park.”
A little more than three minutes this time.
“No worries here. I’ve been on the receiving end of blasts that could make your ears bleed.”
Or tear your limbs off.
“I’ll bet. You ever do any sniping? That’s the ultimate hunting in my book.”
Is he serious?
“No, but we routinely had snipers assigned to our battalion. They didn’t seem to enjoy their job much.”
“Hell, I’d give anything to trade places with them for a few hours.”
“I don’t know. Nothing out there shoots back,” Alex said and glanced toward the trees north of the neighborhood.
They both looked at each other for a second, and Alex felt like he was being sized up.
“Yeah, maybe not. Anyway, have a good night, Alex. I’ll catch you later,” Charlie said and started walking back down the driveway.
“You too, Charlie.”
He returned to the wood stacked behind the garage.
Definitely gonna keep an eye on Private Pyle over there.
**
Alex stepped out onto the mudroom stoop and looked around for Kate. He didn’t see her in the front yard, so he headed down the driveway and spotted her four houses down, petting a chocolate lab in the Coopers’ driveway. He approached Kate and leaned down to pet the Coopers’ dog, Max, who wiggled and squirmed his way over to Alex, stopping short to roll over onto his back. Kate stood upright as he rubbed Max’s chest.
“Very good boy. Yes, you are. Any sign of Paul and Nancy?” he asked, without looking up at Kate.
Kate leaned in and rubbed Max’s neck. “No. I thought I saw their car drive by our house on the way out…maybe an hour ago?”
Alex stood up and took in the trees, his eyes straining in the direction of the Thorntons’, without turning his head. “Let’s get rolling before we attract some unwanted attention,” he remarked, nodding toward Charlie’s house.
Kate looked over at the Thorntons’.
“Jesus Christ. Don’t look!” he whispered forcefully.
“What are you, in third grade? None of their cars are out, and you know they never park in the garage.”
“I’d just like to get off the block unmolested,” he said, and they started to walk briskly toward the other side of the Durham Road loop.
They continued to walk through the loop, passing the Murrays’ and the Bishops’ houses to their right. Alex caught some movement in his peripheral vision from the Santos’ yard, on the other side of the street, but nobody called out to them. They passed by the Cohens’ house, also on the left, and saw that both of their cars were fully packed. One of the cars had a cargo carrier on top, which was open and halfway stuffed with duffel bags. They both picked up the pace to get by the Cohens’ house.
“They don’t have any immediate family down here, right?” Kate asked.
“I was just thinking the same thing. I think Margaret’s parents are retired and live up near Bar Harbor,” he replied, still thinking about it.
“Yes, that’s right. Her parents own a huge place on the water up there. They spend a few weeks each summer up there and most of the weekends.”
“Looks like they’re taking off.”
They continued walking toward Harrison Road, where they planned to turn right and connect with Everett Lane, which ran parallel to their neighborhood and connected with several other streets behind their subdivision. This route was one of their favorite walks, which took them a few miles through surrounding neighborhoods and eventually connected with Hewitt Park. Several foot trails extended for miles through the land trust preserve surrounding the park, but he and Kate usually turned around once they reached the park.
As they approached Harrison Road, a black Toyota Sienna minivan careened, tires squealing, onto Durham Road, barely making the turn ahead of a red sedan on Harrison Road.
“What the…” Alex exclaimed, pushing Kate slightly off the sidewalk onto the Quinns’ lawn and putting himself between the van and his wife. He quickly
A little more than three minutes this time.
“No worries here. I’ve been on the receiving end of blasts that could make your ears bleed.”
Or tear your limbs off.
“I’ll bet. You ever do any sniping? That’s the ultimate hunting in my book.”
Is he serious?
“No, but we routinely had snipers assigned to our battalion. They didn’t seem to enjoy their job much.”
“Hell, I’d give anything to trade places with them for a few hours.”
“I don’t know. Nothing out there shoots back,” Alex said and glanced toward the trees north of the neighborhood.
They both looked at each other for a second, and Alex felt like he was being sized up.
“Yeah, maybe not. Anyway, have a good night, Alex. I’ll catch you later,” Charlie said and started walking back down the driveway.
“You too, Charlie.”
He returned to the wood stacked behind the garage.
Definitely gonna keep an eye on Private Pyle over there.
**
Alex stepped out onto the mudroom stoop and looked around for Kate. He didn’t see her in the front yard, so he headed down the driveway and spotted her four houses down, petting a chocolate lab in the Coopers’ driveway. He approached Kate and leaned down to pet the Coopers’ dog, Max, who wiggled and squirmed his way over to Alex, stopping short to roll over onto his back. Kate stood upright as he rubbed Max’s chest.
“Very good boy. Yes, you are. Any sign of Paul and Nancy?” he asked, without looking up at Kate.
Kate leaned in and rubbed Max’s neck. “No. I thought I saw their car drive by our house on the way out…maybe an hour ago?”
Alex stood up and took in the trees, his eyes straining in the direction of the Thorntons’, without turning his head. “Let’s get rolling before we attract some unwanted attention,” he remarked, nodding toward Charlie’s house.
Kate looked over at the Thorntons’.
“Jesus Christ. Don’t look!” he whispered forcefully.
“What are you, in third grade? None of their cars are out, and you know they never park in the garage.”
“I’d just like to get off the block unmolested,” he said, and they started to walk briskly toward the other side of the Durham Road loop.
They continued to walk through the loop, passing the Murrays’ and the Bishops’ houses to their right. Alex caught some movement in his peripheral vision from the Santos’ yard, on the other side of the street, but nobody called out to them. They passed by the Cohens’ house, also on the left, and saw that both of their cars were fully packed. One of the cars had a cargo carrier on top, which was open and halfway stuffed with duffel bags. They both picked up the pace to get by the Cohens’ house.
“They don’t have any immediate family down here, right?” Kate asked.
“I was just thinking the same thing. I think Margaret’s parents are retired and live up near Bar Harbor,” he replied, still thinking about it.
“Yes, that’s right. Her parents own a huge place on the water up there. They spend a few weeks each summer up there and most of the weekends.”
“Looks like they’re taking off.”
They continued walking toward Harrison Road, where they planned to turn right and connect with Everett Lane, which ran parallel to their neighborhood and connected with several other streets behind their subdivision. This route was one of their favorite walks, which took them a few miles through surrounding neighborhoods and eventually connected with Hewitt Park. Several foot trails extended for miles through the land trust preserve surrounding the park, but he and Kate usually turned around once they reached the park.
As they approached Harrison Road, a black Toyota Sienna minivan careened, tires squealing, onto Durham Road, barely making the turn ahead of a red sedan on Harrison Road.
“What the…” Alex exclaimed, pushing Kate slightly off the sidewalk onto the Quinns’ lawn and putting himself between the van and his wife. He quickly
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