THREE DAYS to DIE (12 page)

---

      Aaron was incredulous. "What was
that
all about?" he cried. "You said if I helped you my mom would be safe!"

      "Oh, I didn't
mean
any of that," Souther explained. "I was just messing with her." He leaned forward and rested a patronizing hand on Aaron's knee. "You trust me, don't you, kid? I'd never want to hurt you ... or your mother."

      Aaron pulled away, sickened by the evil that was Johnny Souther. "You're a liar!" he said.
"I hate you!
" He buried his face in his hands.

      Souther casually wadded up the trash and chucked it out his office window. "If I were you, kid," he said darkly, "I'd choose my words a bit more carefully in the future.

Chapter 30

Target Practice

      Needles and Beeks took Aaron out of Souther's office and headed down the walkway toward the stairs. Aaron felt like he'd been hit by a truck.

      Needles wanted to tell him not to worry about what Souther had said back there, but he knew Aaron wouldn't want to hear it.

      Instead he turned to him and said, "Would you be interested in taking a tour of the practice range?"

      Aaron looked up. "The what?"

      "You know – the shooting range. Target practice. I thought maybe you could use a distraction about now."

      Aaron had encountered many different shooting ranges in his video games, but he had never seen a real one. "Uh ... sure." he said. "Where is it?"

      "I'll show you," Needles said. He looked at Beeks. "Are you coming with us?"

      Beeks wasn't interested; he preferred to use the range alone. Besides, he had other plans. "No," he replied. "I got things I gotta do. Y'all go on without me."

      Aaron had hoped he'd join them. "See ya, Beeks," he said with a little disappointed wave.

      Beeks nodded and headed off to the kitchen to make a sandwich.

---

      Needles lit a lantern, and Aaron followed him to the far west-end of the cannery. Cut into the wood floor in an out-of the-way first-floor corridor was a trap door held in place by two heavy iron hinges. Needles set the lantern on the floor, flipped up the large recessed pull-ring, turned it a half a turn, and yanked open the hatch.

      "Ready?" he asked.

      Aaron nodded.

      Needles swung the heavy door over and lowered it to the floor, and then, using the lantern to light the way, he led Aaron down the steep wooden steps into a dark basement.

---

     
It's like an old ship's ladder
, Aaron thought as he descended. He could only imagine what kind of crappy firing range the thugs had cobbled together in such a dark, out-of-the-way space.

      "What do you use for targets?" he asked, doubtfully.

       Needles was proud of the range he and Beeks had built, and he knew Aaron was in for a nice surprise. "You'll see," he replied.

      Aaron stepped off the ladder onto a dirt floor and for a brief moment he thought he was back in his cell. But then Needles held the lantern high and the practice range loomed into view.

---

      At first glance Aaron was disappointed. He naturally compared the space to the high-tech, brightly lit ranges he knew from video games. This range was tiny and as dark as a cave. The ceiling was very low; the 2 x 12 floor joists that supported the floor above ran the length of the space and they barely cleared Needles's head. Exposed electrical wiring wound between rusting cast-iron water and sewer pipes that ran in every direction.

      The range had just one shooting booth and one firing lane, and the bullet trap – a wall of earth created when the cannery's foundations were dug – was a mere fifty feet away.

     
Not great for rifles
, Aaron thought,
but okay for pistols
. He was pleased, however, to see that the range had a rudimentary target carrier system for loading fresh targets – a major convenience.

      Needles stepped into the shooting booth and pulled out his 9mm pistol. He released the magazine into his palm and handed the gun to Aaron.

      "Have you ever held a gun before, kid?" Needles asked, feeding shells into the magazine.

      Aaron hefted the pistol and was surprised by the weight. "Not a real one," he said. He sighted down the gun's impressive gunmetal-steel barrel. "It feels really good."

      "They used to recommend that you leave two or three rounds out of the magazine when not using the gun to extend the life of the spring," Needles explained. "But the newer springs are stronger, so I go ahead and top it off." He showed Aaron how to lock the magazine into the handle, and then he set the pistol aside and picked up an assault rifle.

