On Deadly Ground (Dan & Chloe Book 2)

by Flamank, Nathan L.

  Chloe’s scantily clad frame was taken from his arms and doctors and nurses had quickly gone to work on saving her.

  Dan was lucky that the medical facility was the region’s largest and later he would thank the gods that Rockspur attracted so many tourists, because of them the facility was needed.

  A doctor had come to see him and had asked a lot of pertinent questions. Questions relating to Chloe’s medical history and Dan had provided clear, concise details.

  At some stage late in the night a nurse had brought him a coffee where it would remain untouched by Dan.

  The Sheriff had arrived an hour after Dan had first burst through the doors and he had a load of questions for Dan. Dan had shaken his head and told the Sheriff that he would answer any questions once he knew that Chloe would recover.

  ‘Unless you want to go ahead and arrest me,’ Dan had said. One look at Dan’s eyes and the Sheriff knew that that wasn’t going to happen, not unless the Sheriff wanted a shitload more blood on his hands.

  The Sheriff had settled on leaving a deputy in the waiting area, he gave the deputy instructions to call him the minute Chloe was out of the woods.

  Barnie and Harry had arrived just before midnight, word having spread through the small community about what had happened. Dan had explained that he wasn’t in the best frame of mind for company but the two men had remained with him. They stayed throughout the night, both were silent and Dan was thankful that neither man had tried to talk to him.

  The rage boiling through him only needed a nudge in the wrong direction and Dan had no idea what would happen then.

  The hours ticked by. Just when Dan had decided to go and find someone to tell him what the hell was going on, doors were pushed open and the doctor that had come to see him earlier came out. He held a clipboard and was smiling and Dan felt relief flood through his exhausted body.

  Dan got to his feet and waited for the doctor to speak.

  ‘Well Mister Constantine, that’s one tough little lady you have in there.’

  Dan felt tears spilling down his bloodied and dirtied face. Harry and Barnie slapped him on the back and Dan noticed that his two friends were also crying at the good news.

  ‘She lost a lot of blood and there was some internal bleeding that caused a few moments of concern but in the end we were able to cope.’

  The doctor, who Dan now realised couldn’t have been much older than Chloe, flicked through the notes attached to the clipboard.

  ‘No organ damage, the bullet has been removed. Both mother and child are doing well, we have her in recovery. Of course the next forty eight hours are the danger hours, there is always the chance of relapse or infection but we seriously doubt it. She should make a full recovery with no permanent damage.’

  ‘Thanks doc, can I see her?’

  ‘Of course, the recovery team is getting her comfortable and then I’ll come and fetch you.’

  ‘Thank you doctor,’ Dan held his hand out and the doctor shook it. Dan noticed the dried blood on his hand and he apologised.

  ‘No problem Mister Constantine, I’ll come and get you soon.’

  The doctor started back to the door he had come through and then it hit Dan. Something the young man had said, in amongst everything else, Dan hadn’t really taken it in, but now it hit him.

  ‘Wait!’ Dan shouted and the doctor turned around and offered up a smile.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Wait, you said mother and child?’

  The doctor nodded his head and flicked through his notes and once again nodded his head.

  ‘Yes, you didn’t know?’

  ‘Know what?’ Dan was reeling at the news, his brain fighting to over-rule his relief at Chloe being okay.

  ‘Your wife is with child, about six weeks I’d say.’

  Dan rocked back on his feet.

  ‘You’re sure?’

  The doctor laughed, ‘I know how to diagnose a pregnancy Mister Constantine.’

  Dan began to laugh and cry. He felt Harry embrace him and then Barnie added to the hug and both men congratulated him. Dan managed to untangle himself and the doctor waited for Dan to speak.

  ‘And the baby is okay?’

  ‘Doing well, strong just like its mother. As I said, she’s one tough lady. I have to go Mister Constantine but I’ll be back for you when you can visit with your wife.’

  The doctor disappeared back through the doors and Dan turned to Barnie and Harry. They laughed and Dan collapsed on to one of the many orange plastic chairs. He was overcome with relief and love and he began to cry, his shoulders bouncing up and down with each heavy sob.

