Джеймс Чейз - One Bright Summer Morning

Harper was about to shake Letts awake to take over the watch on the ranch house when he heard Zelda’s screams.

The sound woke the other two Federal Officers and the three men looked anxiously at one another.

“What the hell’s going on up there?” Letts said, getting to his feet.

The screams that came shrilly through the still night air suddenly stopped and silence once again descended over the desert.

“I’m going up there,” Harper said.

“Wait,” Letts said. “I’m better at this kind of caper than you. I could get up there without being seen. If they spot us, the balloon will go up.”

Letts was a small, wiry man who had seen service as a jungle scout during the war. Harper recognized his claim. If anyone could get to the ranch house without being seen, it would be Letts.

“Okay, Alex, but get up there fast. I want to know what’s going on.”

As Letts moved forward, first on hands and knees and then flat in the sand, Harper got on to the two-way radio and tried to contact Dennison. He was told Dennison wasn’t available.

“Find him!” Harper said urgently. “There’s trouble up here. A woman has been screaming. Find and tell him!”

At the sound of Zelda’s screams, Moe came out of his heavy sleep with a start that brought him unsteadily to his feet. For a long moment he couldn’t recollect where he was. He had hold of his gun, his breathing was heavy, his heart pounding, then he came fully awake and looked across to the cabin where he could see Zelda, her hands in her hair, screaming.

Riff ran to her and slapped her face. Her screams cut off. Sobbing frantically, she tried to cling to him, but he shoved her away.

The stench of death from the Vietnamese sickened both of them.

Slowly, Moe came down the veranda steps. A light had come up in Carrie’s room, and Carrie peered fearfully out of the open window. Even from where she was, the smell of death came to her.

Zelda turned and ran blindly down the drive. Riff started after her, then stopped when he saw Moe coming towards him, gun in hand.

Moe yelled after Zelda, but she kept on running.

“Get after her!” he shouted to Riff. “She’s getting away!”

But Riff paid no attention. He was now staring at the man he had killed. Fury, frustration and fear surged through him. He suddenly realized he would never marry Zelda and his hopes for a rich, easy life now exploded in his face.

Then Moe saw the body of the Vietnamese and he stopped short, feeling the hairs on the nape of his neck lift.

Chita had slid off the bed. She was watching gleefully through the slit in the shutter.

Letts, a hundred yards away, found himself right out in the open. In the hard light of the moon, he realized if he now made a movement forward, he must be seen. He watched Moe and Riff standing over something dark, lying in the sand. He then saw Zelda running frantically towards him. He recognized her, and on impulse, he jumped to his feet.

“I’m a Federal Officer,” he said, catching hold of her arm, bringing her to an abrupt stop. “Keep going... there’s...”

Moe suddenly saw Letts rise out of the ground. He saw Zelda jump clear of him and run on. He fired at Letts. He had no intention of pulling the trigger. This was an instinctive movement brought on by shock and fear.

Shot through the head, Letts pitched forward as the gun flash made Riff start back. By now Zelda had disappeared beyond the first of the sand dunes.

Both Riff and Moe remained motionless, staring at the body lying in the sand.

“What’s happening?” Moe quavered. He felt he was going out of his mind. “What’s going on?”

Cursing, Riff ran to where Letts lay. He bent over him, turned him and began pawing at his body. He found Letts’s wallet and then the F.B.I, badge. He peered at the badge, then scrambling to his feet, he raced back to Moe.

“It’s a Fed!” he snarled as he reached Moe. “You stupid jerk! You’ve killed him!”

As Zelda blundered on down the drive, Harper, seeing her come, jumped up and grabbed her.

“It’s alright. We’re Federal Officers,” he said and clamped his hand over her mouth to stop her screaming. She wrestled with him, her eyes wide with terror and shock, but he finally quieted her by repeating over and over again that he was a Federal Officer. She went suddenly limp and collapsed against him.

“Jack!” Harper said urgently. “Get her to Dennison! It’s Miss Van Wylie!”

Brody was looking towards the ranch house.

“How’s about the woman and child up there?”

“Do what I say!” Harper snapped. “I’ll take care of them.”

Brody caught hold of Zelda and half dragging, half supporting her, took her to the jeep, hidden behind a big sand dune.

Harper turned his attention to the ranch house. He saw three figures running towards the house. They disappeared inside. From where he stood, he heard the door slam. The light in one of the rooms went out.

As the jeep started up, he, and Brody in the jeep, saw the lights of an approaching car. Zelda was sobbing hysterically as she crouched in the seat beside Brody. He patted her arm as he got out of the jeep. Harper joined him. Both men had guns in their hands and they moved into the path of the approaching car.

Vic saw them. He slammed on the brakes and stopped the car.

As the two men came towards him, Vic heard a woman sobbing with dry, rasping gasps that chilled him.

Chita leaned against the wall and watched the horror in Moe’s face and the fear in her brother’s face. The two men stood by the window, peering out into the darkness. The moonlight fell directly on them and their expressions excited her. So this was big-time, she thought. When the cards were on the table and they were all aces, then you found out who were the men, and who were the boys. Neither of these two, she decided, added up to men.

Moe said hoarsely, “Who’s that out there... the body?”

“Who do you think?” Riff snarled. “The yellow-skin! I had to kill him! Now you’ve stuck your flat foot right into it. You’ve knocked off a Fed!”

Moe moved from the window. He was sweating and shaking.

“I didn’t mean to do it,” he said in a stifled voice. “The gun went off. I didn’t mean to kill him.”

“Tell that to the judge,” Chita said softly.

“Shut up!” Riff snarled, glaring at her. “I’ll get around to you! If there’s one Fed out there, there’ll be others. This caper’s turned sour!”

Chita giggled.

“Oh, boy! Have you said something!”

Moe walked unsteadily out of the room, across the lobby and into Carrie’s room.

Carrie had pulled down the blind. She had struggled into slacks and shirt and she was now standing by Junior’s cot, white-faced, her eyes abnormally big as she faced Moe.

He came in and shut the door. He still held the gun in his hand and Carrie looked at it, flinching.

“Don’t be scared,” Moe said and he put the gun out of sight. “We’re in trouble. Are you listening?”

Carrie made an effort and pulled herself together.

“Yes... I’m listening.”

“There was a Federal Officer outside,” Moe said, words spilling out of his mouth in his anxiety to explain. “I shot him. I didn’t mean to. I saw something move and the gun went off. I’ve never ever shot anyone. I don’t expect you to believe me, but it’s the truth. Now, we’re in trouble.” He paused and looked at the sleeping child. “That means you and the bambino are in trouble too. Not from me... I want you to know this. I’m going to do what I can to see you right, but the trouble will come from the other two. I want to know something. It’s important. Are you still on my side?”