Bang the Blower (Country Roads 3)

“They don’t belong to you, Annie.”

“You’ll see. When Julie is gone, they’ll come back. A man always returns home after he finishes playing on the wrong side of the tracks.”

Carl slapped his cell phone closed. He mumbled all sorts of profanity under his breath. When he turned around, he discovered the shock of a lifetime. Four guns were pointed at his head and a badge flashed in front of his face. “Carl Carlton, you’re under arrest for the murders of several race car drivers. If we can’t make that stick, we’ve got you for racketeering, laundering money, and the attempted murder of Julie Jenkins.”

About that time, the old guy Carl often saw with Julie walked up the sidewalk, an easy lope to his gait. Flashing a plastic case housing a DVD, the old man said, “I love that little girl. I loved her enough to place security cameras in the garage bay. You tried to kill her, and if I had my way you’d be dead right now.”

The agent with the badge took a few steps toward him. “I need your hands in the air.”

Hank Hinman appeared from the other direction. There were camera crews behind him.

Carl sneered. Without a doubt, he was going down. But he wasn’t leaving there without a fight.

“You couldn’t let this be a private matter?” Carl called out.

“Not a chance, Carl. It became a public when Julie nearly died on a televised event,” Hank said, bitterness and hatred in every word. “What excuse do you have, Carl? Didn’t she make you enough money? Hell, I thought being the number one driver in drag racing should’ve earned her your loyalty, but it wasn’t enough, huh?” A beat later, he added, “For guys like you, it never is.”

Julie and Duke walked out of the house then. Julie looked as fresh as an inexperienced virgin actually penetrated for the first time. Duke extended his arm and pushed her back behind him. “What’s this all about, Hank?”

Hank’s nose twitched. “We’ll explain later. Ain’t got the time right now.”

Duke shrugged. “As long as you have this under control.”

“I got this,” he assured him.

“If you say so,” Duke

said, a troubled look in his eye. “Let’s go, Julie.”

As the younger Hinman tried to push Julie inside, she stepped away from him, darting under his arm. She rushed down the steps with her fists drawn tight. “What have you done, Carl?”

An agent stepped in front of her. “Miss Jenkins, we’d appreciate it if you waited in the house.”

Carl saw the greatest opportunity to make a name for himself. He’d tried to do that as a rookie driver and failed. He’d tried to establish himself as a prominent car owner and failed. In fact, throughout life, he’d constantly come up short.

If these guys wanted to take him down, he would be remembered.

Grabbing the pistol he had tucked at his belt, he secured the weapon in his hand, wielding the piece forward, and taking aim.

“He’s got a gun!” Hank shouted, rushing him.

Shots were fired all around him. He released at least a couple. He’d never know who or what he hit. His world went dark. His body went cold. Death welcomed him.

He wasn’t at the start-finish line. He was in victory lane. Race fans everywhere would always remember his name.

Chapter Fourteen

“Frank!” Julie screamed as the man she’d thought of like a father fell to the ground after catching the third bullet fired into his stomach. He wouldn’t have suffered such a fate if he hadn’t jumped in front of Julie as Carl’s gun became clearly visible, dangling from his fingertips.

Julie immediately went to Frank, propping his head on her lap.

Hank and Duke rushed to his side, too. He gasped as he tried to speak, raising his head off the ground to look down at his bleeding gut. “Oh geez…” he whispered, his head dropping to her knees again. “You gotta go, little girl. Get outta here. Hank, get her away from here.” Blood pooled at his sides. “Hank, now.”

Hank studied the old man for a moment and nodded. Julie wasn’t a fool. Frank thought this was the end, and he didn’t want her to watch him die. “Julie, let’s go, honey.”

Her sobs filled the air. “Give me a minute!”

By this time, the policemen there gathered closer. One stooped next to him.