      "Okay, now pay attention," he said. "This weapon is a bit more complicated." He released the large curved magazine. "You insert the loaded magazine into the slot here below the trigger. Push it up from the bottom until the catch engages. Slap the bottom of the magazine up into the weapon to ensure that it stays, and then pull down on it to be sure."

      Needles finished the demonstration and handed the rifle and magazine to Aaron. "Go ahead and try loading it."

      Aaron looked the magazine over, then slid it into the magazine-well and clicked it home. Then he slapped it hard and gave it a tug to make sure it was seated.

      "Nicely done, kid," Needles said.

      Aaron handed the rifle back and Needles set it aside.

      "Do you want to try a few shots?" he asked.

      Aaron hadn't dreamed that Needles would actually let him
shoot
. "Sure, of course," he replied, excited.

      "Leave the guns where they are for a second, okay?"

      "Okay."

      Needles lit a second lantern and walked it down to the target end of the firing lane. He placed the lantern on a wooden shelf next to the target and adjusted its placement for the best light. Then he returned to the firing booth to show Aaron how to use the target retrieval system.

      The simple system consisted of a spring-clip tied to a length of clothesline looped through two pulleys, one at each end of the firing lane, allowing the shooter to reel in the targets for inspection and replacement.

      "Pull on the bottom line to bring in the target," Needles said.

      Aaron pulled the rope and a tattered target with most of its bull's-eye blown away came reeling toward him. Needles selected a fresh target from a nearby stack and had Aaron clip it in place.

      "Okay, now send it back down," Needles said.

      Aaron pulled on the upper line, and the fresh target receded into the distance.

      "You'll feel a tug when the stop-knot hits home," Needles said.

      Aaron continued to pull on the rope until he felt some resistance. "I think it stopped," he said.

      "Okay," Needles said. "Here, you'll want these." He handed him a pair of sound-deadening earmuffs and Aaron clamped them over his ears. Then he handed him the 9mm and showed him how to release the safety. Aaron held the gun toward the target.

      "Use your other hand for support," Needles said.

      Aaron wrapped his left hand around his right.

      "Excellent. Go ahead and take a couple of shots."

      Aaron slowed his breathing, aimed, and squeezed the trigger.

     
POP!

      "Wow," Aaron said, looking at Needles for approval. "It has a kick."

      Needles nodded. "You'll have to allow for it when you fire several shots in succession." Aaron recalled how the better video games simulated that effect.

      "Go ahead," Needles said. "Fire at will."

      Aaron steadied himself then fired off round after round until he emptied the gun. 

      "Good," Needles said. "Let's check your aim." He tugged the line and the target moved toward them. Aaron was excited to see that his shot grouping was tight around the bull's-eye.

      "Nice shooting," Needles said, surprised. "
Very
nice. Do you want to try the rifle?"

      "No way ... really?"

      Needles took the pistol from Aaron and picked up the assault rifle. He helped Aaron place his hands in the correct positions on the weapon.

      Aaron hefted it and smiled.

      Needles clipped a fresh target to the string and wheeled the target down the lane into position. "You may want to rest this gun on a sandbag," he said, pulling one over. "Fire quick bursts at first to get the feel of it. It will wander on you if you're not careful. Just give the trigger a quick squeeze and release."

      Aaron adjusted his earmuffs, and then he rested the barrel of the rifle on the sandbag, aimed down range, and with as much confidence as he could muster, squeezed the trigger.

     
POPOPOP!

      The barrel kicked skyward, and three bullets splintered the wooden ceiling joists.

      "Holy cow!" Aaron exclaimed, embarrassed to discover that he wasn't the marksman he thought he'd be.

      Needles laughed and helped him get back into position.

---

      Needles continued to work with Aaron until he was satisfied that Aaron could safely handle both guns.

      "You're a natural," Needles said. "You could easily hold your own in a fight."