  Dan looked down at his open hands, through his tears he saw the blood and something else began to bubble up from deep inside, this new feeling pushed aside the love and relief and consumed his whole being. His tears were silenced and his body stilled. Dan’s hands slowly closed in to fists and his knuckles turned white from the tightness of each fist.

  He opened his eyes.

  Harry and Barnie, who had only moments earlier been laughing suddenly fell silent. The look on Dan’s face was a look that would haunt their dreams on many a restless night to come.

  Dan spoke softly and Barnie stepped forward. ‘Sorry son, what did ya say?’

  Dan looked up at Barnie with dead eyes.

  ‘I said “they’re all dead, every last motherfucking one of them, they started this, I’m going to finish it”.’

  ‘Finish what Dan?’ Harry asked.

  Dan shook his head and his hands relaxed. He pushed himself to his feet and turned to Barnie, ‘I have a favour to ask of you.’

  ‘What’s that Dan, what do you need?’

  ‘I need you to find Tile and bring him here.’

  Barnie scratched at his stubbled chin and frowned. ‘Tile? You mean the tracker?’

  Dan nodded his head.

  ‘What do you need a tracker for son?’

  Dan shook his head. ‘I don’t, but I’d like a word with him, do you think you can go and find him?’

  Barnie nodded his head. ‘Sure, sure, might take me a few hours but sure.’

  ‘Thanks Barnie.’

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ Harry said to Barnie.

  ‘You want us to go now?’ Barnie asked and Dan nodded his head.

  ‘Could you?’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  *****

  Twenty minutes later and Dan was ushered in to see Chloe and just before he left the reception area he had seen the Sheriff walking in through the front doors. Word of Chloe’s status had obviously been fed back to Lawson.

  Dan knew that he’d have questions to answer when he returned from seeing his wife.

  The nurse, a pretty brunette held the door to Chloe’s room open for him, Dan slipped inside. He thanked the nurse and she smiled and told him he could only stay for five minutes.

  ‘Rest is the best medicine your wife can receive right now,’ the nurse said.

  Dan thanked the nurse and waited for the door to swing shut before he walked over to the bed and looked down at his wife. His eyes flooded with tears and he had to fight to remain on his feet.

  Seeing how small Chloe looked in the bed, so fragile and pale just fuelled the fires of anger burning within him.

  Chloe was hooked up to a monitor and an IV was taped to a vein in her right arm. The hospital gown made Chloe look even smaller and Dan slipped her right hand between his own. He lightly squeezed her hand and to his surprise Chloe squeezed back.

  Chloe opened her eyes, she smiled up at him and asked for some water.

  ‘Of course baby,’ Dan said.

  He let go of her hand and filled a plastic cup with water from a pitcher, he found a straw and returned to the side of the bed. He slipped the straw between Chloe’s lips and told her to take small sips.

  Chloe swallowed twice and she managed to lick her parched lips.

  ‘I guess I look like shit huh?’

  Dan chuckled, ‘I�
�ve never seen anything more beautiful.’

  Chloe’s smile widened, ‘I love you Dan.’

  ‘I love you too, did the doctors tell you?’

  ‘About my being pregnant?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Yes, came as a bit of a surprise. Can I have some more water?’

  Dan let her drink a few more sips, he wiped water from the corner of her mouth. He put the glass back down on the bedside table and held her hand once again.

  ‘I knew I was late but I didn’t know I was pregnant.’

  ‘You’ll make a great mum.’

  ‘You’ll make an amazing father,’ Chloe replied. Tears spilled down her cheeks. ‘They shot our horses.’

  The quick change in conversation momentarily derailed Dan but he finally nodded his head.

  ‘What are you going to do about it?’

  Dan smiled, it was a smile that Chloe had seen before and she squeezed his hand reassuringly.

  ‘What am I gonna do? I’m going to kill them. I’m going to kill them all, anyone who looks at me or gets in the way, I’m going to end them all.’

  Chloe blinked back the tears and she smiled up at Dan.

