Gun Lake Read Online Free PDF

in the crawl space,” Kurt said.
    “I’m not gettin’ in there,” Craig said.
    “Shut up and go. It’s cement. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
    “Why?”
    But just then they heard a door open upstairs, and Kurt pointed a finger up to the crawl space as he reached to turn off the lights. He only heard heavy breathing and boxes and bags shuffling as they crawled up into the three-foot crawl space that made up half of the basement space. Kurt scooted on hands and knees and plowed into what felt like an empty suitcase. Craig said something, and Kurt told him to keep his mouth shut.
    “Get behind something.”
    “What?” Craig asked.
    “They’re going to come down here,” Kurt said in a whisper.
    “Why?”
    “’Cause we left the television on.”
    Lonnie cursed and Kurt told him to shut up.
    They lay crouched in darkness, Kurt hiding behind something that shielded him from view. He hoped. He wondered if the other two were doing the same.
    They didn’t say anything as they listened to steps above them and voices. The sounds of the movie could be faintly heard until someone shut it off. More voices having a conversation. More steps. Doors opening. More voices.
    don’t let this go bad please don’t let it go bad it can’t go bad
    Kurt thought about the time and figured it to be around ten o’clock. They had close to forty-five minutes before they needed to get out of here.
    Then the door to the basement opened and the voices floated down to the crawl space.
    “Just check it,” a woman’s voice said.
    Kurt cursed in his mind. A couple. A husband and a wife. This could be ugly.
    What was Rita thinking, bringing us here?
    The basement lights came on, and Kurt found himself behind several boxes of what felt like books. He looked to his right and saw Lonnie flat on the concrete floor behind bags of something, perhaps Christmas decorations. He couldn’t see Craig.
    “It’s probably just the satellite acting up.” The voice sounded older, nervous, unsure.
    “Just go down there,” the woman said.
    Don’t do it
.
    And then, steps coming down. A creak. Footsteps on the basement floor.
    Kurt then thought of two things simultaneously.
    The photo of the three children upstairs in the bedroom. And the Smith & Wesson revolver Lonnie had taken a special liking toward, the same revolver that tucked snugly against his jeans.
    The same revolver he had used to shoot the woman at the Harman’s sporting-goods store.

10
    THIS WAS NOT THE WAY it was supposed to be.
    Do you hear that, God? Can you hear these thoughts right now? I know you can. So help me out a little
.
    Michelle Meier guided her Jeep Cherokee down the side street, noting the parked cars she passed. She knew the vicinity and that was about it. But enough was enough, and if she had to check out every single car like a city officer dying to hand out tickets, so be it. This was probably the seventh street she had coasted down. All lined with parked cars on each side, all edging apartment buildings and condos. The street dead-ended, so Michelle turned the Jeep around and drove back to the main street.
    The phone rang, and she flipped it open to see her husband’s name pop up.
    “Any luck?” Ted Meier asked without even a hello.
    “No.”
    “You sure you want to do this? Maybe I should—”
    “I’m sure,” Michelle said.
    “Chicago is a big city.”
    “It’s around here somewhere. I had to pick him up from her place once. Remember?”
    “It’s ten o’clock,” her husband said.
    “Yeah, I can see. But that’s early down here.”
    “How do you know Jared’s even there?”
    “He’s here. And I’ll find him. I’m bringing him home.”
    “Michelle—”
    “I’m not mad at you,” she said. “I’m not blaming this on you traveling.”
    “I know. But why tonight?”
    “He still has to obey our rules. As long as he’s living under our roof.”
    Because in a little while—two more months, to be precise—he’s going to be