The Long Dark by Billy Farmer (best book club books for discussion .txt) 📗

moved way too slowly, because of his injury, towards the rifle leaning against the wall.

“Where are they?” Kelley asked, her hot breath and spittle bathed the back of my neck.

“What are you talking about?” I said, my voice was almost embarrassing high pitched.

“Don’t play stupid!” She waved her pistol to an empty chair at the table. “Have a fucking seat.”

“Okay, shit.” How would she know who Miley was, and more disturbing, how in the hell did she know about the guy he captured?

Being that it looked like she was my new enemy, and even though Miley was majorly on my shit list, I was going to help him escape. An enemy of my enemy was my friend came to mind. “Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do. When my people attacked, he took one of them prisoner. He murdered the rest.”

Perplexed, Titouan asked, “Your people?”

Through gritted teeth and a clenched jaw, she said, “My people. That’s all you need to know.”

“Now, where are they?” She demanded.

“Miley left. I already told you that.”

“Where? I’m going to shoot one of them the next time you don’t answer my question.”

“William, what the hell is going on here?” Titouan asked.

She fired over Titouan’s head, missing on purpose.

Looking at Titouan, I said, “Just be quiet. I know where Miley is going, and I know where the guy he captured is, too.” Everyone’s attention turned to me.

Sam looked confused. “What’s goin on, son?”

“You’re wasting time. Now tell me!” Kelley yelled.

I motioned for everyone to calm down. “Miley is headed to Prudhoe Bay, and then Fairbanks.” I honestly didn’t want to tell her exactly where he was going, but there were no real clear alternatives. In other words, I couldn’t think of a good enough lie she’d believe, so I told her the truth. Miley had a decent head start. That was the best I could do for the bastard.

“And?”

“The person you’re looking for is on the second floor, tied up in a conference room,” I said.

“If you lie to me, I’m going to make their deaths painful instead of quick,” she said, as she frantically typed something out on the phone, having a difficult time because of the pistol she held.

“What about the baby? What the hell have you done to her?” Tish said, her voice trailing off to a whisper.

Kelley seemed genuinely surprised by Tish’s sudden outburst. She cocked her head to the side, and with what bordered on a grin, said, “I poisoned her. Like her parents, she’s going to die, but then so is a lot of people.”

“You’re a bitch,” Tish yelled!

Kelley began to say something to Tish but paused. With her smirk from before gone and replaced with an anger-soaked expression, she said, “Watch yourself.”

Tish seethed. Her jaw was set hard. I thought she was going to scream or even charge Kelley. Instead, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Sam tried to say something to her, but it went unanswered.

Kelley, satisfied that Tish was no longer a problem, nudged me over to where the lone rifle was leaned against the wall. She quickly put the pistol in her waistband and had the rifle in her hands in one fluid motion. She checked to make sure a round was chambered before saying, “Let’s go to that conference room. Now!”

***

I tried to close the door that blocked off the second floor from the third, but Kelley wouldn't let me. She told me that her people would need the door left open, so they could get in. Kelley paused. The second floor was almost completely dark. “Turn on the lamp,” she said.

I fumbled with it for a second before finally finding the switch.

“Hold the lamp up, so I can see where you’re taking me,” she said, pushing the barrel harder into my back.

“Okay, okay.”

Other than making sure Kelley didn’t reunite with Miley’s prisoner, I didn’t have much of a plan. The only thing I had going for me was the pistol Miley had given me hidden in my waistband. I just needed a chance to get at it. I thought about dropping the lamp and going for it, but I’d already seen how nimble and fast Kelley was. I didn’t have a chance in hell. I would take her on as long of a wild goose chase as Miley’s office building would allow for and hope the opportunity would present itself.

Something occurred to me. There was a small cafeteria in the back of the second floor. Miley had a private dining room where he ate with executives. For reasons only known to Miley, he had the floor lowered in that room. There was a decent step down that maybe if Kelley wasn’t prepared for, it might trip her up just enough to give me the extra time I needed to go for the pistol. I mean, that’s all I could come up with. Saving my friends rested on that winner.

SHIT. I went for it and failed miserably.

“Well?” She asked, pushing the already imbedded barrel deeper into my back.

The cafeteria was no more. It had been completely torn out and was in the midst of a full remodel. “I haven't been down here for a while. They’ve remodeled the place since I was last here. We’ll just have to keep looking…”

“You’re stalling.”

"It’s dark… they’ve changed things.”

“I warned you. Put the lamp down on the floor,” she said.

“Come on. I can take you…”

“Now!”

I kneeled enough to sit the lamp down. Sweat poured down my face, as I was reacquainted with the rifle barrel. I was afraid and embarrassed. Mostly, though, I was angry with myself. I was a buffoon. I had failed my friends once again. I was going to die without even going for the pistol. Was that what I was going to do. Just die without a fight, I wondered to myself in those last seconds. Did I really lack that much of a spine? “Fuck that,” I said aloud, as I went for the pistol.

Kelley screamed something. Then