That leaves the gun club for you and me, Rex said to Nadia. Well go first thing in the morning.
Im going with you?
I cant leave you alone, unprotected, Rex said. Peter already tried to kidnap you once. He might have decided blackmailing you using Lily is too risky, since youre not playing by the rules. Rescuing one hostage is difficult enough. I dont aim to have to rescue two.
Though Rexs protectiveness was strictly practical in nature, it warmed her nonetheless. It had been a very long time since anyone had shown concern for her welfare. And though she knew she was buying all this concern, she liked it. It made her feel secure in a way she hadnt experienced since Nana Tanias death.
Tonight, he continued, youll stay in a hotel. I can be sure no one follows you there.
Thats not really necessary, she argued. My house is very sec She stopped when she saw the uncompromising look in Rexs eyes. Right. A hotel.
HOW DID YOU SLEEP? Rex asked as Nadia climbed into his black Blazer the next morning. Shed managed to acquire some fresh clothes, he noticed. Same jeans, but now she wore a Southeast Texas State University sweatshirt under her windbreaker, probably acquired from the hotel gift shop.
She plugged her cell phone into his cigarette lighter to recharge. I managed a couple of hours.
I take it you didnt hear from Peter?
Not a peep. She looked at him anxiously. What if we did the wrong thing? What if hes broken off communications for good?
How bad does he want thisthing you have?
Bad.
Hell call. Hes just licking his wounds.
But what about Lily? Twenty-four hours have passed now.
Rex knew the statistics as well as anyone. But he didnt think they applied here. Peter Danilov was a blackmailer, not a sex fiend. He had a stake in keeping Lily alive. Hell call.
He needed to distract Nadia from her morose thoughts. I need you to tell me what you know about the Payton Gun Club. Hed done quite a bit of research last night, but she might have some insights.
Well, its been around for more than a hundred years, Nadia said. It used to be a huge estate belonging to one of the town foundersI forget what his name was. But he was really into hunting, and I guess he didnt have children because he left his entire estate to the city of Payton, with the condition that the land and home be preserved and left undeveloped for use by hunters.
How big is it? Rex asked.
Several hundred acres. The Payton Gun Club leases the land from the city. The club renovated the barn, then built onto it for its shooting range and administrative offices. But no one had any money to keep up the old house, so now its just a crumbling ruin they use for tactical exercises. The rest of the grounds have been left wild. Theres a tall fence around the perimeter, and barriers to prevent stray bullets from getting off club property. But mostly its just wilderness.
And when they have these live huntshow does that work?
They bring in some deer or javelina hogs or whatever, tag them and turn them loose. Then they turn the hunters loose.
Rex had to agree with Loriit did seem barbaric. The animals hardly had a chance, trapped in an enclosed area, even if it was hundreds of acres.
The Payton Gun Club was in a rural area outside the city limits. Though Nadia had described it, Rex wasnt prepared for the actual place, starting with the wrought-iron fence that ran along the road for a half mile before they actually reached a gate and a discreet sign identifying the place. The peeling sign said Members Only in large letters, but the rusty iron gates were open, so Rex drove in. The Blazers tires crunched over the limestone gravel drive.
A smattering of cars was parked in the lot in front of a barnlike structure. Behind the barn was a long cinder-block building with no windowshad to be the indoor shooting range. Through a chain-link fence, Rex could just make out some targets in the distancean outdoor range, probably not used much in the winter. Farther in the distance, a gray stone house rose up out of the prairie grass and scrubby trees. With its vacant windows and sagging roof, it had to be the former owners home, fallen into disrepair.
Beyond the house were woodlands. At least the poor animals had some place to hide.
This place gives me the creeps, Rex said. He made no move to exit the car as he tried to get a feel for the club. Maybe hed seen too many spooky movies as a kid, but the Payton Gun Club had an air of shabbiness and desolation that called to mind maniacal killers in hockey masks. Especially that house. You used to come here, huh?
I like target shooting, she said. It sounded like fun. But really, I only came a couple of times. I was never comfortable here, and Peter was just as happy to have me stay home so he could have male bonding moments with his friends. Female bonding, too, if Im right about rat-face.
So you dont think youll be recognized?
