forever regard himself as a coward, because he allowed a man like Joseph Venn to get away.
Or, he brazened it out, and went hell-for-leather for the Sea Stealer, and stormed it, and killed Venn and whoever else was on board. The cops were even more likely to take him down, but at least he’d die a proud man. An avenged man.
He was the Gamma Blade, and he would die as such.
Brull made up his mind.
As the Sea Stealer loomed larger, Brull reached for a bullhorn and called out: “Joseph Venn. This is Ernesto Justice Brull. If you have any balls, come out on deck.”
After a moment, his phone rang. He picked it up.
It was Venn. “It’s over, Brull. Your whole operation is closing down.”
“Not yet,” said Brull. “We have unfinished business, you and I.”
“We certainly do,” Venn said.
Brull peered at the Sea Stealer. He could see movement beyond the tinted windows of the cabin.
“Like I say,” Brull said. “Come out on deck, where I can see you.”
“Where you can shoot me down, you mean,” Venn said. “You think I’m stupid? Why don’t you come out?”
Brull said, “Cops are still a long way away, Venn. Plenty of time for us to settle our business.”
Silence.
Brull squinted, trying to make out the shapes through the cabin windows of the other boat. Was that Venn there, phone pressed to his ear?
“See,” said Brull, “that’s exactly what I thought. You’re this big, brave, Noo Yawk cop on the surface. But, scratch that surface, and underneath you’re just chickenshit.”
His first warning was the slap of hands on fiberglass behind him.
But he should have known, anyhow.
Brull whirled, bringing across the Heckler & Koch, but Venn was already through the door of the cabin and kicking the gun from Brull’s hand, the tip of his boot slamming agonizingly into Brull’s wrist.
Brull staggered back, saw Venn hang back with his own gun in his hand. Venn was sodden from head to toe. He must have jumped into the water right after the last time he spoke, and climbed up the side of the boat while Brull was talking to him.
“So, Brull,” Venn said. “Just you and me now.”
Brull tried to look beyond Venn to where the skipper had been, but couldn’t see anybody.
Venn said, “He’s out cold. Didn’t know what hit him.”
He aimed the Beretta at Brull, allowing the muzzle to rove from face to feet and back again.
Brull placed his hands on his head.
He said, “So hand me over. See if I give a fuck. You’ve got nothing. A scared kid, who won’t be able to identify me, because I’ve never met him. A grocery store owner who claims I kidnapped that kid, while having no proof apart from a video clip that I’ll swear somebody else sent me.” Brull laughed. “Sorry, Mr New York. You lose, again.”
“Wrong,” said Venn. “Because you jumped me when I climbed aboard this vessel. You aimed that H&K at me, and I had no choice but to fire back in self-defense.”
Brull’s eyes widened at the last moment, when he finally understood what was going to happen.
Chapter 38
The sound of the shot escaped the confines of the cabin and rang out across the sea.
Venn looked down at Brull’s body, the back of the head sheared away.
He’d killed many people before. And it had never, ever felt good to do so.
But this time, it had come close.
He stepped out on deck. The mild May night air chilled his sopping frame.
The police boats were approaching fast, and Venn raised his shield.
He thought about the kid, Hector, back in the Sea Stealer with Estrada, and soon to be reunited with his mother and father. He wondered if the kid would ever be quite the same again.
Venn thought about what Harris had said, about the possible off-shore vessel with the human chattel, the sex slaves or whatever they were. Kids, young women.
He felt tempted to go back in the cabin and put another couple of bullets in Brull, for good measure.
He thought about James Harris, the mystery guy. Wondered where he was now, and if he’d get his quarry, O’Reilly. He kind of hoped he would. He deserved it.
But, most of all, Venn thought about Beth.
And about their child, as yet unborn and unsexed.
And he thought about hope.
THE END
FROM THE AUTHOR
Joe Venn will return in Spring 2015.
If you’d like to read more about John Purkiss, he has his own series, starting with Ratcatcher, which is available as a free download from Amazon.
If you’d like to hear about my books as soon as they’re released, sign up to my mailing list here. You’ll get the second Joe Venn novel, Delta Ghost, completely free, as well as a bonus free 8,000-word short story about British spy hunter John Purkiss, Spiked, which is exclusive to list subscribers. I’ll never give out your email address to anyone else, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
My Amazon author pages are here (US) and here (UK). My blog is THRILLHOUND, where your comments are always welcome. If you’d like to email me, perhaps with comments about this novel (good or bad!) please do: timstevens*aol .
I’m on Facebook and Twitter.
Finally, I’d be most grateful if you’d consider leaving a review of Gamma Blade, if you think the book’s worthy of it. Reviews help us authors more than you might imagine.
Thanks!
Tim Stevens
BOOKS BY TIM STEVENS
John Purkiss series
Ratcatcher
Delivering Caliban
Jokerman
Tundra
Haven (short story)
John Purkiss Box Set Volume 1 (Ratcatcher, Delivering Caliban, Jokerman)
Spiked (short story exclusive to mailing list subscribers)
Cronos Rising
Nemesis (coming in 2015)
Martin Calvary series
Severance Kill
Annihilation Myths
Redemption Road (coming in 2015)
Joe Venn series
Omega Dog
Delta Ghost
Alpha Kill
Sigma Curse
Joe Venn Four Pack (Omega Dog, Delta Ghost, Alpha Kill, Sigma Curse)
Epsilon Creed
Gamma Blade
Shorter stories and novellas
Reunion
Snout