122006.fb2 Deadworld - читать онлайн бесплатно полную версию книги . Страница 48

Deadworld - читать онлайн бесплатно полную версию книги . Страница 48

Chapter 47

Nick let his head slump forward until his forehead rested on the warm hood of his car. The air shook a moment later with the thunderous boom of the Escalade exploding in the street below. He let out a long, slow sigh. “Shit.”

Drake and Shelby were gone. He could no longer feel their presence in this world. Drake no doubt had popped back over to the other side before impact. Shelby and the girl, on the other hand… Why? Why kill the little girl? It made no sense. He would have wanted to drain her, show Nick the body, and drag him through the end like a long, torturous fingernail pull. Had they really ruined whatever plans Drake had? The whole chase seemed too contrived, too over the top. It had to be a show. So what had happened?

Nick looked up and watched Jackie finish her walk to the edge of the parking platform. She thrust her hands into her pockets, looking down. She looked back toward him for a moment and then back toward the street. Don’t worry, Jackie. That should be the last bit of death bloodying these old hands.

The sound of squealing tires came up behind, and Nick stood up, putting his gun into his pocket. One of the cars stopped beside him while the other cruised on toward Jackie. Nick didn’t bother to look at who stepped out of the car, but he recognized the voice.

“Hey,” Gamble said. “Nick?”

“What?” His voice came out low and harsh. He was not in the mood to discuss anything. “Need a statement or something?”

“No. Just making sure everything was okay up here.”

Nick turned and glared down at Gamble, who shrunk back away from his car window. “Peachy. Unless you need me to make one, think I’m going to go home.”

“I’ll call you if we need you to come in,” Gamble said. “Jackie all right?”

“She’ll be okay. Don’t be surprised if Drake’s body isn’t down there.”

“What?”

“He’ll have vanished like before. I’m almost positive.”

“So he’s still out there somewhere?”

Nick shrugged. “Somewhere.” He opened the door to his car and sat down in the seat. The air had become particularly heavy. “I’ll be at home. You have my number.”

“Um, okay,” Gamble said, unsure. “I’ll let you know what’s going on later.”

Nick started up the Porsche and eased it down the exit ramp. He felt a desperate urge to get away. He needed to break something, destroy it into a million little pieces. Then again, did it really matter? Another day or two, and he was going to be dead anyway.

A final glance into the rearview mirror showed the two fed cars on either side of Jackie, who stood with her small fists balled up on her hips watching his car vanish down the exit-ramp tunnel.