before he was killed. Mother fuck.
Lyod had to pull over about fifteen minutes later. He was shaking so hard he hurt , and he realized he was sobbing. He’d never been so terrified in his life. And there was no way he was going back to that house, even if Ansell held a gun to his head. Enough was enough. Picking up the phone with shaking hands, he had to put it down again, unable to press any buttons. Ten minutes after pulling over, he was back on the road again, having come to some major decisions.
“I’m done.” He felt better hearing his own voice in the sedan. “I’m going to clean out my safe, take my money and anything else I can get my hands on before tonight, and I’m fucking out of here.”
He had a great deal of ready money where he could get to it without hitting the bank. It would have been stupid of him to have put it all in any place where it could have been traced back to him. Lyod had taken precautions in the event of an emergency. He was pretty sure this was a first-class emergency. First things first, he had to get things squared away at home and take care that his ex-wife got nothing from the house. And if he was to return, he wanted to make sure that there wouldn’t be a firing squad there waiting for him. His personal checking account was always nearly empty, just the way he thought it should be. He had all his cash in places all over the house and yard. He was set.
“Then when I have everything ready, I’m going to drop off this planet like I was never here , and never hear of Ansell or Thornton ever again.” He wasn’t sure it would be that easy, but he was willing to try. This place had gotten way too nuts.
When he pulled into his drive , he felt a good deal better. He’d thought of leaving and what he’d be leaving behind, and tried to think of another way to get Thornton to Ansell. While he was still scared shitless, he knew on some level that what he’d seen wasn’t real. “Who changes into a wolf and a lion? No one. They might have drugged me or did one of those hypnosis things with my mind.”
Not that he really believed that , but he was willing to believe anything over a man changing into a wolf. Moving to his bedroom, he stripped off his clothing and stepped into his shower. The sooner he got the stench off him the better he’d feel. An hour later, he was standing in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee when his cell phone rang.
“There are three meetings for after lunch that I’ve tried to change. The one with the mayor is set , and he said if you’re not there that he’ll find someone who will be. What would you like to do about it?” Lyod told her he’d make it. “The meeting with your ex-wife’s lawyer is mandatory. He said if you missed this one, he would drag this out for years by taking you to court every few weeks until she gets what she wants. And there is a meeting with a man by the name of Kaleb Jonas. I’ve looked him up. There is not a lot about him, but I was able to find that he’s affluent and has been noted as something of a humanitarian. My sources say that he donated the money to have the library redone.”
“Cancel the one with the lawyer. I’ve won this one , and she’ll just have to get over it. As for Jonas, did he say what he wanted?”
“Just that he wanted to speak to you.” What harm could it do really? Lyod told her to keep that one as well. “What time will you be in?”
“Soon. I have a couple of things to see to about a case. Then I’ll be in. Should be there….” He looked at the clock on the wall, surprised to see it was only just after nine. “I’ll be there by eleven. Hold down the fort until then.”
After hanging up , he poured himself some fresh coffee and sat down at the computer in the kitchen. He was just pulling up information on Jonas when his cell phone rang. When he saw who it was, he ignored it. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to his ex-wife right now.
By the time he’d started his journey to the
Lyod had to pull over about fifteen minutes later. He was shaking so hard he hurt , and he realized he was sobbing. He’d never been so terrified in his life. And there was no way he was going back to that house, even if Ansell held a gun to his head. Enough was enough. Picking up the phone with shaking hands, he had to put it down again, unable to press any buttons. Ten minutes after pulling over, he was back on the road again, having come to some major decisions.
“I’m done.” He felt better hearing his own voice in the sedan. “I’m going to clean out my safe, take my money and anything else I can get my hands on before tonight, and I’m fucking out of here.”
He had a great deal of ready money where he could get to it without hitting the bank. It would have been stupid of him to have put it all in any place where it could have been traced back to him. Lyod had taken precautions in the event of an emergency. He was pretty sure this was a first-class emergency. First things first, he had to get things squared away at home and take care that his ex-wife got nothing from the house. And if he was to return, he wanted to make sure that there wouldn’t be a firing squad there waiting for him. His personal checking account was always nearly empty, just the way he thought it should be. He had all his cash in places all over the house and yard. He was set.
“Then when I have everything ready, I’m going to drop off this planet like I was never here , and never hear of Ansell or Thornton ever again.” He wasn’t sure it would be that easy, but he was willing to try. This place had gotten way too nuts.
When he pulled into his drive , he felt a good deal better. He’d thought of leaving and what he’d be leaving behind, and tried to think of another way to get Thornton to Ansell. While he was still scared shitless, he knew on some level that what he’d seen wasn’t real. “Who changes into a wolf and a lion? No one. They might have drugged me or did one of those hypnosis things with my mind.”
Not that he really believed that , but he was willing to believe anything over a man changing into a wolf. Moving to his bedroom, he stripped off his clothing and stepped into his shower. The sooner he got the stench off him the better he’d feel. An hour later, he was standing in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee when his cell phone rang.
“There are three meetings for after lunch that I’ve tried to change. The one with the mayor is set , and he said if you’re not there that he’ll find someone who will be. What would you like to do about it?” Lyod told her he’d make it. “The meeting with your ex-wife’s lawyer is mandatory. He said if you missed this one, he would drag this out for years by taking you to court every few weeks until she gets what she wants. And there is a meeting with a man by the name of Kaleb Jonas. I’ve looked him up. There is not a lot about him, but I was able to find that he’s affluent and has been noted as something of a humanitarian. My sources say that he donated the money to have the library redone.”
“Cancel the one with the lawyer. I’ve won this one , and she’ll just have to get over it. As for Jonas, did he say what he wanted?”
“Just that he wanted to speak to you.” What harm could it do really? Lyod told her to keep that one as well. “What time will you be in?”
“Soon. I have a couple of things to see to about a case. Then I’ll be in. Should be there….” He looked at the clock on the wall, surprised to see it was only just after nine. “I’ll be there by eleven. Hold down the fort until then.”
After hanging up , he poured himself some fresh coffee and sat down at the computer in the kitchen. He was just pulling up information on Jonas when his cell phone rang. When he saw who it was, he ignored it. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to his ex-wife right now.
By the time he’d started his journey to the
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