  ‘Go get ‘em baby, make them pay, make it safe for us once again.’

  Dan leaned over and kissed the corner of her mouth.

  ‘I’m going to have someone sit with you while I’m gone. If anyone comes in here that shouldn’t be here he’s going to have instructions to shoot them.’

  Chloe raised her left arm and stroked his face with the back of her hand, she smiled.

  ‘I can take care of myself.’

  Dan chuckled and he gently kissed her mouth, Chloe ran her hand behind his head and she kissed him a little harder.

  ‘Kill them all.’ Chloe said once she had let go of Dan’s head.

  Dan nodded his head.

  ‘I mean it Dan, kill every last motherfucking one of them.’

  Again Dan nodded his head.

  ‘I’ll be back in the morning; right now I’ve been told you need plenty of rest.’

  ‘We’ll be waiting for you.’

  Dan kissed her once more and then left. He didn’t linger at the door and he didn’t look back.

  *****

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

  Dan had expected a dozen questions at the very least when Sheriff Lawson finally cornered him in the medical centre’s parking lot. A part of him had expected the Sheriff to arrest him or at the very least attempt an arrest but the first thing Lawson did was to ask how Chloe was doing.

  ‘She’s okay Sheriff, lost a lot of blood but she’s in recovery and the diagnosis looks good for a full recovery.’

  ‘That’s good, that’s good, what happened?’

  Dan scratched his neck and he could feel dried blood flaking off beneath his fingernails. He was a mess, he needed a shower and he could feel exhaustion creeping in at the edges.

  ‘I don’t know Sheriff, that’s the truth. I wasn’t there when she was shot.’

  Dan didn’t want to come right out and lie but he was going to be damned if he was going to offer up anything that could later come back and bite him on the ass.

  ‘A deputy just called in from out at your place, tells me that you have some broken fences, that there are dead horses in the paddock and there’s enough blood splattered about to fill an abattoir. I have another deputy that’s out at a roadside car wreck, a Mercedes that appears to have gone off the road and burst in to flames. She’s found shell casings from a high powered rifle near the wreckage and what appears to be the barbecued remains of the vehicle’s driver.’

  Lawson lit a cigarette.

  ‘Any of this ringing any bells Dan?’

  ‘What else did the deputy find out at my ranch?’

  ‘Nothing, just what I told you. Why, what should he have found?’

  Bodies.

  ‘Hell Sheriff how am I supposed to know, I’ve been here for hours? All of this is news to me.’

  Lawson sucked angrily on his cigarette.

  ‘Do I look like a total clueless idiot to you Dan?’

  ‘That wasn’t my first impression Sheriff.’

  ‘So why don’t you tell me what I’m missing here? I mean, you only just got clear of blowing a man in half and now less than a week later I have a woman lying in hospital, a dead guy by the side of a burned out Mercedes and a field full of dead horses and plenty of blood but no bodies. I’m no Sherlock Holmes but I know it’s all connected and you’re at the centre of it. Please Dan, let me help you, what’s this all about?’

  Dan laughed, it was not a pleasant sound and Lawson took an involuntary step backwards.

  Damn, this guy puts me on edge. He’s dangerous Pete and don’t you forget it, screw what Harry may have told you, something about this guy is dangerous.

  Lawson was snapped out of his thoughts by the squealing of brakes and he looked up to see a battered Dodge swing in to a vacant spot.

  Lawson groaned when he saw who climbed out from the Dodge.

  ‘God-damn-it Tile, I’m not in the mood,’ Lawson said as Tile headed in his direction.

  Lawson was at a loss for words when Tile ignored him and held a hand out for Dan. Dan shook Tile’s hand and thanked him for coming so quickly.

  ‘You were in luck, I was just down the road. Harry told me what happened, how is she?’

  ‘She’s okay, she’s safe and resting.’

  ‘What do you need?’ Tile asked.

  ‘Can you watch over her until I get back in the morning?’

  Tile ran his hands back through his closely cropped, salt and pepper coloured hair. Tile muttered quietly to himself and then he nodded his head.

