Moonlight Warriors: A Tale of Two Hit Men Read Online Free PDF Page A

possible!”  She paused and then added in a calmer voice, “Please stay with them.  If you are patient, Dennis will likely drop our son off at home and then head to the office by himself.  That will be your perfect opportunity.”
    Marcus sighed.  “Very well.  I don’t have anything else planned, so I might as well follow them.”
    “Thank you, goodbye,” Elaine said and hung up.
    Because it was a Saturday and the weather was nice, the zoo was crowded, so Marcus was able to follow the father and son with little chance that they would notice him.
    In spite of Elaine’s assertion that the visit would likely be brief, Dennis and the boy spent about three hours looking at the zoo’s most popular exhibits.
    They walked through the River’s Edge exhibit, a mythic waterway through four continents that featured many animals from around the world in a lush, natural environment.  Hippos glided gracefully underwater while elephants enjoyed a waterfall above them.
    At the Red Rocks exhibit, Marcus especially liked seeing the tigers, lions, and other big cats.  Nearby zebras, antelope, and giraffes wandered in a natural setting.
    Like me, Marcus reflected, those big cats are predators who cannot reach their prey.  They are constrained by physical barriers while I am constrained by my moral code.
    Marcus casually followed the pair into the Fragile Forest area featuring gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans in a naturalized outdoor setting.  Visitors were able to look through large glass windows into the habitat furnished with tall grasses and live trees.
    This zoo has certainly changed a lot through the years, Marcus thought as he recalled a childhood visit to the zoo with his father.  The apes have much nicer living quarters now.
    Marcus smiled as he remembered returning home and telling his mother that he wanted a gorilla for a pet.  He was so insistent that she pretended to call a pet store and order a gorilla.  
    Chuckling at the happy memory, Marcus wandered over to the Lakeside Crossing outdoor restaurant, purchased a Pepsi, and sat drinking it while he waited.
    Meanwhile, the father and son rode the Zooline Railroad over to the 1904 World’s Fair Flight Cage.   After walking through the huge cage and looking at the birds, they headed toward the exit with Marcus following at a distance.
    When they pulled out of the zoo’s parking lot, Marcus was already in his car parked on the nearby lane.  He stayed about a hundred yards behind them as Dennis drove out of Forest Park.  Marcus expected them to head back toward their home in the Central West End neighborhood, but instead Dennis turned onto Highway 40 and drove east.
    Where on God’s earth are they going now?  He speculated about their destination as he followed them across the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River into Illinois.  Marcus considered turning around and driving back home to his condo, but curiosity propelled him forward.  I have nothing better to do this afternoon anyway, he decided.
    Dennis and his son turned onto the driveway of some attractively-landscaped grounds.  Upon spotting the sign that read “Our Lady of the Snows,” Marcus realized that he had arrived at Belleville’s most popular tourist destination.  He had never been here previously, but he had often heard about the impressive Christmas display that the Our Lady of the Snows religious shrine had every year. 
    Marcus chuckled with grim humor.  This is getting worse and worse.  Now Dennis Sandhaven is on holy ground.  I won’t kill anyone in the presence of a child, and I won’t kill a person in a church or on holy ground.
    After parking, Marcus walked past a reflecting pool with a fountain in the center.  The reflecting pool also featured four large copper bells encased in Byzantine turrets that were tolling to signal the start of a new hour.
    He followed Dennis and the boy as they walked through a grove of evergreens and pines.  Marcus had the