Today’s
excerpt is from The Tickleton Affair, Book #5 of the nine-book Janitors Series. Drew and Jessica, with Evan and John with
them, look over the site of their planned trap for Chang. Enjoy and have a wonderful day.
m.j.
Ben
and Neil were unable to see well enough from their positions that she carried
anything until she neared the door, and then only got a glimpse of it and paid
no real attention. Once Evan and Jessica
were inside, John turned off the last outside light and walked them through the
house to the rear door, opened it, and pointed toward high ground some hundred
feet away. “That’s the ridge that swings
around until it looks down on the western street.”
Jessica
nodded and headed that way with her goggles back on and her rifle case in her
right hand. Evan shrugged, put his
goggles back on, and followed. Jessica
glanced back. “You don’t have to troop
up here with me if you don’t want to.
I’ll be fine.”
“Nothing
else to do. Besides, you might see a
snake.”
“If I
do, I’ll shoot it. And, as you no doubt
know, at this time of night, as cool as it is, there aren’t likely to be any
snakes about.”
“Yeah,
I know. Just trying to be gallant.”
John
and Drew laughed at that, but otherwise remained silent as John made coffee.
Up at
their position, Ben and Neil didn’t even see Jessica and Evan head up their
hill. Evan still hobbled, but was doing
better with his cane. As she neared the
top of that hill, Jessica looked around and nodded. Then she walked on around it, until she could
see the outline of the Western street.
She stopped and looked back. She
liked what she saw. “Drew, where I’m at
is almost perfect. I can see the whole
valley. The house you’re in, the movie
street, the front entrance, and the barn—all with no problem. I can dig in right here and have a clear
field of view of any possible direction of attack.”
“Good,
Jess. John and I’ll be up in a minute or
two…he’s putting on coffee. Want me to
bring you a cup?”
“No,
that’s okay, Drew. The walking’s a bit
rough…you’d just spill it. I’m going on
to the very top of this hill. I’m about
ten feet down from it now.”
“Okay,
see you soon.”
Jessica
nodded, then grinned as she realized Drew couldn’t see that movement. She started on up the side of the hill. She took about three steps and walked on the
side of a rock, which gave way. As she
started to fall, Evan caught her…by her left bosom. As he steadied her, he moved his hand up
toward her shoulder.
She
smiled. “Thanks. First time that’s ever been used as a hand
hold to break a fall, but came in handy.”
Evan
blushed in the dark and absently patted the top of her breast, without thinking
what he was doing. “Oops, sorry.”
Drew
heard this exchange. “What’s up? What fall?
What ‘oops’?”
Jessica
laughed. “I slipped and nearly fall. Evan caught me. The ‘oops’ ain’t none of your beeswax.”
Drew
grinned as his imagination ran rampant.
“Oh. Take it easy.”
By the
time John and Drew reached Evan and Jessica, she had her sniper rifle out and
had sighted in on Ben. She grinned as
she saw the thermos and four cups John was carrying.
John
saw the grin. “Hope everybody likes
black coffee.”
Jessica
nodded, “I do, thanks.”
Evan
held out his hand for a cup. “Me,
too. I appreciate it.”
Jessica
had sat down to sight in on Ben. She now
laid her rifle in her lap and held out her hand for the cup of coffee John had
poured for her. With her other hand, she
pointed at Ben, Neil, and Gail. “Easy
shot, if you want to reduce the odds, Drew.”
Drew
shook his head in dismay. “You do that
and how’s Lin gonna find us?”
“Oh,
yeah,” joked Jessica.
Drew
grinned. “That’s one, young lady. You got me.
I thought you were serious.”
John,
wearing his goggles—as were everyone but Jessica, who had taken hers off to
sight in the gun, which had a night vision scope—looked up at the three
uninvited guests on the far away ridge.
“That’s an easy shot?
They’re a mile away, at least.”
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