be watching.
Rice knew exactly what he had to do with the body. When it was all over, the body was buried on the ranch he inherited from his father. No one would ever find him.
No one ever knew what happened that night. The Johnsons always suspected Hunter, but had no proof and were not willing to bring the issue out in the open.
Rice never told anyone, not even Austin. To Austin it was always a puzzle how this person just gave up on the idea of killing him. He always thought that the Johnsons must have called it off.
“What is it you want now?” Austin asked Rice when he saw him approach.
“Just the talk you promised me.”
“What are you talking about?” Austin inquired.
“Remember that day at the hospital? You promised that you would listen to what I have to say.”
“Come in, detective,” Austin finally said.
As they entered the house Rice proceeded to talk.
“I know you want revenge and I don’t blame you. However, you have to be smart about what you do, Mr. Hunter.”
“What do you mean, detective?”
“What I mean is you have to plan those things. Don’t let your emotions dictate your actions. Don’t let your heart guide you, let your brains do it. I know you are an airlines pilot and it must have taken a lot of work and effort to accomplish that, and I am sure you have to be very smart to do what you do, traveling around the world and commanding multi-million-dollar equipment. But this is different. It’s like nothing you ever attempted, so please take my advice. I don’t want to throw you in jail, but if you get sloppy and get caught, you will leave me no choice.
“Why are you telling me this, detective? Is it not your job to try to stop me from going after them?”
“God help me, I would if I knew I could. The truth is I have seen the look in your eyes that day and am convinced that there is no stopping you. It is well known that I have no love affair with the sheriff, but I want you to know that Sheriff Johnson is a mean bastard and nothing is beyond him. He has no doubt that you will be going after his son and nephews and will try everything in his power to stop you. One guarantee I will give you, he will try to kill you first.”
Austin liked this man. There was something reassuring about him, and as much as he really wanted him to stay and talk, he had already planned his evening and that would only complicate and delay matters. Maybe he would have another chance at possibly forming a friendship with the detective, but right now he had to get rid of him. Austin had no idea what a major part of his life this man was going to be.
“Thank you for the advice, detective, but right now I am extremely tired and really need to get some sleep.”
“No problem, I know you need the rest. I will leave you alone, but please think about what I told you.”
When Detective Rice reached the door, he turned to Austin and handed him some keys. “I forgot to tell you, I took the liberty and drove your wife’s Blazer to the police garage. Just let me know when you want to pick it up, I’ll make the arrangements.”
When Austin closed the door he wondered how he totally forgot about his wife’s car, which brought a tear to his eyes.
Austin went hurriedly to his bedroom and changed into black clothing, picked up a small canvas bag and went to town, never noticing the detective’s truck as he drove off.
Austin was engrossed in thought with a hint of a smile on his lips. He had spent most of the three days since his family died doing nothing but planning and preparing. He even snuck into a construction site and helped himself to some explosives. It was unbelievably easy to search the Internet for bomb-building instructions. He had already made a trip to a distant nondescript electronics store and purchased a tiny receiver and transmitter. He would have rather picked that up from a pawn shop but could not afford to waste his time searching for what he needed. He did make sure to pay with cash, though.
The plans were already made. What a surprise this town and this county were going to have if things go according to his plans. He hoped nothing would go wrong. He knew that to the best of his abilities, he did not leave anything to chance. He was sure he was not very good at this, but he tried to think of everything. He even plugged in his old computer’s hard drive and did his research, and when he was done, unhooked it and took it to the garbage dump after breaking it apart. He was sure the day would come when the authorities would check his computer for evidence and he did not want them to have any.
Be smart, he was told, wondering if he really was smart enough. He was new at this. He tried to think of all the angles and hoped that he was good enough to fulfill his promise. What happens after that did not really concern him. He really did not care.
CHAPTER FIVE
Every Friday and Saturday night the local honky-tonk was full, and today was no exception. The place was full but the customers inside were not in a festive mood. They had all - or most of them - just come from the funeral. Today they came not to have fun but to be with each other, comfort one another and maybe find some solace in being together. Even the Johnson boys were there, although not for the same reasons.
“What nerve those boys have,” people were whispering to each other, “and on this day in particular.” Randy and his cousins were drinking beer excessively, shouting and hollering. They would look people in the eye and laugh.
“Nobody can hurt us, we own this town,” Randy would shout with Jeffrey and David cheering him on and downing more beer. Everyone was watching the “three hoodlums” with disgust. Their screams and shouts carried a tone of celebration.
With everyone’s attention on the boys, they did not notice the man dressed in black come in and go straight toward the bathroom. He just stood there in the shadows.
With all the beer they were drinking, the man in black figured, it won’t be long before one of the boys has to use the bathroom, and as much as he wanted it to be the oldest of the three, it was Jeffrey who came first. As soon as he entered the bathroom, everyone inside walked out. No one wanted to be in the same place with one of the boys, even in a bathroom.
Austin was a little disappointed that it was not Randy, but figured what he was about to do would have the same effect, but not the same satisfaction. As he started coming out of the shadows to follow Jeffrey in, another patron walked in, obviously not knowing that one of the Johnson boys was in there, and by the time he realized it and walked out, it was too late for Austin. He had lost the element of surprise and gently walked back to his corner, concealing himself again.
Damn this luck, Austin thought. Would he have to alter his plans? Would he have to take a chance and try this at another time or make other plans?
With the amounts of beer those boys were downing, he knew that it wouldn’t be long before another one would show up, hence his decision to stay put and take another chance as long as he was not discovered.
His other choice was to wait there until Randy showed up; he was no longer satisfied with any of the other boys. He decided that going for the biggest fish first would make a bigger splash, and he definitely wanted to send a message.
It seemed that Randy had the biggest bladder of the three. After what seemed like an eternity, and watching the other two boys come and go, Randy finally started staggering toward the bathroom. It seemed as if the patrons were keeping their attention on the boys, especially Randy, as Austin watched their eyes follow him until he walked off and switched their attention to the other two boys. This time no one followed and a couple walked out in haste.
Austin walked in a few seconds after Randy and very quietly locked the door and approached him from behind. Randy felt the movement and turned half way while he was still urinating. When he saw who it was, he went white. The effect of all that alcohol just dissipated and before he could make a sound, Austin slapped a piece of duct tape on his mouth. With both hands busy, Randy could not prevent it from