Kim Oh 2: Real Dangerous Job (The Kim Oh Thrillers) Read Online Free PDF Page B

yourself.” The mud around Cole’s wheelchair was littered with cigarette butts. “You hit it a few times. If McIntyre’s guarded by sheets of plywood, you’ll be able to take out some of them.”
     
    I shook my head, feeling discouraged. “I’m just not getting any better at this.”
     
    “That’s because you’re shooting at a piece of wood. Now try shooting at McIntyre.”
     
    “He isn’t here.”
     
    “Lucky for him,” said Cole. “Because if he were, he’d be a dead man. Give it a try.”
     
    “Give what a try?”
     
    “You gotta see McIntyre over there.” Cole nodded toward the quarry wall. “I can show you everything you need to know. I can show you how to aim, I can show you how to control your breath, how to keep your hand from shaking, the whole bit. But it’s not going to do any good, as long as you don’t see what you want to hit.”
     
    I didn’t say anything, but just listened to him.
     
    “You didn’t come this far to blow away plywood. You want to get McIntyre. Okay, then let’s do it.”
     
    I raised the assault rifle and braced myself, feet spread apart in the mud.
     
    “Take your time,” Cole said quietly. “You won’t have time when it really comes down – but right now you got time.”
     
    His voice had taken on a smooth, hypnotic quality. I brought my eye to the assault rifle’s sight.
     
    “Okay, you gotta see him. Right there in front of you.”
     
    I locked on the target. I couldn’t even hear the crows any longer.
     
    “He’s right there in front of you. He’s looking back at you. And he’s smiling.”
     
    All I heard was Cole’s voice.
     
    “He’s right there, just the way he was the last time you ever saw him. When he said that you were shit . . . that you were nothing . . . that he was throwing you out in the alley like a sack of trash . . .”
     
    My breath stopped. I could feel my face turning hard as stone.
     
    “He’s right there. You can see him. And what are you going to do about it?”
     
    I don’t know if I saw McIntyre or not. Maybe I just saw his smile. But my hand tightened on the assault rifle’s grip, squeezing the trigger . . .
     
    A moment later, I could hear Cole’s voice again.
     
    “Nice job.”
     
    I lowered the rifle. In the distance, at the far wall of the quarry, there wasn’t a piece of plywood, pocked with a few bullet holes. Not anymore. Now there were just splinters scattered across the rocks and mud.
     
    “That is . . . for a beginner.”
     
    I looked over at him. “Screw you.”
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    FIVE
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    While Cole and I were having so much fun out in the rock quarry, doing head trips and blowing away our imaginary ex-boss, other things were going on back in the city. Things that weren’t so much fun, that we heard about later. Much later.
     
    After we had left the warehouse, Monica had gone to work. Over at that sleazy club where I had first seen her.
     
    Places like that, the management expects the girls to not just dance, but to socialize with the customers as well. Which is one term for it.
     
    Middle of the day shift, not a lot of customers in the place. There was one big fella sitting by himself in one of the booths, hunched over his drink, back turned toward the empty stage. In her working outfit, Monica had gone over to him and draped her arm across his wide shoulders.
     
    “Feeling lonely, pal?” That was how conversations were started there. “Maybe you’d like to chat with me. Hm?”
     
    When he swung his coarse-shaven face up toward her, she recognized him. It was Michael.
     
    “Sure thing.” He caught her wrist and pulled her down into the booth beside him. “Yeah, let’s . . . talk .”
     
    He took a sip of the beer in front of him, then turned and regarded her again. “So how’s things been, Monica?”
     
    “Fine.” She rubbed her bruised wrist. “Couldn’t be better.”
     
    “You know –” He looked