Читать книгу The Killing Grounds: an explosive and gripping thriller for fans of James Patterson - Jack Ford, Jack Ford - Страница 23

12

Gazing out of the large window overlooking the dusty, cactus-filled flatlands leading up to the Granite Mountain, Dax Granger sat back in his hard wooden chair. He was tired. Real tired. Tired enough for the doctor to tell him he had to rest and take it easy. Unfit enough for the doctor to be throwing numbers at him like he was carving up the batter in a baseball game. Blood pressure one sixty over a hundred. Cholesterol level one ninety. Goddamn doctors, only thing they were good at was scaring the life out of people, triggering his wife to start looking for a retirement condo down in South Florida. If that’s what old age and ill health had in store for him, let God take him now. Irritated, he pointed at Rosedale and Cooper with the chewed blue biro top he held in his hand.

‘Is this the way it’s going to be, huh guys? You two at each other’s throats like a pair of Coyotes? I thought it was Maddie and Cooper I had to worry about, but oh no, you always like to prove me wrong.’

Rosedale yawned, adjusting the angle of his large cream cowboy hat whilst looking down at his watch.

‘You got some place else you need to be, Rosedale?’

Rosedale smirked, lighting his cigar. ‘Hell no, I’m staying around for the entertainment.’

Not having said anything so far, Cooper kept his words to a minimum. He took a drag from his cigarette. ‘You should’ve told me.’

Granger pulled a face. ‘I don’t need to discuss my staffing policies with anyone, least of all you. You’re here to do a job, nothing else.’

Cooper had a feeling the man was enjoying this. But he tried not to focus on that. Pills had a way of making a man feel paranoid. ‘Then tell me why.’

Rosedale cut in. Grinned widely. ‘I think that’s plain obvious, don’t you, Thomas?’

‘What’s he talking about?’

Granger had never been a man who liked to be questioned and today was no different. He snapped and barked and growled. ‘You were away where you shouldn’t have even been. I was a man down.’ He shrugged his shoulders to mark the end of his sentence.

‘And that’s it?’

‘That’s it, Cooper. Nothing more than a short tale.’

Rosedale said, ‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that.’

Granger stared hard at him. ‘Cut it out.’

Cooper turned to Granger. He wanted answers. But more than that he didn’t want anyone to be making him their fool. ‘I’m missing something here, aren’t I…? What’s going on?’

Drinking the coffee Maddie hadn’t bothered sugaring – orders from his wife – Granger sighed, not wanting to say anything more.

At which Rosedale was clearly amused. He winked. ‘Somebody thinks you need your hand holding, Thomas. So who better? Here I am. You’ve got yourself a babysitter.’

‘I don’t get it… Granger… I’m talking to you.’

Cooper could see Granger was uncomfortable. Forced into a corner. And he wasn’t about to let him out.

‘Okay, I got a call, but Cooper, you’ve got to understand…’

Cooper put his hand up to stop Granger saying anymore. ‘Oh I understand alright, and you can bet your life I’m going to go and sort it out.’