Doubtful.
Just the same, he had Nadia pull her distinctive curly hair back with an elastic, then wear a baseball cap and her sunglasses. It was enough to throw off a casual observer, anyway.
Just inside the barns double doors was a reception desk. A bored-looking kid sat behind it reading a comic book. Hi, Rex greeted him, causing the kid to jump. Ace McCullough left a couple of guest passes for me and my wife?
Oh, yeah, theyre around here someplace. The kid rummaged around on the desk until he found them. Dennis and Freesia Blankenship?
Thats us.
Ill need some ID, the kid said, sounding bored.
Oh, Dennis, I left my purse in the car, Nadia said.
Thats okay, Rex said. Ive got my license. And he did, in fact, have a fake drivers license. It was Rexs picture, but Denniss name. The kid gave the card a cursory look and jotted down the number which, if anyone checked, would come back as belonging to a deceased person. But he doubted anyone would check. No one ever did.
Rex told the kid they were there to do some target practice with a gun he was thinking of buying. The kid handed them some ear-protectors, assigned them a lane and pointed them in the direction of the indoor range.
The range was bigger than it looked from the outside. And despite the rather shabby exterior, the inside appeared to be state of the art. They found their lane. And while Rex opened the leather case hed brought and looked at the huge .44 Magnum Ace had loaned him, Nadia covertly checked out the other three shooters.
I dont recognize any of them, Nadia said.
But Rex did. One of them was a Payton police officer, a young patrolman not long out of the Academy who hung around Lyle Palmer and tried to earn brownie points. Andy Arquette, that was his name. Rex did his best to keep his back angled toward Andy, not wanting a confrontation.
Rex wondered why a cop would come here when the police had their own shooting range he could use for free.
Nadia gave a low whistle when she saw the gun. A Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum. That is some fancy handgun. I love the blue steel.
Your granny must have been quite a knowledgeable collector.
Well, actually, Nana Tania was a spy. Some people reacted strangely to that information, but Rex took it in stride, nodding appreciatively. After she retired, she said she was glad to be out of the spy business, but she must have missed it some, because she had a closet full of guns. When I was little, we would take them out and play with them the way other little girls take out their Barbie collections.
Your granny must have been quite a knowledgeable collector.
Well, actually, Nana Tania was a spy. Some people reacted strangely to that information, but Rex took it in stride, nodding appreciatively. After she retired, she said she was glad to be out of the spy business, but she must have missed it some, because she had a closet full of guns. When I was little, we would take them out and play with them the way other little girls take out their Barbie collections.
Rex just shook his head. Youll have to tell me more about your Nana sometime. So, can you shoot this baby?
She demurred. Im really rustyhavent touched a firearm since Lily was born. You go ahead.
Hed been afraid of that. But if they wanted this to look good, they would have to actually fire the gun. He took the wicked-looking blue-steel gun out of its foam nest and loaded one of the many full magazines Ace had included. It clicked into place with a satisfying snick.
A paper target was about fifteen yards down the lane. Rex and Nadia put on their ear protection. Nadia stood back, giving Rex plenty of room. He took a wide-legged stance, put both hands on the gun, stretched out his arms and took aim. But his hands were shaking, and perspiration had broken out on his upper lip and forehead despite the ranges cool temperature. For a few moments, he thought he wouldnt be able to shoot at all. He thought his stomach would rebel. But somehow, he managed to squeeze off the first shot, then another and another.
That was when the panic started welling up inside his chest. It was the sound of the gunfire, he realized. In the four years hed been a bounty hunter, he had never discharged his weapon. Hed drawn it and intimidated people with it, as he had Jethro Banner just a couple of days ago. But he hadnt actually squeezed the trigger until just now.
He laid the gun down, pulled off the ear protection and stepped back.
Lets see how you did. It was Andy Arquette, whod approached while Rex was shooting. Andy pushed the button that would bring the paper target close for inspection. Havent seen you around here before. Names Andy Arquette.
It appeared that Andy didnt recognize him, Rex thought. Good. Dennis Blankenship. The two men shook hands. This is my wife, Freesia. Hell, Nadia didnt look like a Freesia. Ace had a damnable sense of humor.
She mustered a smile and a quick handshake.
