Never Cry Mercy by L. T. Ryan Page A

said. He looked to be the oldest of the group.
    "Old man?" I stepped toward him. He met me half way. Top of his head didn't even come up to my chin. "Look, kid, if you guys did something, it's better you tell me than for the police to find out."
    The blond kid laughed. "You think the police can do anything in this town?"
    I shrugged. "They do in every other town I've ever been in."
    "Yeah," the kid said. "Well you don't know shit about what goes on here."
    "Why don't you tell me what kind of shit goes on here then?"
    One of the boys reached out and grabbed the blond-haired kid by the shoulder. "Hey, man, that's enough. You know Darrow doesn't like anyone talking."
    "Who's Darryl?" I asked.
    "Not Darryl," the blond kid said. "Darrow."
    "He drive a big truck, four wheels in the back?"
    The kid nodded.
    "C'mon, man," one of the boys said. "We need to get out of here."
    All but the blond-haired kid turned and ran. They broke off in two different directions. The kid took a few steps back, eyeing me, almost like I'd insulted him personally, and he planned on doing something about it. The others called to him. Before running off, he spit toward me. The glob of saliva landed about halfway between where we stood.
    "Better watch your back, old man," he said. "Darrow don't like people asking questions."
    I watched the group until they were out of sight. Their voices gave way to laughter. Things never mattered for long when you're ten.
    I walked over to where they had huddled when I first spotted them. Looked down at the ground. Didn't see anything. I squatted and traced the indented patterns in the grass. Something had definitely matted the ground. Could've been one of their shoes. Or a glove. Or a stack of playboys. Get a group of pre-teen boys together and who the hell knew. Whatever it had been, they'd been sharp enough to scoop it up and conceal it without me noticing.
    I searched the immediate area for a few minutes before giving up and resuming my trek to the old couple's house. The black clouds were close to overcoming the sun, which resided right over my head. Wasn't long until the storm would arrive.
    Perhaps in more ways than one , I thought as I spotted the old couple's kitchen screen door broken and resting on a single hinge.

Chapter 14
    Crystal River, Florida, 1988
    Jack whipped his head around to see who was at the door. He felt himself ripped out of his chair as he located his sister. Beyond her were only shadows. He forced himself to look again at the sounds of her struggling and pushing against the door. An arm penetrated the gap. She was losing ground.
    "Molly," he yelled.
    "Go," she yelled back.
    "Let go of me, Sean," Jack said.
    Sean's grip intensified as he dragged Jack away from the house.
    "Molly's in trouble."
    "I know," Sean said. "I'll take care of it, but first I have to make sure you're safe."
    Jack struggled with his brother. "I can take care of myself."
    "Dammit, Jack. Listen to me." He grabbed Jack's shirt with both fists and drew him in close. They stood in the middle of the yard. "I don't know what's going on, but if something happens to you, Dad will have my ass for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I know you're a tough dude, but let me handle this. You're not ready."
    Jack sulked back. Even though there were only two years between the boys, the physical difference was great. Sean had six inches and forty pounds on Jack. His brother was practically a man in stature. Hell, he was bigger than a lot of men at six-foot-two. The only solace Jack took from it was that in roughly two years, he'd be about the same size.
    The brothers stood in the backyard, glancing around, listening. It was hard to hear anything over the cicadas buzzing. Then thick beams of white light hit the darkened trees.
    "They're coming." Sean looked around, then shoved Jack toward the porch. "Get under there. Stay quiet. I'll be back for you in a minute."
    Jack dove on the ground and squeezed underneath the porch through an opening only he