Search and Destroy Read Online Free PDF

her neck and lowered it to the floor.
    “Damn, girl, you’ve been banged up real good. I’d better call 911 and get you to a hospital.” He gave her the once-over again, his eyes stopping when he saw the gash in her jeans over her right thigh, the blood seeping from a long graze beneath. He gently pulled back the torn denim. “This looks like a bullet wound… not deep…” His eyes narrowed. “What happened out there?”
    “My brother and his boyfriend… somebody killed them…”
    She saw the brothers exchange a quick glance.
    “We need to leave,” croaked Andrea. “Those men might still be after me!”
    “Which men? Why are they after you?” asked Clay.
    “I don’t know who they are. They just appeared out of nowhere. They…they shot Greg and Bruce.”
    “Did you see these men? What they looked like?” Clay’s deep voice rumbled like desert thunder in her ears.
    “Not really, just one of them. With a machine gun. He had some kind of headset on. Like a…” She cupped both hands in front of her eyes.
    “Night-vision goggles?”
    Andrea nodded. “I think so. He looked like a giant bug in the dark.”
    “Where were you when this happened?”
    Again she motioned vaguely towards the hills. “Up by the Power-lines Overlook.”
    Danny looked at his brother, a quizzical expression on his face.
    “A few miles up into the hills,” Clay responded.
    “What were you doing up there?”
    Andrea looked at Danny. She suddenly realised that his accent was Scottish. He was as far away from home as she was.
    “My name’s Andrea Chambers, I’m a journalist. I’m doing a story on the saucer community.” She almost laughed at how ridiculously inane it sounded.
    “Have you been trying to sneak into Area 51?” asked Clay.
    Andrea winced as she shook her head. “No, we were just on the tourist trail. I talked to a few of the sky-watchers this afternoon, that’s all.”
    “You’re talking about someone with military kit. The only military out here are the camo-dudes. They guard the perimeter of Groom Lake and Area 51. Those guys just shoo you off the land. The most anyone has suffered at their hands is a trip to the sheriff’s office and a hefty fine.”
    Danny moved in and began wiping dried blood from Andrea’s face with a wet dishcloth. “What if it wasn’t military? There are plenty of whackos out there. What if they came to the desert to off a few of the saucer-heads for fun?”
    Clay shrugged, noncommittal. “Back home in Texas you hear about locals killing Mexican border jumpers. Maybe this was the same thing—Nevada-style. But…”
    “What?”
    Clay turned to Andrea. “They shot the men you were with? I’m sorry to ask, but was it professionally done?”
    Andrea swallowed. “It was quick, if that’s what you mean.”
    “And they only winged your leg? Sounds like maybe they didn’t want you out, just down.”
    “You thinking collection team?” Danny grimaced.
    “Whatever they were after, we’d best be moving on. Just in case. We can make the town of Rachel in about forty minutes. We can call the police from there.”
    “What about your cell phone? We can call from here…”
    “There’s hardly any reception, but I’ll give it a go.” Clay tapped in the three digits, then shook his head, turning the phone so Andrea could see the NO SERVICE error message.
    “It was worth a shot. You drive and I’ll keep trying with the phone,” said Danny.
    Clay nodded. Andrea watched as he slipped his bulk into the driver’s seat and started the engine. The diesel motor rumbled like an agricultural machine but moved out smoothly onto the blacktop.
    Danny came and sat beside her, and began cleaning her wounds. “Tell me what happened. From the beginning, in detail.” His eyes were not unkind, and there was a palpable strength in his demeanour that made her feel suddenly safe.
    She sobbed as she recounted the night’s events.
    “I know it’s hard, but the more we know, the more we can help