The paper target arrived. Rex didnt even want to look at it, because hed practically shot at the thing with his eyes closed. But when he did look, he saw that three of his five shots had actually hitone in the arm, one in the abdomen, one in the thigh.
Ooh, that guys hurting, Andy said charitably. He was a tall, skinny guy with straight black hair. Rex didnt like the way he was looking at Nadia.
Ive never shot this gun before, Rex said, feeling he needed to rationalize his lousy marksmanship.
Why dont you give it a tryFreesia, Andy said. Something about his tone bothered Rex. Was there a slight challenge to the suggestion?
Its an awfully big gun for a lady, Rex said, trying to give Nadia an out. Shed said she didnt want to shoot.
But she surprised him. Ill give it a try. With the push of a button she sent the target out to the same distance at which Rex had shot it. Then, after a short hesitation, she pushed the button again, sending it even farther.
You sure?
Wordlessly she put on her ear protection, and Rex followed suit. Rather than the wide-legged stance Rex had taken, she stepped one foot back and planted it in a wide lunge. Then she aimed, sighting down the barrel with one eye, her face a mask of total concentration.
She pulled the trigger, then kept on pulling it until the magazine was empty. Though the gun had a colossal kick, Nadia hardly seemed to notice it. Her unconventional posture seemed to work well for her.
She laid the gun down, pulled off the ear protection, then pushed the button to bring the target close once again.
Rexs blood drained to his feet when he got a good look at the target. Every one of Nadias shots had hit the paper man in the head.
Damn. Andy barely breathed the word. Freesia, youre not a member here, are you?
No, just a guest.
We could sure use you on our coed team. Lemme show you aroundmaybe yall will want to join.
Sure, wed love to look around, Nadia said. That was why theyd come, after allto nose around, find out if anyone had seen Peter recently.
Rex packed up the Magnum.
You can check that into a locker if you dont want to carry it around, Andy said. The lockers are free.
Thats all right, Ill keep it, Rex replied.
Andy showed them around the building. Theyd already seen most of it, except for a small lounge area, which was currently empty. Members are encouraged to socialize herebut only after theyre done shooting for the day. The owners are very strict about alcohol use.
They went through a set of double glass doors to the outdoor range. Two men in camouflage with an arsenal of hunting rifles stood around, discussing the merits of their guns, but otherwise it was quiet.
Theres a trap range on the other side of that earth barricade, and also a forty-yard tin-can range.
They walked a little farther until they reached a small metal shed near a gate. Andy led them toward it and opened the door. We keep reflective vests stored in here for the members convenience. We recommend you wear them. The wilderness area is over four hundred acres, and you never know who might be out here with a gun. You dont want to be mistaken for a wild pig.
They donned the neon orange vests and walked into the wilderness as Andy explained about the bountiful dove, quail, ducks and pheasants the members bagged. Rabbit and squirrel are fair game year round, he added with a grin that set Rexs teeth on edge. Good eatin.
They tromped farther out. Rex kept looking for an opening, a way he could casually ask about Peter, but he didnt trust Andy, who seemed far too friendly, so he had to proceed with caution.
Andy pointed out the crumbling old mansion. Game likes to hide in there, Andy said. One time during a javelina hunt, I cornered something in there with red eyes, and I thought I had me a pig. It turned out to be a possum.
They make a good stew, Rex said, trying to get into the spirit of the conversation, though hunting animals had never appealed to him. He found it much more sporting to hunt something with an equivalent level of intelligence to his.
So, who referred you to the Payton Gun Club? Andy asked conversationally.
Ace McCullough, Rex answered. Hes been a member a long time.
Ive heard of him, of course, Andy said. Hes kind of a legend. Never met him, though.
I know another guy whos a member here, Rex said. Peter Danilov?
Oh, yeah, sure, I know Peter. Hes out here a lot.
Was there just the tiniest hesitation when Andy answered? You know, I tried to get hold of that guy recently, and the number I had for him was no good. I thought maybe hed moved away. Has he been around lately?
Yeah, I saw him a coupla weeks ago, Andy said. When I see him again, Ill tell him to get in touch with you.
And that friend of his, Vladah, hell, I cant remember his last name.