm fine. Must've been the pancakes I had for breakfast."
It was a lie, and this man had known her long enough and well enough to call her on it.
Lou swallowed it anyway. He patted her normal cheek for good measure. "S'okay, kiddo. This is my first freshly severed head too."
That was just it. When she'd stared into that bag, she'd had the distinct impression this wasn't hers.
To continue reading The Garbage Man
CLICK HERE
Love Military Thrillers?
Get a Free Book!
The best part of writing is connecting with readers. Occasionally, I send out newsletters with details on upcoming releases, special giveaways, free stories & other exclusive Reader Crew Extras.
* * *
Join my mailing list today, you’ll also get:
AIMPOINT: Book 1 in the Deception Point Military Thriller Series:
Has an elite explosives expert turned terrorist?
US Army Detective Regan Chase is ordered to use her budding relationship with his housemate—John Garrison—to find out. But John is hiding something too. Has the war-weary Special Forces captain been turned as well? As Regan’s investigation deepens, lines are crossed—personal and professional. Even if Regan succeeds in thwarting a horrific bombing on German soil, what will the fallout do to her career?
To receive AIMPOINT for free, along with updates on Regan’s next full-length novel in the Deception Point Military Thriller series, sign up at:
www.CandaceIrving.com.
Meet the Author
CANDACE IRVING is the daughter of a librarian and a retired US Navy chief. Candace grew up in the Philippines, Germany, and all over the United States. Her senior year of high school, she enlisted in the US Army. Following basic training, she transferred to the Navy’s ROTC program at the University of Texas-Austin. While at UT, she spent a summer in Washington, DC, as a Congressional Intern. She also worked security for the UT Police.
BA in Political Science in hand, Candace was commissioned as an ensign in the US Navy and sent to Surface Warfare Officer’s School to learn to drive warships. From there, she followed her father to sea.
Candace is married to her favorite soldier, a former US Army Combat Engineer. They live in the American Midwest, where the Army/Navy football game is avidly watched and argued over every year.
Go Navy; Beat Army!
Candace also writes military romantic suspense under the name Candace Irvin—without the "g"!
Email Candace at www.CandaceIrving.com
or connect via:
Also by Candace Irving
Deception Point Military Thrillers:
AIMPOINT
Has an elite explosives expert turned terr
orist? Army Detective Regan Chase is ordered to use her budding relationship with his housemate—John Garrison—to find out. But John is hiding something too. Has the war-weary Special Forces captain been turned as well? As Regan’s investigation deepens, lines are crossed—personal and professional. Even if Regan succeeds in thwarting a horrific bombing on German soil, what will the fallout do to her career?
A Deception Point Military Thriller: Book 1
Free Download, Click: Here
Or BUY it: Here
BLIND EDGE
Army Detective Regan Chase responds to a series of murders and suicides brought on by the violent hallucinations plaguing a Special Forces A-Team—a team lead by Regan's ex, John Garrison. Regan quickly clashes with an unforgiving, uncooperative and dangerously secretive John—and an even more secretive US Army. What really happened during that Afghan cave mission? As Regan pushes for answers, the murders and suicides continue to mount. By the time Army comes clean, it may be too late. Regan's death warrant has already been signed—by John's hands.
A Deception Point Military Thriller: Book 2
Buy it: Here
BACKBLAST
Army Detective Regan Chase just solved the most horrific case of her career. The terrorist responsible refuses to speak to anyone but her. The claim? There's a traitor in the Army. With the stakes critical, Regan heads for the government's newest classified interrogation site: A US Navy warship at sea. There, Regan uncovers a second, deadlier, terror plot that leads all the way to a US embassy—and beyond. Once again, Regan's on the verge of losing her life—and another far more valuable to her than her own...
A Deception Point Military Thriller: Book 3
Buy it: Here.
* * *
CHOKE POINT
* * *
A Deception Point Military Thriller: Book 4
Coming in 2022!
* * *
~More Deception Point Thrillers Coming Soon~
Hidden Valor Military Suspense
THE GARBAGE MAN
Former Army detective Kate Holland spent years hiding from the world—and herself. Now a small-town cop, the past catches up when a fellow vet is left along a backroad...in pieces. Years earlier, Kate spent eleven hours as a POW. Her Silver Star write-up says she killed eleven terrorists to avoid staying longer. But Kate has no memory of the deaths. And now, bizarre clues are cropping up. Is Kate finally losing her grip on reality? As the murders multiply, Kate must confront her demons...even as she finds herself in the killer's crosshairs.
A Hidden Valor Military Suspense: Book 1
Buy it: Here
IN THE NAME OF
He’ll do anything for his country…even murder.
Kate Holland is back!
* * *
A Hidden Valor Military Suspense: Book 2
Coming in 2021!
* * *
~More Hidden Valor Books Coming Soon~
Dedication
For my brilliant & beautiful daughter Sarah,
who did so much to get Blind Edge Press
off the ground.
Acknowledgments
My ideas tend to fall well outside the range of my expertise. I’d like to thank the following folks for loaning me theirs. The cool stuff belongs to them; the mistakes are all mine.
* * *
My very special thanks to Father Bob Popichak & Don Curtis. I leaned heavily on their expertise & amazing friendships while writing this one.
* * *
My deepest gratitude also goes to the following folks for helping with information & plot threads that are woven throughout the Deception Point series:
Retired NCIS Special Agent Mike Keleher
Dr. Henry C. Lee, Ph.D.
Lt. Col. J.D. Whitlock, USAF, Retired
Dr. John “Jack” Shroder, Ph.D.
Lt. Cdr. Michael J. Walsh, USN, Retired
* * *
I’d also like to thank my critique partners CJ Chase & Amy McKinley, as well as Judi Shaw & the awesome members of the Goat Locker. And, of course, my wonderful husband, David. I appreciate the input, support & sanity more than you can know.
* * *
As always, my deepest thanks to my editor, Sue Davison, for her uncanny talent for tracking facts & figures, and of course, her truly brilliant editing. Sue, your brain is phenomenal!
* * *
Finally, a huge thanks to Ivan Zanchetta for another gorgeous cover. I envy your talents!
* * *
You’re all incredible!
Copyright
eBook ISBN: 978-1-952413-20-9
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-952413-23-0
BACKBLAST
Copyright © 2021 by Candace Phillips Irvin
This first edition was published by Blind Edge Press in 2021.
Cover art & Blind Edge Press logo: © 2020 Ivan Zanchetta & Bookcoversart.com
This is a work of fiction. The characters in this book do not exist outside the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All incidents in this book were invented by the author for the sole purpose of entertainment.
All trademarks mentioned in this book remain the property of their respective holders and are used only to reference the products discussed.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of Blind Edge Press.
Contents
Starter Library Intro
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Sneak Peak - CHOKE POINT
Did You Know?
Get a Free Book!
Meet the Author
Also by Candace Irving
Dedication
Acknowledgments