Page 31 of Barry

Ken got out of the SUV, opened the back door, and pulled out a long metal pole. “Have you killed it yet?”

“Nope, left everything as it was when I opened the door. The only one to touch the door was me,” Barry said as Ken walked over and extended his hand.

“You just can’t catch a break today, can you?”

Barry grimaced as he shook Ken’s hand. “Today is trying my newly acquired anger management techniques, to be sure.”

Andrew shook Ken’s hand. “Was there something else?” He looked between Ken and Barry.

Barry nodded. “Chester was a royal dick this morning and said some cross-ways words about Kathy since she’s seeing me now.”

“More like Chester was gunning for an argument. Barry did real well, though. Tegan was making sure of it, but Barry didn’t need it. Well, not too much.” Ken winked at Barry and then continued, “I tell you, that old man is getting worse and worse. I called the judge. Nothing I can do if he’s cantankerous. If he becomes a danger to himself or others, then I can start the process. But for now, I’m making some calls to his kids. Seeing if they can come and figure out what’s going on with him.”

“You should do that after we get rid of the snake, though,” Andrew chided him.

“I got the grabber Dean gave me. I tell you, even six feet away, I still hate them.” Ken lifted the bar that had a grip at one end and what looked like pinchers on the other end.

As they walked, Andrew filled him in on his discussion with Roman. Obviously, Ken knew who Roman was because the who of the conversation was never questioned. Before they entered the bunkhouse, Ken stopped and looked at them. “I don’t like either scenario. This guy has military training, and he’d understand the symbolism of that pyramid you found, right?”

“Yeah.” Barry nodded.

“All right. Andrew, I’m going to funnel this up the channel, but I need some kind of official report to be able to dig into Jackson Gill.”

“I’m calling the senator after we finish fishing out that rattlesnake.” Andrew opened the door. “You’ll get your information.”

Barry followed Ken into the bunkhouse, hoping like heck Andrew was right, but his gut told him that the latest act was one of a desperate person. Whoever had snuck in there could have been seen by six different men. Hell, if Honey was in the room, she would have started barking, and everyone would have been awake. None of it made sense. None of it.

Dusty and Gary looked back when they filed in. Dusty pointed his shotgun at the door. “Ain’t nothing came out of that room,” he said. Gary stood up and pointed to his room next door to Barry’s. “Not being a sissy or anything,but now that he’s done watching the door, I need that shotgun so I can make sure nothing slithered into my room.”

“I got this,” Ken said and set the pole on the huge communal table in the kitchen area. He took out his phone. “Pictures.”

“Or it didn’t happen,” Gary said, and he and Dusty chuckled.

Ken shot the guys a questioning look.

Gary shrugged. “Social media saying. Pictures, or it didn’t happen.”

“Yeah, except now, with AI, you can deep fake anything.” Dusty pointed to Gary’s room. “We’ll clear yours, mine, Kent’s, and then Dolan’s room.”

Gary nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” They opened Gary’s door and stepped inside the room.

“Barry, can you get that pole for me?” Ken took a picture of the door and opened it a crack.

“The pillowcase is to the right of the door on the floor,” Barry told him as he returned with the pole. Ken opened the door a bit wider and snapped a picture of the material. He lifted from his squat and took a picture of the rattlesnake still coiled at the foot of his bed.

“Shit, that’s a big one.”

“Yeah. Noisy when the rattle starts going, too.” Barry handed Ken the pole in exchange for the phone. “When I get this guy in the grip, take some pictures of it.” Ken squeezed the handle of the pole, and the pinchers openedup. Ken crept into the room. The snake’s tail started to shake, and its head lifted.

Ken was quick with the grab, and the snake was not happy at all. Barry took a couple of quick pictures and just happened to look down as everyone else looked at the six-foot rattler.

“Ken, don’t move.”

Barry pulled out his sidearm, took aim, and fired. The snake's body, which had been winding its way toward Ken, fractured.

Dusty and Gary’s shouts from the other room were dull noises against the ringing of his ears. He looked up at Ken. The man was ashen white but still holding onto the other snake. Andrew grabbed Ken’s arm and pulled him out of the room.

“What the hell?” Dusty skidded to a stop at the door. “Two of those bastards?”

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