Bullet Work (25 page)

“Whaddya mean, dead horse?” said Skelton.
Belker just looked at him. “That’s not the plan. The plan is for me
to get my mare back.” He threw the roll of tape onto the table and
stepped in front of Dan.

“Plans change,” said Belker. “If you hadn’t
been so stupid and let this guy follow you, we might have other
options.”

“You’re not killing that horse!” Skelton
screamed. His upper body lurched as though he was going to confront
Belker, then thought better of it.

“I’m getting a little tired of your weak ass,
Hank.”

“That isn’t the plan,” said Skelton, waving
his arms but not moving toward Belker. “I need that horse. After
this break, she can run out a bunch of money for me. I’m supposed
to get her back.”

“Looks like you’ve been taken, Hank,” Dan
said. He wanted to keep the argument going. It seemed like the only
chance he had. “But I’m sure Belker will pay you for the value of
the horse. What is she, a quarter claimer?”

“Guy’s right,” said Skelton. “Mare’s worth
twenty-five thousand. You can’t just kill her.”

“Looks like he owes you twenty-five large,
Hank,” said Dan.

“Tape his mouth shut. I’ve had it with him,”
said Belker, moving toward the kitchen.

“No,” said Hank, stepping toward him. “Not
’til we figure this out.”

Belker calmly aimed the gun at Hank’s chest.
“Nothing to figure out. Now, do as I say.”

Hank recoiled and took a step back. “No, this
is over. We didn’t need to hurt that many horses, and we sure as
hell don’t need to kill my mare.”

Belker stared at Skelton, keeping the gun
pointed squarely at the man’s chest. The stare turned into a cruel
smile. He re-gripped the pistol, showing his command over the
situation.

“Well, Hank, you leave me no choice. Looks
like Dan’s accomplice will be found with him. Makes it even
tidier.”

Hank lunged toward Belker just as the shot
went off. The sound was deafening, followed by a sickening thud as
Hank’s body hit the floor. He writhed on the floor making a raspy
sound as he gasped for air.

“Holy shit!” Dan yelled. “Are you
insane?”

Belker stepped around the boots that
skittered and shook on the floor, leaned down, put the gun to the
base of Skelton’s head, and fired again. The boots stopped moving,
and the raspy sound ceased.

“Stupid fuck,” said Belker.

“What the hell are you doing?” The gunshots
pounded and reverberated in his head like he was inside a church
bell tower. He wasn’t sure the words leaving his mouth made any
sound at all. “Extortion wasn’t enough for you? Now you’re gonna go
down for murder.”

“I’m not going down for murder, Slick.” He
cocked his head sideways slightly. “You are.”

“I’m going to enjoy watching them put the
needle in you over in Jarratt, you bastard.”

“I thought I told you to shut up a long time
ago.” He stepped away from Hank’s body and walked behind Dan’s
chair. Dan cocked his head around to look at him as the gun swung
down toward Dan’s head. He snapped his head back around and tried
to duck, then a stab of pain—and all became darkness.

Chapter 46

belker tied Dan’s arms to the chair.
He rushed over to where Skelton lay and quickly rolled him up in
the throw rug on which the body landed. He hoisted the rolled
carpet onto his shoulder and shrugged it through the front door. He
carried it across the roadway to the barn. While balancing the
weight on his shoulders, Belker slid the barn door open, took two
steps inside, and tossed the body down. He grabbed his knee and
rubbed it, knowing his heavy lifting was nearly half done. Panting
deeply, he ran back across the road to the cabin.

He placed two fingers on Morgan’s neck to
check for a pulse. Finding one, he unwound the arms from the chair
and hoisted Dan over his shoulder as well. He grabbed the billfold
off the counter and carried Dan to the barn. He stepped past the
body and walked to the stall holding Exigent Lady. Belker quickly
unlatched the stall door, and it slid sideways on its overhead
rails. The door only opened enough to throw the body in. Morgan
landed on his side and flopped facedown in the straw.

Exigent Lady’s eyes were wide, and she danced
sideways, fearful of whatever had just landed in her stall. Belker
tossed the billfold next to Morgan, closed the stall door, and
stared at Morgan’s body.

