Borderland Read Online Free PDF Page A

she did
have her suspicions, her manipulating former mother-in-law was behind all of
this. She wouldn't put it past—
    To her
left, a door clicked shut. Myra whirled from the window. " Cal ?"
    There
was no answer. Myra groped for the wall and flicked on the light above the
sink. On the bar separating the kitchen from the living area lay Darwin 's pistol. Cal and the shotgun were
gone.
    "Dammit!" Myra turned
off the light and snatched up the pistol. As she slipped out the door she
caught a glimpse of white T-shirt, Cal's, moving toward the house. She hurried
after him, afraid to call out and attract unwanted attention, but more afraid
of what would happen if she didn't catch up and stop him.
    Halfway
between the house and her mobile home a pair of blinding headlights froze her
in her tracks. When she heard the revving of an engine she shouted for Cal to run. The car shot
across the ground toward her, and still blind, she raised the pistol and began
firing in the direction of the headlights.
    After
firing four rounds she felt the air leave her lungs as someone rammed into her
and sent her rolling across the gravel drive. The left front tire of the car
passed within a foot of her worn running shoes as she rose up, gasping and
blinking. Cal scrambled to stand beside her and pointed the shotgun as the car spun around in
front of the house and headed back toward them. The kick of unleashing both
barrels sent his wiry frame crashing back into Myra , causing her to nearly bite through her lower lip. One
headlight gone, the car swerved and sprayed both of them with gravel as they
scooted back on hands and feet over the sharp-edged rocks. The car continued to
swerve, as if it were out of control, then it suddenly straightened and sped
down the drive toward the road.
    Mother
and son watched breathlessly, waiting for the next assault. When it didn't
come, Cal got
slowly to his feet and extended a hand to help Myra .
    "Did
you see who it was?" she gasped.
    "No.
Did you?"
    "I
was too busy peeing my pants," she said. "What kind of car do you
think it was?"
    "I
don't know. A big one. Maybe a Cadillac?"
    Myra shook her head and filled her lungs. "Don't ask me. I
don't know cars." She turned to look at the house. "If they weren't
here to steal Darwin 's satellite dish or things in the house, what do you
suppose they were doing?"
    "I
didn't say they were in the house," Cal clarified. "I said they were by the house. I don't
know what they were doing. Just sitting in the car and watching, I guess. I
wonder why they came after you and not me."
    Myra thought she knew the answer, but she said nothing. If
Patrick's mother was indeed behind this, then Myra was the target, not Cal . Once she was out of the way...
    "Let's
go in now," she said suddenly. "I really did pee my pants and I'm
bleeding in a dozen different places from that gravel. Are you okay?"
    "Fine," Cal said. He
took her by the arm and began walking toward the trailer. "I think we
surprised 'em with the firepower. I know you busted the windshield, but I got
the headlight."
    That
reminded Myra .
"I ought to kick your behind for going out in the first place. I said no
and I meant it. Both of us could've been killed."
    "You're
shaking," Cal observed.
    "No
kidding," Myra said. "I mean it, Cal . No more playing commando with these people. This isn't a
game."
    "I know
that, Mom. But I feel better. I feel like we did something. Don't you?"
    Myra hurried their steps. "I feel like we took a stupid
risk and barely escaped being fly fodder in the drive. I've got strawberries
all the way up my thigh and I think I bit my lip in two."
    Cal chuckled and she turned and lightly smacked his arm.
"Don't you dare laugh at me."
    He
opened the trailer door for her and stood back to let her enter. "I wasn't
laughing at you. I was just thinking of how you looked when you were facing down
that car and firing that pistol. I wish I had it on camera. You reminded me
of..." He paused as Myra turned on the living-room