Spirit of a Champion (Sisters of Spirit #7) (21 page)
Read Spirit of a Champion (Sisters of Spirit #7) Online
Authors: Nancy Radke
Wind blew the branches and they rattled a little. Most of
the leaves had fallen, yet so many trees were evergreens that he couldn’t see
the house. When it finally came into view, it shocked him. It was bigger than
anything back East. He shook his head, knowing that there wasn’t anyone around
for many miles and that a lot of work would have gone into a home this size.
Four cars were parked in front of the house, all Fords. The grass near the
house had been cut short and a large barn could be seen out back.
He was still taking in the big picture when the front
door opened and a man stepped outside, a rifle cradled across his left arm. He
stood in the shade of the porch and didn’t appear much more than a shadow.
“Good evening.” Riley called out.
The man nodded.
“I’m looking for Mister Fonck.”
“Which one?”
Riley heard a window open and looked up. A rifle barrel
parted the curtain and then steadied on him. “I’d like to talk to Pierre.”
The man shifted a little and his rifle leveled off,
pointing directly at him. “I’m Pierre.” He nodded at Riley. “Who are you?”
Riley pushed his hat up a little as he thought of the
best reply, and when he decided on one, he answered, “FBI.”
He was staring at Pierre when he
spoke and from the corner of his eye he saw a flash of light from the rifle
protruding from the window. Instantly he was struck in the head with a
sledgehammer-like force. Lights exploded in his vision, followed by darkness.
Riley opened his eyes and blinked. He felt no pain, no
discomfort. He looked around in the pitch blackness, but didn’t see anything.
There weren’t any lights. Nothing. No sun, no moon, or stars. There were no
sounds either. Not even the background noise of wind. He concluded that he must
be in a cellar and reached out with his hand. He swung it gently around trying
to find something. He touched his fedora, but other than his hat, there was
nothing within his reach. He felt panic rise in his chest. Was he blind? Deaf?
He sat up, reaching farther out and still not finding anything.
He reached farther and farther into the darkness. Still
nothing. He reached out with a foot, then moved upright. Suddenly he was seeing
stars through the outlines of branches. He scanned the area around him. The
bushes. Water dripping from branches. Soggy soil.
Chest deep in the
ground? Why was that?
Riley lunged forward and rolled over, pulling the rest of
his body from the earth. He scrambled to his feet and glanced back. There was
no sign of a hole or disturbed dirt. His clothes were clean.
He shivered, but not because he was cold. In fact, he
couldn’t feel a thing. Habitually he reached for his gun and found it, then
realized the badge was missing. For a long time he stood staring at the ground
from where he had crawled. Then the rain came as if to answer a question that
he was afraid to ask. The rain came and the droplets fell, but he didn’t feel
them. They passed through him and hit the ground.
The spot of soil that mesmerized him, hid
his body. He was certain of that. There was one other thing he was certain of
—he wouldn’t
rest until he found his killer.
Want the rest of Riley’s story? Grab
Kill to Inherit
By Nolan Radke
A full length novel, first of a
series, about the ghost detective and his allies.
(Short Story) The Prettiest Gal on the
Mountain
OTHER WORKS BY NANCY RADKE
...
Sisters of Spirit Series
Want a clean,
funny, sweet romance? Grab
TURNAGAIN LOVE
, #1 Sisters of
Spirit
Sweet,
Contemporary, Humorous.
Stranded
on a small island, Jennel is happy to see her handsome rescuer until she finds
out he is taking
her
job.
Affaire de Coeur
gave it four stars.
Scribes World
said
"Turnagain Love has some fascinating twists and turns,
unexpected complications, and charming scenes."
Can’t get
enough of those Turnagain Love characters? Pick up
CLOSED DOORS
,
#2 Sisters of
Spirit
Sweet, Contemporary
. Ellen must help him keep the secret which could destroy
his way of life.
“All the characters from Turnagain Love are back, as
unpredictable as ever.”
Gail P.
Looking for a
little mystery sprinkled in with the romance? Investigate
STOLEN SECRETS
,
#3 Sisters of
Spirit
Romantic Mystery
Murder and robbery in a Seattle houseboat community.
“An emotional roller
coaster with a feel-good ending. Ms. Radke sprinkles in humor when you least
expect it.”
J.
Rogers
Want more sweet
romances, this time with a strong suspense element? Try out
COURAGE DARES
,
#4 Sisters of
Spirit
Suspense, sweet, contemporary.
Mary prays for courage to overcome her tragic past and
finds her answer in the dangerous present.
“This story really kept me guessing. I
never knew what would happen next.”
Allison D.
Can’t get
enough of those sisters? Snatch up
SONGS FOR PERRI
,
#5 Sisters of
Spirit
Romantic mystery, suspense, contemporary.
Perri travels to Mexico to rescue her brother,
and finds Hugo, a man of many masks.
“Charming and wonderful with a dramatic twist at the end.” AddyM
Want more of
the Stolen Secret characters trying to uncover a mystery? Try
TENNESSEE TOUCH
,
#6 Sisters of
Spirit
Romantic mystery, contemporary.
Alison hates football and distrusts men in general. Her brother
was seriously injured in the game and the former jocks her mother married were
unfaithful. So what makes an NFL quarterback think he has a chance with her?
“A ‘Sleepless in
Seattle’ type of romance.” Kay S.
