Gone South (A Butterscotch Jones Mystery Book 3) by Melanie Jackson Page A
Authors: Melanie Jackson
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to the nearest sturdy - looking tree that appeared to have branches reaching the far side of the gorge.
“I don’t think that’s wise, boss,” one of his henchmen pointed out.
“Then stay behind, you coward,” Jimmy challenged.
Jimmy began to scale the tree with Tony right behind him. He had no idea what happened to the other two, but by the time he took a break to look back, they were gone. As he continued to climb , the roar of the water rushing through the gorge far below became deafening. Still he scrambled onward. He climbed until he arrived at a branch that looked to span the gorge and just brush the earthen embankment on the far side.
Jimmy started to shimmy out onto the branch. That’s when he felt the tree begin to shake violently beneath his cold, wet ass.
“The tree is giving way, Mr. James,” Tony called. “We have to go back before it falls into the gorge.”
Jimmy ignored him and frantically shimmied f a rther out onto the branch. The tree started to lean over the gorge , bringing the far bank closer. All at once the tree roots gave way and his perch began to shift severely. Jimmy was slammed into the far side of the gorge. Thrown from the tree branch, he clawed desperately at the earthen wall before him and miraculously found purchase. Tony wasn’t so lucky.
Only having made it halfway across the branch, Tony was left dangling from the tree when it crashed into the far bank. He tried to pull himself back up, but he was too late. The tree soon broke in half, falling into the gorge to be washed away by the raging waters. To Jimmy’s horror and dismay, Tony was washed away with it.
Jimmy held on to the rock and earth wall, burying his face in the mud to protect himself from the branches of the tree as it broke away. Once the tree was gone, he was left only a few yards from the lip of the gorge.
He easily pulled himself to safety , and after pausing to regain both his breath and his nerves he rose to once more begin tracking his quarry. He had passed beyond a killing rage and entered into a state he thought of as Divine retribution.
Chapter 12
No light had ever been as beautiful as the one shining from Anatoli’s cabin.
“Chuck, we’re here,” I said softly, rousing him from his torpor as we entered t he clearing. If I was exhausted, Chuck had to be whatever it was that came after exhaustion. A walking coma, maybe. But the sight of the shelter and golden light made Chuck smile and pick up his weary feet so that we travel ed at a moderate shuffle instead of a stagger.
I took his hand and managed a smile.
It was over. We were safe.
* * *
Jimmy Nine Toes crawled out from a large grove of poison ivy in which he’d been lying in wait. His clothes were torn and filthy, his left boot was missing, his face and hands were battered and bruised, he was waterlogged and freezing, and his grasp on sanity was tenuous. Though he was physically spent and at his wits ’ end, he forced himself to trudge toward the couple walking up the trail from out of the woods. He wore a crazed smile on his cracked and bleeding lips and carried a 9mm automatic pistol in his fist.
When the couple recognized him, rather than turn and run, the woman dropped down to a sitting position in the middle of the road in exhaustion while the man bent to place his hands on his knees , he was so winded. Jimmy stopped a few yards away and raised his pistol in his shaky hand.
“Alright, enough of this,” the man said, straightening. Jimmy realized that he must be the Mountie though he’d never before seen the man up close. “We know what you want and we’re ready to hand it over.”
Recognizing that he could just as easily wrench what he wanted from the man’s cold dead hand, Jimmy shot him. The Mountie looked surprised when the bullet hit him in the arm. Jimmy was surprised too. He never missed.
The Mountie positioned his hand to cover the wound, but blood poured out around his fingers. He fell
“I don’t think that’s wise, boss,” one of his henchmen pointed out.
“Then stay behind, you coward,” Jimmy challenged.
Jimmy began to scale the tree with Tony right behind him. He had no idea what happened to the other two, but by the time he took a break to look back, they were gone. As he continued to climb , the roar of the water rushing through the gorge far below became deafening. Still he scrambled onward. He climbed until he arrived at a branch that looked to span the gorge and just brush the earthen embankment on the far side.
Jimmy started to shimmy out onto the branch. That’s when he felt the tree begin to shake violently beneath his cold, wet ass.
“The tree is giving way, Mr. James,” Tony called. “We have to go back before it falls into the gorge.”
Jimmy ignored him and frantically shimmied f a rther out onto the branch. The tree started to lean over the gorge , bringing the far bank closer. All at once the tree roots gave way and his perch began to shift severely. Jimmy was slammed into the far side of the gorge. Thrown from the tree branch, he clawed desperately at the earthen wall before him and miraculously found purchase. Tony wasn’t so lucky.
Only having made it halfway across the branch, Tony was left dangling from the tree when it crashed into the far bank. He tried to pull himself back up, but he was too late. The tree soon broke in half, falling into the gorge to be washed away by the raging waters. To Jimmy’s horror and dismay, Tony was washed away with it.
Jimmy held on to the rock and earth wall, burying his face in the mud to protect himself from the branches of the tree as it broke away. Once the tree was gone, he was left only a few yards from the lip of the gorge.
He easily pulled himself to safety , and after pausing to regain both his breath and his nerves he rose to once more begin tracking his quarry. He had passed beyond a killing rage and entered into a state he thought of as Divine retribution.
Chapter 12
No light had ever been as beautiful as the one shining from Anatoli’s cabin.
“Chuck, we’re here,” I said softly, rousing him from his torpor as we entered t he clearing. If I was exhausted, Chuck had to be whatever it was that came after exhaustion. A walking coma, maybe. But the sight of the shelter and golden light made Chuck smile and pick up his weary feet so that we travel ed at a moderate shuffle instead of a stagger.
I took his hand and managed a smile.
It was over. We were safe.
* * *
Jimmy Nine Toes crawled out from a large grove of poison ivy in which he’d been lying in wait. His clothes were torn and filthy, his left boot was missing, his face and hands were battered and bruised, he was waterlogged and freezing, and his grasp on sanity was tenuous. Though he was physically spent and at his wits ’ end, he forced himself to trudge toward the couple walking up the trail from out of the woods. He wore a crazed smile on his cracked and bleeding lips and carried a 9mm automatic pistol in his fist.
When the couple recognized him, rather than turn and run, the woman dropped down to a sitting position in the middle of the road in exhaustion while the man bent to place his hands on his knees , he was so winded. Jimmy stopped a few yards away and raised his pistol in his shaky hand.
“Alright, enough of this,” the man said, straightening. Jimmy realized that he must be the Mountie though he’d never before seen the man up close. “We know what you want and we’re ready to hand it over.”
Recognizing that he could just as easily wrench what he wanted from the man’s cold dead hand, Jimmy shot him. The Mountie looked surprised when the bullet hit him in the arm. Jimmy was surprised too. He never missed.
The Mountie positioned his hand to cover the wound, but blood poured out around his fingers. He fell
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