Would a medical examiner know his hands were
bound in duct tape? Not likely, after what Belker had planned. He
drew his gun from the back of his pants, where he had tucked it
after shooting Skelton. He threw it into the stall on the far side
from where Morgan lay. It disappeared beneath the bedding of
straw.

Next, he quickly unrolled Skelton from the
carpet and tossed the material into an adjoining stall. Skelton lay
facedown, likely the way he would have landed had he been shot in
the back of the head while running away. Belker was breathing hard
as he surveyed the scene.

What would the sheriff conclude? Would they
be able to tell Skelton had been shot in the chest first, then in
the back of the head? Stupid shits in these po-dunk towns—Belker
could convince them of anything. He just needed to make sure the
investigation stayed local. But even if they brought in forensic
experts, the scene would work, and the local guys would screw up
the scene anyway. The story would be good enough for rural
Virginia.

Belker spun around and ran to the barn door.
He pulled the door closed. The fifteen-foot-high doors slid
haltingly on the overhead rails. Once secured, he fastened the
latch, pulled a padlock off the hook nearby, and fastened it
secure. Then he ran to the other side of the barn and confirmed
that the padlock was in place on that side.

He wiped sweat off his face and raced to the
cabin. He made a quick scan of the interior. Belker grabbed the two
bulky packages with the cash and ran outside, tossing them into the
passenger side of his Jeep. Back inside, he decided to leave the
half-empty beer on the counter. He studied the spot where Skelton
hit the floor.

A large knick appeared in the floor where the
bullet through Skelton’s head was lodged in the floor. Belker
grabbed a knife, got down on one knee, and dug the slug of lead out
of the wooden floor. Not much blood or brain matter had gotten
through the carpet onto the wood floor. He scuffed the area with
his boot.

After scoping the cabin one more time, he ran
to the front door and secured it open with a brick, then shot
across the cabin and exited through the back door, securing it open
as well. It might be helpful for the story and at the same time
would allow the gunshot residue to air out.

Belker was tired and dripping in sweat, but
he had to keep moving. On the off chance that Morgan was telling
the truth, he had to get out of there fast. He ran to the gas
generator on the side of the cabin. About three feet from the
generator was a beaten and rusted garbage can. Belker lifted the
lid, reached inside, and pulled out a five-gallon can of
gasoline.

With one hand weighed down by the gas can,
Belker rushed as quickly as he could to the barn. He began sloshing
the accelerant onto the walls of the barn and around the base. He
did his little dance with the gas can all the way around the barn
and poured the remaining gallon or so on the wall just outside
Exigent Lady’s stall. Belker ran to the end of the barn and threw
the gas can as far as he could into the trees and brush.

He took some deep breaths and walked back to
the spot outside Exigent Lady’s stall. He reached in his pocket and
drew out a Bic lighter. He knelt and touched the flame near the
base of the barn. The flame popped and rapidly ignited the
gasoline. Fire shot out in both directions around the barn. The
aged, dried wood from the barn instantly absorbed the energy of the
fire, and flames licked up the side of the barn. Belker ran to his
Wrangler, fired it up, drove around the cabin, spitting gravel as
he raced away from the burning barn.

Chapter 47

shuffling, crackling sounds.

A horse whinnied. The whinny turned to
fright. More shuffling. A hoof cracked against wood. The taste of
straw in his mouth.

Dan blinked and spit out a handful of straw
sheaths. The pounding in his head wouldn’t stop. It hurt to open
his eyes. A horse shrieked, nearby. A hoof cracked against solid
wood again.
Can’t move my arms.
Head was
pounding.
Now it’s coming back.

He rolled onto his side and saw a terrified
horse on its hind legs, the front legs clawing in the air. The
horse shrieked, eyes wild. The legs were going to come down right
on him. Dan slid backward as the hooves hit the ground, inches from
his face. Then he smelled the smoke and saw the flames rising
up.

He had to get to his feet before the horse
stomped him into the ground. He slid up on his side and leaned
against the corner of the stall for balance, then jumped to his
feet.

The horse, which had to be Exigent Lady,
shrieked and lunged toward him. She slammed Dan into the siding,
knocking the wind out of him. She reared up, and Dan dodged to the
left, toward the front of the stall.

