The Last Martin Read Online Free PDF Page A

full throat, and oozes foam. He’s clearly fresh from a kill and hungry for more.
    I’d forgotten about Tripod, the three-legged terror.
    Dad laughs and squirts him with wiper fluid — it has no effect on the already soggy beast. But the wipers catch him across the neck and he recoils, hypnotized by the back-and-forth motion of the blades.
    “Are you coming, Martin?” Dad reaches back and slaps my shoulder.
    I point at the dazed creature. “It might be best if I stay with Lani.”
    Dad looks into me and sighs. I sigh too. Because something inside me wants to throw open my door. Not to watch Tripod sink teeth into my thigh — I could skipthat part — but to be on the same side of the glass asDad. To look back at Mom’s terrified face. That view would almost be worth the stitches.
    “Hey!” Lani points. “We’re saved!”
    A huge tractor chugs toward us with Uncle Landis sitting high. Tripod leaps off the Suburban and scampers beside him. Moments later, Dad and Landis exchange backslaps, drop to the mud, and stretch chains from our vehicle to Landis’s rig.
    “That should do it!” Dad hops back in, ten shades muddier and a good deal cheerier. The Suburban jerks forward and plows through mud to the farmhouse.
    Mom turns toward Lani. “Vagrants.”
    Dad glances over his shoulder. “Family.”
    The rain has stopped. We ease out. From the porch, the screen door slams and Aunt Jenny waddles toward Mom.
    “So good to see all of you. Elaina, you look wonderful.” She wipes bloody drippings onto her apron and clasps Mom’s hands. Mom goes white, pastes on a smile, and pulls away.
    “And look at you,” she says, her voice breaks. “How are you feeling? Baby Boy Boyle will be here in no time.”
    Jenny rubs her stomach and beams.
    Mom stares at her bloody hands and gags. “Would you mind if I used the ladies’ room?”
    Uncle Landis jumps off the tractor and spatters Lani with mud. “No problem. Septic is down, so you’ll have to use the back-up.”
    “Back-up?” Mom looks around.
    Landis points. “Outhouse. Follow that trail a piece and you’ll see ‘er. Should be a roll of paper on the.22.”
    “We’ll all wait inside, Elaina.” Jenny glances from me to Lani. “Except for your two beautiful kids. A wonderful mucky day like this? I’m sure you two want to get dirty.” She smiles at me. “We’ll call you for lunch and you can get washed up for the graveyard.”
    “Actually,” I say, “I wouldn’t mind —”
    “Exploring with Lani.” Dad raises his eyebrows.
    “Well, yeah. Right. Exploring with Lani.” I exhale hard, nod to Lani, who’s still busy flecking dirt off her face, and we step gingerly toward the barn.
    “Shoo!”
    We freeze at Mom’s distant scream. Footsteps slap wet ground. She reappears, gun and toilet paper in hand. Mom straightens and throws back her hair. “It is black and small and toothy.”
    “Oh, the mink. Landis, you didn’t mention Stinker.” Jenny shakes her head. “Don’t know why that crazy critter made a nest beneath the outhouse, but it’s harmless.”
    A silence descends. It’s the silence of Mom’s wrath. She drops the gun, her hands shoot to her hips, and she begins to puff. Bigger and bigger, like a balloon. Lanipeeks at me. She knows what I know — Mom will burst and it won’t be pretty.
    The Barn Owl clenches her teeth, draws a screechy breath through her nose, and parts pursed lips —
    “Come on in, Brother!” Landis throws his arm around Dad and they tromp toward the porch. Jenny whistles for Tripod and follows. That leaves us and Mom and a loaded gun.
    I grab Lani’s arm. “Time to leave.”

    “How long do we need to stand here?”
    Lani looks at me, then back at the cow. We’ve been frozen by this bovine for near an hour, hands shoved deep in our pockets. Bessy hasn’t moved. We won’t either.
    “Until the lunch bell. Seems like a safe, clean place, right?” I peek at Lani. “Unless you
want
to explore.”
    Lani shakes her