DeadEarth: Mr. 44 Magnum Read Online Free PDF Page B

with.
    She made her way back to the entrance and
poked her head out. Rikka was still holding her ground a few yards
from the staircase. Shade rejoined her sister, nodding that the
deed was done. Rikka returned the gesture, then turned to face the
entrance to the living room. Shade took her position directly
behind her. She placed a firm hand on Rikka’s left shoulder and,
before she had a chance to think, squeezed. Immediately, Rikka
stepped into the room and pivoted left once she was through the
doorway. Shade was on her heels, covering the right side of the
living room. Two shots rang out from Rikka’s unsuppressed pistol
followed by two pffft from Shade’s.
    “Clear left,” Rikka called.
    “Clear…” Shade’s voice faltered. She caught
sight of the man she had shot. The bullet holes in his chest were
illuminated by the flickering light from the TV. His eyes were
opened, staring in shock as blood dribbled down his chin. She made
the mistake of locking eyes with him. She watched the struggle in
his gaze as he clung to life with every fiber of his being. His
short and labored breaths filled her ears, reminding her of the
senseless murder committed by her father two months ago.
    Shade’s vision blurred as she let her pistol
fall to her side. She was no longer in the house. Instead, she was
back in the barn, watching with fervent hope as Puppy galloped
across the grazing field.
    Then the gunshots sounded.
    Puppy screamed. His legs gave out and he
collided with the ground with an audible thud. His legs kicked and
his body bucked as he tried valiantly to climb to his feet. But the
pain was too great. He fell back to his side and lay there, panting
heavily.
    “No,” Shade murmured as she took a hesitant
step towards the fallen horse. “Puppy!”
    She sprinted across the barren field, falling
to her knees when she got to Pup. With wide eyes, she looked him
over. All three bullets struck his stomach. Blood oozed from the
wound and pooled on the ground, soaking the knees of Shade’s pants.
He’s going to die, she thought. What do I do? I can’t save him. I
can’t…
    Shade shook her head, banishing the fear that
entranced her. She eased closer to Puppy and cupped her hands over
the wound. Warm blood oozed from between her fingers and down her
wrist as she applied pressure. Puppy whined, but didn’t move. Shade
looked at him. His deep brown eyes were focused on her, silently
pleading for her to make the pain go away.
    Staring into his eyes, Shade lost it
again.
    She turned back to her dad and sisters. “Call
the doctor,” she screamed, her voice shrill and coarse. “Please.
Please. We can still save him. Call the…”

    She snapped out of her daze and searched the
room. Rikka was saying something to her, but all she could hear was
Puppy’s scream. Dropping her weapon, she ran over to the man still
fighting for his life.
    “Just hold on. Everything’s going to be…”
    Bang.
    Blood and brain matter splatted up on Shade’s
face and in her mouth as the man and the chair he was sitting in
flew backwards. Startled, she jerked back, tripping over the corner
of the ornate rug. She hit the floor hard and scurried away from
the man and the gaping hole where his left eye should have
been.
    Shade backed into a pair of legs and stopped.
She looked up to find the barrel of a .44 Magnum revolver aimed at
her.
    “I’m afraid you’re not clear on the right,
doll.”
     

Chapter 5: “Every three days, someone
disappears.”

    Mr. .44 Magnum’s cowboy boots hammered the
hardwood floor with every step he took. He paced back and forth,
occasionally rubbing his hand across his greying, stubbly chin as
he considered the situation. He was old—late fifties, at least, but
wore it well. Despite the times they found themselves in, his eyes
were bright and blue, though could turn cold in an instant, much
like Rikka’s. His face was caked in sweat and dirt, extenuating the
deep wrinkles of a rough life. His most notable