Free Killer Instincts v5 by Jack Badelaire Page B

shock him. I've never met a more unshockable person in my life."
    “This is getting weirder by the minute.”
    Jamie smiled, then turned to look up at the sky. "Ah, here he comes."
    I looked through the windshield and made out a white speck gradually approaching the airfield from the south. Within a minute the speck grew into a small twin-engined passenger jet, and soon it was taxiing around at the end of the runway, the pilot already aligning the jet so that it was ready for takeoff after refueling.
    The passenger ramp lowered to the ground, and I had my first glimpse of Richard. He was tall, a little over six feet, with the lean, lanky frame of a cowboy. He was wearing a light gray suit and a white cowboy hat with a black band. As he approached the Jeep he kept his right hand down by his side, angled behind his leg, and it took me a moment to realize what he was doing.
    "Jesus Christ, he's got a gun..." I whispered to Jamie.
    "Just be cool. I told you, he's a bit paranoid. Once he scopes us out, he'll put it away. All the same though, keep your hands where he can see them."
    "You're not comforting me much."
    Richard walked up to the driver's side window and leaned down to peer inside.
    "Howdy, Lynch. You're looking well."
    Richard had a long, weathered face, clean-shaven with sandy brown hair and cold blue eyes surrounded by a surplus of crow's feet. He appeared to be around sixty, but he was obviously in good shape and carried himself with authority. He reminded me of a grizzled lawman, perhaps past his prime but still fast on the draw and more than a match for any two-bit criminal who might try their hand against him. But, when he looked past Jamie and made eye contact with me, I felt instead like I was looking into the eyes of a prairie lion a moment before it tore my face off with a casual flick of its paw.
    "This can't be the client. When'd you take up babysitting? Times get that tough?"
    Jamie glanced my way. "Richard, this is my nephew William. He wants to hire you."
    Richard looked from Jamie back to me again, his eyes narrowing slightly in scrutiny. I felt myself flush, embarrassed.
    "You don't say."
    Jamie reached for the ignition with his right hand while pointing his left thumb towards the back seat. "Hop in, Richard. We've got a lot to talk about."
    Richard took a step back, then a couple of steps to his right, eyeballing the back seat and the cargo bed of the Cherokee. Satisfied that there wasn't anyone laying in wait for him, Richard got in behind Jamie, but kept his pistol, a big stainless steel automatic, in hand.
    "Alright Lynch, you've got three hours. Then the pilot's going to assume I'm dead."
    "It's a five minute drive, Richard. I'll have you back before you're presumed KIA."
    Jamie drove to a small bar and grill just outside of town. No one spoke during the course of the five minute car ride, and I didn't dare look back, not even using the rearview mirror. I kept imagining that big pistol pointing at my back, and just hoped we didn't hit any large bumps along the way.
    We pulled into the restaurant’s driveway and parked as far from the building as possible. I saw Jamie look at Richard in the rear view mirror.
    "This will be a little less awkward if you put the gun away before we go inside."
    Richard opened his door, stepped out and looked around, shielding his gun from view by keeping it inside the Jeep's cab. When he was satisfied nothing was awry, he holstered the pistol and adjusted his suit coat.
    "Just being practical, Lynch. You've got to allow an old dog like me a few bad habits."
    Jamie let out a small sigh and glanced at me sideways before getting out of the Jeep.
    "Richard, I've given you many allowances over the years. Not because you're old, but because you're a weirdo."
    "I'll give you that one, Lynch," Richard replied.
    We entered the restaurant together, Jamie leading, me in the middle, with Richard bringing up the rear. Even then I couldn't tell if he actually suspected us of leading