  ‘I can do that.’

  ‘Now wait a goddamn minute, I have a deputy in there,’ Lawson said, the anger evident to all. ‘I can guarantee her safety, just what in the hell is...’

  Tile interrupted the Sheriff, ‘Pete, you and your department couldn’t protect shit from a hungry fly and we both know it.’

  Lawson’s face puffed red and his hand lowered to the butt of his revolver.

  Tile smiled and shook his head, ‘I don’t recommend that Pete.’

  Dan stepped between the two men, there was obviously a history between the two men that he was not privy too, but he didn’t want this situation boiling over.

  Dan turned to Lawson and said as calmly as he could, ‘I would feel safer knowing that someone Chloe knows is here with her and like you just told me Sheriff, your department has a lot of shit to deal with.’

  Lawson breathed heavily out through his nostrils. He was still angry but he lifted his hand away from his service revolver. He pointed a finger at Dan, the anger still there.

  ‘I’m still keeping a deputy in there.’

  Dan smiled trying to placate the Sheriff.

  ‘I appreciate that Sheriff.’

  ‘Damn straight,’ Lawson said, ‘I have more questions for you Mister Constantine, don’t be going far.’

  Lawson glared at Tile and then stormed off towards his patrol car.

  They waited for the Sheriff to drive off and then Dan offered up a bigger smile and Tile laughed.

  ‘I don’t know what the fuck it is with you English people but trouble seems to follow y’all.’

  ‘I can’t talk about it right now...’

  Tile waved Dan’s words away.

  ‘Save it for another day Dan. I’ll sit with Chloe until you get back.’

  ‘You got a gun?’

  Tile laughed, ‘I got a sawn-off in the truck, that good enough for ya?’

  ‘That’ll be just fine.’

  Tile went and retrieved the shotgun; he loaded it as he walked back to Dan.

  ‘You think I’ll need it?’

  ‘Nah,’ Dan said and he waited as Tile wrapped the gun inside the folds of his shirt.

  ‘But if anyone other than a doctor, a nurse or Lawson’s deputy comes in to Chloe’s room you cut ‘em in half.’

  Tile laughed, his mismatch
ed eyes twinkling, ‘I can do without jail time Dan.’

  ‘If it comes to the point where you have to start shooting then jail is the last thing you should be worried about.’

  ‘Aww shit, why’d you have to say that?’

  *****

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

  Dan remained beneath the shower until all the hot water was used, as the water turned gradually colder and colder he was finally brought out of his thoughts, but even when the water grew ice cold he did not move.

  Dan closed his eyes and terrifying images filled his head. He could see Chloe lying in the grass with blood spilling from her. He could see the dead horses, the buzzing flies. He could see his dead unborn child.

  The rage started to consume him, he could feel it slowly bubbling up from deep within him. Dan had locked his rage in a “safe” in a distant dark corner of his soul, there it had remained, safely locked away.

  The rage started to whisper to him, loving tendrils caressed Dan’s soul, the rage was a seductress in the darkness.

  Dan walked in to the darkness, he allowed the seductive whisper to guide him. The whisper revealed the ‘safe’. Dan thought of Chloe, he thought of his unborn child and the horses. Dan saw the bloody carnage that he was about to unleash. Dan smiled and levered the ‘safe’ open.

  Dan opened his eyes and silenced the jets of icy water. He stepped out of the shower and stood in front of the mirror, he wiped a hand across the misty-wet surface of the mirror.

  Dan stared at his reflection, he leaned in towards the mirror until his eyes were inches from their reflection.

  He smiled coldly.

  ‘There you are.’

  *****

  Dan picked up the cell-phone that he had taken from Dallas. He navigated the handset’s menu until he located the phone’s call-log. Dan located the last number that Dallas had called, he cleared his throat and hit the “dial” button.

  Dan walked through to the kitchen, he got a beer from the fridge, popped the cap and waited for the call to be answered.

  Dan chugged half of the beer in several long swallows before the call was picked up.

  ‘Yeah, what’s taken you so long Dallas, we’re all at the motel waiting...’