      Aaron glowed; that was one of the coolest things he had ever done. "Thanks, Needles," he said. "That was awesome."

      Needles smiled; he felt good about what he'd done for the boy. He extinguished the target lantern, secured everything, and led Aaron back up the steep wooden ladder to the cannery above.

Chapter 31

You're Michael?

      Michael drove up and skidded to a stop in front of Aaron's apartment building. He jumped out of the car and ran up the steps to ring the bell.

      There was no answer.

       Again.

      No answer.

      He located the hidden key, but when he tried it he found that the door was unlocked. He replaced the key then stepped inside, peering into the darkness of the foyer.

---

      "Hello?" he said, clicking on a light. "Is anybody home?" A backpack lay heaped in the corner with some papers and other junk. A beach cruiser leaned against a wall.

      He walked through the living room, past a set of stairs that led to the second floor, and flipped a light on in the kitchen. There was no one there, so he checked the rest of the downstairs before returning to the living room.

      He climbed the stairs and about half way up his foot slipped on the carpeting and he had to put a hand down to keep from falling. As he straightened he noticed that his hand was moist. He rubbed his thumb and index finger together and felt a soapy residue that smelled like laundry detergent. He knelt and ran his hand over the carpeted stair treads. Three were damp. Then he continued on up the stairs.

      The upstairs hall light was already on. Michael checked the master bedroom and bath, but they were deserted.

      When he came to Aaron's room a wave of panic tightened his chest: The door was splintered by what appeared to be a gunshot to the lock. He tried the knob, but the door was still securely dead-bolted from the inside.

      "Aaron?" he yelled, banging on the door. "Aaron, are you in there?"

      There was no answer.

      He stepped back a couple steps and lunged at the door, throwing his entire weight into it. The lock held, but the center panel had loosened and Michael was able to get his hand through and release the bolt. He swung the door open, but the room was empty. He looked out through the open window across the roof. It too was deserted.

      He lingered for a moment, breathing in the cold air, thinking about Aaron. Then he left the bedroom and started back down the stairs.

      As he descended he heard a sound, as if someone had dropped something in the kitchen – a plastic cup perhaps. He stopped and listened, then trotted the rest of the way down to investigate.

---

      He entered the kitchen and noticed that the pantry door, which had been closed, was slightly ajar, now. He slowly opened it and clicked on the light.

      Crouching in the shadows behind a stack of newspapers was what appeared to be a boy in a hooded sweatshirt. The boy's head was down, and Michael couldn't see his face.

      "Aaron?" Michael said, but there was no reply.

      He stepped over and moved some of the junk aside and was surprised to see that it wasn't Aaron at all, just a chubby little black kid wearing thick glasses.

      "Come on out of there," Michael said.

      Willy looked up at him, terrified. "I-I was just looking for my friend," he said, close to tears.

      "It's okay," Michael said. "I'm a friend, also." He'd only known Aaron a short time, but he considered him his friend – the first friend he'd made in a long time. He offered Willy a hand up and they stepped out of the pantry.

      "So, you know Aaron?" Michael said.  

      "I'm his best friend," Willy replied stubbornly, chin down, and with all his heart he wanted to believe it was still true. Maybe if he acted as if it were true, it would be true.

      Michael pulled out a chair for Willy at the kitchen table and took a seat across from him.

      "I haven't heard from him since yesterday," Michael said. "I think he's in trouble."

      "To put it mildly," Willy said.

      "Why? What do you know about last night?"

      "I know a lot," Willy said.
"
I saw the whole blasted thing."

      The two compared stories about Aaron's run-in with Souther and the narrow escape. Willy described their cannery hide-out and agreed to take Michael there in the morning.

      Willy mentioned that he'd gone to visit Aaron's mother the evening before, and that she hadn't seen Aaron since dinner and was worried. And now she was missing, too.

      "The door was unlocked when I got here," he said. "She would never do that, and I doubt Tom would either – not in our neighborhood. It doesn't make any sense. We have to find them."