Free Rise of The Iron Eagle (The Iron Eagle Series Book 1) by Roy A. Teel Jr. Page B

a good chance that you wouldn’t be here to talk to us about this at all. Did you hear anything? Breathing, footsteps, a voice.” He just shook his head. “Not a thing, sirs. I just came to, and I was lying on the floor next to the body.”
    He sat for a few seconds, and then he said, “I’m still a little groggy, but now that you mention it, it might have been a dream, but I thought I heard the sound of choking or gagging when I was starting to come to.” They both went back to the office where the body was and each touched the corpse. “He’s still warm,” Steve said. “The son of a bitch killed him here.” Jim looked out the window that was behind Roskowski’s desk. It looked out over First Street which intersected with Coston. There was an empty lot with heavy ground cover between the school and the street at the corner of First and Coston. He looked at his watch; it was one fifteen a.m. He motioned to Steve to follow him. The two men left the room and walked out into the hall.
    “He’s still here!” Steve looked at Jim’s face; it was grave. “The Eagle?” Jim nodded. “Where?” “The corner of First and Coston.” “Did you see something?” Jim shook his head, “I just have a hunch. “Okay… I’ll exit toward First and you exit toward Coston. We will work our way up and meet at the corner.” Steve pulled out his weapon. Jim motioned, “No…don’t pull the gun. If you go out armed, the choppers are going to pick you up. Take off your windbreaker; just walk out calmly and cross the street. I’ll do the same.” The two separated, and Steve hit First before Jim even got out of the building.
    He started walking the street, staying in the shadows. He had a perfect view of the school as he walked and of the office where Roskowski’s body remained. He tried to look down the Coston side, but he couldn’t see Jim. He figured he was doing the same shadow play that he was doing. As he approached the corner of First and Coston, he noticed an overgrown clump of dark bushes and trees that were on the empty corner lot. He reached into his jacket and pulled his weapon. He moved deeper into the brush, out of the light of the school and street lamps, until there was almost no light. He heard a rustle behind him, and he jumped, jerking his weapon toward the bushes behind him. A rat scurried from one of the bushes and headed toward the street. His heart was pounding, and he lowered his weapon when suddenly he felt an arm reach out and grab him by the throat, disarming him with the other hand. He was in a choke hold; there was nothing he could do. The arm was massive and pressed his face into the grass and weeds of the lot.
    “I intended for you to come looking for me.” The voice was disguised but not the way it sounded on the video. “Detective O’Brian can’t be far behind.” Steve felt the arms pulling him back away from the lights of the school, away from safety. He felt the ground change over from dirt and weeds to asphalt. His weapon was taken and the choke hold released. He was laying face down on the ground. He heard rustling in the bushes ahead of him, but it was too far off, and he dared not make a sound. “Special Agent Hoffman, I want to apologize for killing Mr. Mullin. I know you two were close, but he was a bad person who had done and had knowledge of others who had done even worse things.” Steve moved to turn from his stomach, and he was greeted by a towering figure dressed all in black. There were no discernible features, and he was not acting threatening in any manner. He was just standing there looking at him. Steve raised his hand to his throat and coughed. The dark figure raised a finger to his face as a gesture of silence. Steve asked, “Why did you kill my friend?” There was no movement. “It’s complicated.” Steve felt a little more bold and said, “He knew you, didn’t he?” His voice was hoarse from the choke hold, and he was keeping his voice low as not to end