today. Maybe he should go home.”
“Yeah, like she said.” Paul gave an enthusiastic nod. “I should go home. Like now, okay?”
“You really don’t want to see this,” Danyon said to Shauna. “Trust me, it’s far from pleasant.”
“If I wanted pleasant, you think I’d be here?” Her hand still extended, she wiggled her fingers. “I’m doing it, so you might as well hand over the light.”
The determination on her face told Danyon any further discussion would be futile. He sighed, then signaled to Paul that it was okay for him to leave. The young were didn’t have to be told twice. He was gone in a nanosecond, obviously scared Danyon might change his mind.
“You sure about this?” Danyon held a flashlight out to Shauna.
She took it from him. “Positive. Now where’s Simon?”
He aimed his flashlight to the right. There was no missing the small arc of blood near the edge of the thicket. “There.”
“Got the tarp, boss,” Andy said, coming up behind them. “Where you want it?”
Danyon redirected the beam of light. “Stretch it outon that patch of grass. We’ll lay the body on it once we get it out of the thicket.”
Andy paused mid-step, and Danyon could almost hear his thoughts.
Body? Thicket?
To the man’s credit, Andy snapped back into action and did as he was told without saying another word.
When the tarp was in place, Danyon handed Shauna his flashlight. “Can you manage both? I need two hands to help pull him out.”
She nodded, looking a little green around the gills.
“You okay?”
“Yes…fine.”
Suspecting she had chosen bravery over telling the absolute truth, Danyon headed for the thicket.
“The body’s under heavy brush, so we won’t be able to lift it,” he said to Andy. “We’ll have to each take a leg and pull him out.”
“Got it,” Andy said.
Danyon squatted beside the arc of blood. “Here. Just reach in and grab hold.” He didn’t have to instruct Shauna on lighting. She already had both flashlights aimed perfectly.
Andy hurried to Danyon’s side, dropped to his knees and reached into the thick brush.
Finding Simon’s right ankle, Danyon wrapped both hands around it, glanced over at Andy. “Ready. You?”
A frown had settled over Andy’s face. “Uh…yeah, but something don’t feel right, boss.”
“I know. Just pull on the count of three, okay?”
Andy nodded, then bit down on his bottom lip.
“One, two…three.”
The body slid out a lot more easily than it had gone in. Once it was in full view, a beam of light settled over Simon’s face, and Danyon heard Shauna gasp.
“Sweet mother of pearl,” Andy said, breathing hard, his voice a hoarse whisper. He dropped Simon’s leg and quickly scrubbed his hands on his jeans.
Suddenly blinded by light, Danyon threw the back of a hand over his eyes. “Hey, Shauna, light!”
“S-Sorry,” she said, and corrected her aim. “I—I…
God, he—” Her mouth snapped shut, and Danyon understood. Sometimes, when faced with something horrible, it seemed a little ridiculous to state the obvious.
“Let’s move him onto the tarp,” Danyon said to Andy.
“You take his feet. I’ll grab under his arms. Then we lift on go.”
Stationing himself at Simon’s head, Danyon locked his hands under Simon’s arms, then he nodded and waited for Andy to grab both ankles before counting down and saying, “Go.”
In less than a minute, they had Simon settled on the tarp. Shauna stepped closer but stood over to one side, so the flashlight beams weren’t obstructed by Andy’s head.
Her eyes were wide, and she, too, was breathing hard.
“I don’t get it, boss…I don’t get it,” Andy said. “How come he’s still…?” He glanced over at Shauna, then back at Danyon. He lowered his voice. “How come he’s still were?”
“You don’t have to whisper, Andy. She sees him, too. She knew about it before she even got here.”
Andy nodded as if he understood completely, but the furrows
“Yeah, like she said.” Paul gave an enthusiastic nod. “I should go home. Like now, okay?”
“You really don’t want to see this,” Danyon said to Shauna. “Trust me, it’s far from pleasant.”
“If I wanted pleasant, you think I’d be here?” Her hand still extended, she wiggled her fingers. “I’m doing it, so you might as well hand over the light.”
The determination on her face told Danyon any further discussion would be futile. He sighed, then signaled to Paul that it was okay for him to leave. The young were didn’t have to be told twice. He was gone in a nanosecond, obviously scared Danyon might change his mind.
“You sure about this?” Danyon held a flashlight out to Shauna.
She took it from him. “Positive. Now where’s Simon?”
He aimed his flashlight to the right. There was no missing the small arc of blood near the edge of the thicket. “There.”
“Got the tarp, boss,” Andy said, coming up behind them. “Where you want it?”
Danyon redirected the beam of light. “Stretch it outon that patch of grass. We’ll lay the body on it once we get it out of the thicket.”
Andy paused mid-step, and Danyon could almost hear his thoughts.
Body? Thicket?
To the man’s credit, Andy snapped back into action and did as he was told without saying another word.
When the tarp was in place, Danyon handed Shauna his flashlight. “Can you manage both? I need two hands to help pull him out.”
She nodded, looking a little green around the gills.
“You okay?”
“Yes…fine.”
Suspecting she had chosen bravery over telling the absolute truth, Danyon headed for the thicket.
“The body’s under heavy brush, so we won’t be able to lift it,” he said to Andy. “We’ll have to each take a leg and pull him out.”
“Got it,” Andy said.
Danyon squatted beside the arc of blood. “Here. Just reach in and grab hold.” He didn’t have to instruct Shauna on lighting. She already had both flashlights aimed perfectly.
Andy hurried to Danyon’s side, dropped to his knees and reached into the thick brush.
Finding Simon’s right ankle, Danyon wrapped both hands around it, glanced over at Andy. “Ready. You?”
A frown had settled over Andy’s face. “Uh…yeah, but something don’t feel right, boss.”
“I know. Just pull on the count of three, okay?”
Andy nodded, then bit down on his bottom lip.
“One, two…three.”
The body slid out a lot more easily than it had gone in. Once it was in full view, a beam of light settled over Simon’s face, and Danyon heard Shauna gasp.
“Sweet mother of pearl,” Andy said, breathing hard, his voice a hoarse whisper. He dropped Simon’s leg and quickly scrubbed his hands on his jeans.
Suddenly blinded by light, Danyon threw the back of a hand over his eyes. “Hey, Shauna, light!”
“S-Sorry,” she said, and corrected her aim. “I—I…
God, he—” Her mouth snapped shut, and Danyon understood. Sometimes, when faced with something horrible, it seemed a little ridiculous to state the obvious.
“Let’s move him onto the tarp,” Danyon said to Andy.
“You take his feet. I’ll grab under his arms. Then we lift on go.”
Stationing himself at Simon’s head, Danyon locked his hands under Simon’s arms, then he nodded and waited for Andy to grab both ankles before counting down and saying, “Go.”
In less than a minute, they had Simon settled on the tarp. Shauna stepped closer but stood over to one side, so the flashlight beams weren’t obstructed by Andy’s head.
Her eyes were wide, and she, too, was breathing hard.
“I don’t get it, boss…I don’t get it,” Andy said. “How come he’s still…?” He glanced over at Shauna, then back at Danyon. He lowered his voice. “How come he’s still were?”
“You don’t have to whisper, Andy. She sees him, too. She knew about it before she even got here.”
Andy nodded as if he understood completely, but the furrows
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