He could see flames all around the barn, and,
given the way the fire was moving up the far wall, the place would
be tinder in a few minutes. Dan turned his back to the stall door
and faced Exigent Lady. He grabbed the iron railing above the
wooden door and tugged to pull the door open. It wouldn’t move.

The horse reared again and lashed out at him
with her hooves. Dan ducked and moved left just as one hoof slammed
the wooden door where he’d been standing. The noise from the fire
was deafening enough to drown out the frightened noises made by the
mare.

Dan slid back over to the stall door and
leaned forward to get his bound hands high enough to make it
through the railing. If he could get his hands out there, he could
find the latch and open the stall door. After that, he had no idea.
His bound hands wouldn’t fit through the opening.

The flames had ignited the straw bedding in
the stall. He moved to the back of the stall and began stomping on
the flames. At best, it would only buy a few seconds. He dodged the
mare, got a running start, and slammed his shoulder into the barn
siding. It didn’t give.

The mare spun around, and, as Dan was
gathering himself to ram the wall again, her hind legs shot out at
him. It hit him thigh high and buckled him back into the corner of
the stall. Dan’s head slammed against the wall. He shook his head
to gather his senses. He had to move. She was going to kick again,
and now she had a target. Smoke was filling the barn. Dan could
barely see the horse in the same stall with him.

He saw the hind legs wind up again and tried
to move, but he was jammed in the corner of the stall. His leg was
killing him. It might be broken. The horse cried out and snorted.
Dan ducked down as low as he could go. The hooves hit the wall just
above his head. He started to think which way he wanted to die,
being kicked to death by a horse or burned alive. They seemed
equally inevitable at the time.

The mare backed closer. She wouldn’t miss
this time. All her primal fear was focused on one thing, killing
this person in the stall. All had been fine in the horse’s world
until Dan entered. The fear, flames, and smoke were all bound
together in one purpose—attack this thing in the stall with you.
The horse spun around, going in and out of Dan’s vision through the
smoke. Their eyes locked briefly; then, she spotted where Dan was
and turned her hind legs toward him.

He slid as far as he could toward the ground.
Although his legs and body were completely exposed, he was doing
all he could to prevent a blow to the head. The mare panted and
cried out in continuous fright. The left hind leg went up ready to
bash his brains out. Dan closed his eyes and braced for the
blow.

Chapter 48

dan waited for the kick. It never
came. He blinked quickly. Smoke and dust quickly filled his eyes.
He squeezed them shut and tried to get as low as possible. Nothing
happened.

Dan opened his eyes, and the mare was
standing perfectly still. He could only see the back half of her,
but she was just standing there. Dan scrambled to his feet. The
pain in his leg was excruciating, but he was able to stand by
putting most of his weight on his good leg. The stall door was
open, and someone was standing next to the horse. Dan stepped
closer.

“AJ, let’s get out of here.” The flames had
reached the ceiling, and the whole barn was going to collapse in a
matter of moments. Fire was rolling up the sides of the barn, and
pockets of straw scattered around the barn were adding to the
inferno. AJ didn’t move. He just held the horse. His body was
shaking, and he was crying. Tears ran down his face. “AJ, come on.
We gotta get out of here.”

He turned and looked at Dan. He had a blank
stare in his eyes, and he trembled and cried. It was like he had no
recognition of him or the surroundings. He was somehow locked into
the emotions of the animal. Dan bounded forward and bounced into
him. “AJ, let’s go.” The jostling caused AJ to lose balance, and he
fell. The mare’s fright came back, and AJ stared at him. “Let’s go.
We gotta get out of here.”

AJ jumped up, grabbed the mare’s bridle, and
began to pull her out of the stall.

“Hey. Untie me.” AJ quickly unwound the duct
tape while keeping one hand on the bridle. When freed, Dan rubbed
his hands together to bring back the circulation.

AJ trotted the mare out of the stall and to
the barn door on the left side. He tugged on it. It wouldn’t open.
“AJ, how’d you get in?”

“Came in through that window.” He pointed to
a window covered with a piece of plywood that had been pushed open.
The flames had almost completely covered it.