he started talking, offering me option.
“I can do it while you’re standing, kneeling, or
lying on the ground the way I did the SwOpes. Or,
if being still freaks you out, you.can make a run for
it, get a little exercise to take your mind off what’s
coming. I won’t teL1 you how many steps Ill give
you, so you can pretend it’s like a regular run.
Make belieVe you’re in some kind of marathon. When
I run I get high. Maybe you will, too. I’m using a
heavy load so you won’t feel a thing. Kinda like one
big rush.”
My knees buckled.
“Come on, man,” he said, “don’t fall part. Go out
with style.”
BLOOD TEST 319
“Killing’ me won’t do you any good. The/pOlice
know I’m here. ff I don’t’ re rn they’ll be swarming
over this place.’
“No sweat. As soon as you’re ont of the way,
we’re splitting.”
“The boy can’t travel in his condition. You’ll kill
h
im?
The rifle jabbed -painfully.
“I don’t need your advice. I can take care of my
own,
We walked in silence until we reached the mouth
of the metal hallway.
“So how do you want it,” he demanded, “stand-
in still or running?”
A hundred yards of fiat, empty land lay before
me. The darkness would
run but I’d still be easy
void were hills of
among the detritus
“Take your .time,”
mously, savoring e starring role.
-He’d played this scene before, was working hard
at coming across cool and in control. But I knew he
was as unstable as nitro and just might start blowing
his lines if provoked. The trick was to get him
sufficiently distracted to lower his guard, then flee.
Or attack. It was a deadly gamble–a sudden burst
of rage could just as easily yank his trigger finger.
But- there wasn’t much to lose at this pOint and the
idea of submitting passively to slaughter was damned
distasteful.
“Make up your mind.”
“It’s a bullshit choice, Doug, and you know it.”
“What?”.
“I said you’re full of shit,”
Growling, he spun me around, ‘ tossed the rifle
. away, and grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling it
tight. He raised the axe and held it poised in the’
air;
“Move and I’ll slice you like cheese.” He panted
with anger, face glistening with sweat. A feral smell
emanated from the mass of his body.
I kneed him hard in the groin. He yelped in pain
and relinquished his grip reflexively, I pulled away,
landed on the ground, scurried backward like a
crab, scraping my knees and palms. While fighting
to push myself upright I pressed my foot. against
something round. A large metal spring. It .rolled, I
was upended, and fell flat on-my back.
Carmichael charged forward, hyperventilating like
a child coming out of a tantrum. The edge of the
axe caught’a glint of moonlijght. Shadowed agst
the blackness of the skyhe seemed immense,
fictional,
I yanked myself up and crawled awa from him.
“You’ve got a big mouth,” he gasped. “No class,
no style. I gave you the 6pportunity to end it peace°
fully. I tried to be fair but you didn’t aPPreciate it.
Now it’s gonna hurt. I’m gonna use this on you.”
He hefted the axe for emphasis, “Slowly..Turn you
into garbage piece by piece and make it last. In the,
end you’ll beg for a bullet,”
A figure stepped out from !ehind the oil drums.
“Put it down, Doug.”
Sheriff Houten stepped into the clearing, trim
and sure- pounds oted. The Colt .45 extended like a nickel-plated
handshake.
“Put it down,”
at Carmichael’s chest.
“Leave, it alone, Ray,” said the
to finish what we started,”
“Not this way.”
“It’s the only way,” insisted Carmichael.
The lawman shook his head.
“I just got off the phone with a fellow named
Sturgis at L.A. Homicide. He was making inquiries
about the doctor here. Seems somebody took a shot
at-him last night and gunned down the wrong man.
Next day the doctor disappeared. They’re looking
fo him in earnest. I figured he might have ended
up here.”
“He’s trying to break up my family, Ray. You
warned me about him yourself.”