Page 17 of Dead Air
He heard Al giving the silent order to “take him out” and knocked the walkie-talkie from Niall’s hand, making him duck. Cenn hopped into Al’s body, stifling his weak will and quickly taking control. With Al’s arms, Cenn aimed the rifle at Buck’s head and pulled the trigger. There was a sudden, deafeningbang!and Buck’s head exploded, chunks and red mist spraying onto the rocky bank as his body collapsed into a tangled heap.
“Flick!” Niall yelled, covering his head. “What did youdo?”
“He was going to shoot you,” Cenn made Al say before jumping out of his body. He appeared again as Chance, crashing through the trees and panting a moment later.
“I saw it, Niall! That man was going to shoot you!” Cenn said as he pointed at Buck’s body. “Are you okay?”
“I didn’t do it!” Al was ashen and shaking as he stared at his rifle, then dropped it. “I didn’t do it. It was him!” He pointed at Cenn. “He did it!”
“Me?” Cenn pressed a hand against his chest, pretending to be flabbergasted.
“Stay right there and don’t move!” Niall commanded Al in a shaky, cracking voice, raising the walkie-talkie. “This is Ranger Gilpatrick. There’s been a shooting at Little Hawksbill Creek, around marker…” He sniffed hard as he looked toward the closest trail and estimated. “We’re about a mile east of marker 142. I’ll call back with exact coordinates in a moment but a man and a young male black bear are dead and I’m detaining another man until Agent Shelby or the sheriff can get here.”
“Holy shit, Niall!” DeeDee responded. “Are you okay?”
“I’m definitely freaking out on the inside but I haven’t been injured. We’re all going tostay cooland keep this from getting any worse than it is,” Niall added pointedly as he bent and reached for Al’s rifle, grabbing it by the muzzle with the end ofhis sleeve and dragging it closer. He retrieved a zip tie from a cargo pocket and used it to bind Al’s hands, ordering him to sit and remain quiet while they waited for reinforcements.
“Do you have any idea how…dangerous that was?” Cenn whispered to Niall after pulling him well out of Al’s reach, in the event he came to his senses and tried to take a hostage.
“Not really,” Niall admitted, cringing. “I was just so mad that someone had fired a weapon around hereand thenI spotted the dead bear and saw red.” He flinched and shuddered, recalling the moment Buck’s head exploded.
Literally,Cenn noted but masked his pleasure with a heavy sigh. “You aren’t law enforcement and they were armed. You could have been killed.”
He had hoped to scare a little sense into Niall but Cenn was shaken as well. His business with Dùbhghlas could have been done and dusted if Cenn had done his job and secured Niall’s soul, then let the poachers handle the rest.
Which made Cenn wonder: was there more to these two dangerous encounters or was it a coincidence that a narcissistic rapist and a pair of ruthless poachers had crossed Niall’s path in less than two weeks?
Cenn scowled at Al, scanning his thoughts and memories as he approached. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, his tone hardening as he snatched the front of Al’s vest. He heard the echoes of their conversations and they had known about Niall, that he’d be close by.
“Buck knew a guy!” Al whimpered up at Cenn, blocking his face with his bound hands. “He told him how to get into the park and where there were lots of bears. He said there might be one ranger over here but that he’d be easy to deal with.”
“This ‘guy’s’ name. What was it?” Cenn asked in a low growl, daring Al to lie to him.
“I don’t know, I swear! Please don’t come inside me again,” he cried out and a laugh burst from Cenn as he dropped him.
“I’m pretty sure I’d rememberthat!” He straightened and flashed Niall a wide-eyed look, shaking his head.
“I know it was him!” Al looked at Niall, panicked and pleading. “You have to believe me. I would never shoot Buck. I loved him like a son.”
Niall made a weary sound. His mortality was beginning to catch up with him as the adrenaline and rage started to wear off. Cenn could feel that Niall was shaken and horrified by what he had witnessed and how close he had come to being shot. “It was a very tense situation and we’re all confused. But I think it would be better if you remained silent. And the lessIhave to testify to, the better.”
Help arrived an hour later. Two deputies from the local sheriff’s department and Agent Shelby competently taped off the area around the body and removed the dead bear from the creek. Al had been questioned and Shelby appeared perplexed and understandably uncomfortable as he approached Cenn.
“Dr. Curn, it’s unfortunate to finally meet you under these circumstances,” he said, grimacing as he read the notes on his phone. “I’m not sure how, but I have to ask…” He coughed and scrubbed one of his brows. “Did you…come inside Mr. Wallace’s…body in any manner?” he eventually managed, offering Cenn a pained look.
Cenn blinked at Shelby for a moment, then canted toward him. “Is that Mr. Wallace? I didn’t get his last name before he blew his friend’s head off,” he explained as he pointed at Al. There was a quick nod from Shelby.
“Mr. Albert Wallace of Luray,” he said, making Cenn frown as he shook his head.
“I’ve never seen that man before he murdered his friend. He’s not really my type either,” he added and Shelby’s gaze followedCenn’s as he appreciated Niall’s ass in his cargo pants. He was crouched next to the bear, petting its fur and offering them a tempting view of his full, firm backside.
“I see… So you’re with Georgetown?” Shelby confirmed. “How’s your research going?” He was suspicious but he hadn’t called yet, not wanting to look like a jealous stalker if he was wrong and a Dr. Curnhadbeen dispatched to the park to study the salamanders.
“Great! Niall’s been a godsend and I wouldn’t have hesitated to come if I had known I’d have such a charming assistant,” he said, then grinned conspiratorially at Shelby. “Or that he’d be so cute.”
“Right.” Shelby coughed as he tapped out notes on his phone. “I might need to follow up with you later. What’s a good number to reach you at? Preferably during the day.”
“Let me give you my card.” Cenn didn’t hesitate to pull out his wallet, allowing Shelby to see the fake driver’s license and school faculty ID as he flipped through and found his business cards. There was a curse on the number and Shelby would believe he had talked to Dr. Curn’s assistant and that she had confirmed that Dr. Curn was conducting a study in Shenandoah for the next few months. “My personal number is on the back.”
