Bone Secrets 03 - Buried

his body after the gun, scrambling across the slippery floor on his hands and knees, feeling warm wetness seep through his shirt. He grabbed the firearm and spun around, hisfingers settling into the comfortable familiarity of the Glock. With shaking arms, he pointed the gun at Gerald.
    Michael swallowed hard at the sight of Gerald in a mirrored position.
    Both on their knees, both with a gun, both aiming at the other.

    Gerald breathed hard, his hands tight on his backup weapon as he locked in on the bleeding man in front of him. One of the first things he’d done after arriving at the mansion was arm himself; he’d felt naked in front of the trooper who’d given him the cell phone ticket. In the past, Phil had made fun of him for preferring to carry two guns. He wouldn’t be laughing now.
    Coffee dripped down Gerald’s face. The heat had stung at first, but shock had replaced the pain. Michael Brody had surprised the shit out of him in the kitchen.
How the fuck did he get from Eastern Oregon so fast?
Gerald had assumed he was still moping around the town looking for his girlfriend. Now he was oozing blood on the governor’s floor, looking ready to pass out.
    He’d seen the recognition on Brody’s face as he spotted his tattoos. In the past, Brody hadn’t spared him a second glance. An occasional greeting, that was about it. Gerald had always been careful to keep his arms covered as much as possible. The governor had felt his tattoos were unprofessional, even for someone who worked security, and he urged him to wear driving gloves and long sleeves, especially around other politicians.
    The woman must have reported that he had ink. She could have gotten a glimpse.
    “Where’s Jamie?” Michael panted.
    Gerald laughed.
    “
Where is she? What did you do to her?
”
    He smiled back at Brody.
    “If you’ve hurt her, I will kill you.”
    “Then I better keep my mouth shut for now.”
    “You’re a fucking sick asshole.” Brody spit the words. “You killed all those kids.”
    Gerald raised one eyebrow and sighted his weapon again. Center of mass. Brody’s right arm drooped an inch.
    “I heard about the pictures.”
    “What pictures?”
    “The police have Polaroids of you…and the kids…”
    Those pictures.
“Big fucking deal.”
    “What did you do with Jamie?” Brody’s gun quivered.
    One side of Gerald’s mouth turned up. He saw no need to answer questions.
    “
Is she dead? Did you kill her, you fucker?
” Brody’s arms shook violently with his question. “
Where is she?
”
    Gerald wanted to just shoot the asshole again and be done with it. But part of his brain knew the governor would be livid. Livid at the political scandal. Right now everything that had just happened could be written off as an accident.
    He needed to get Brody out of the house. Blood pooled near his knee. He could wait and Brody would be unconscious in minutes.
    “What I want to know is why that bus of kids?” A different voice spoke from Gerald’s right. From the corner of his eye, he saw a man step into the dining room with a gun pointed at him.
What the fuck?
Gerald didn’t take his eyes off Brody.
    “I’ll kill him! I’ll shoot him right now!” Gerald yelled at the newcomer. “Shoot me and I’ll have a bullet in Brody’s heart asplit second later.” He had a solid wall four feet behind him. The other man couldn’t move behind him for an advantage.
    “Chris. Don’t shoot.” Brody breathed hard. “He needs to tell me where Jamie is.”
    “Jamie’s downstairs. She’s fine.”
    Chris Jacobs?
Gerald grinned. “You boys got together? You must have a lot in common.” Gerald saw Brody’s gun waver the slightest bit, relief touching his eyes.
    “More than you know,” snarled Brody. “Put your gun down.”
    “No, fucker! Why don’t you?” Gerald kept his gaze on Brody.
    “Go back downstairs,” Brody ordered Chris. “I need to be the one to do this.”
    “No, I’m going to put a bullet in his brain,” Chris insisted. “I will make him pay for what he did to me and my friends.
Do you know how often I wished I was dead?
While I was in that bunker and after? I’ve been looking over my shoulder
all my life
for this guy! And now he’s right in front of me.”
    A new voice spoke. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Gerald smiled at the sound of his boss.

    Thank God.
Michael exhaled. Uncle Phillip had spoken from his left.
    Now Gerald would back down.
    Michael’s rigid stance made his