JACK AND THE GIANT KILLER Read online

  Jack

  and the

  Giant Killer

  A Detective Jack Stratton Novel

  Christopher Greyson

  Greyson Media

  Novels featuring Jack Stratton in order:

  GIRL JACKED

  JACK KNIFED

  JACKS ARE WILD

  JACK AND THE GIANT KILLER

  DATA JACK

  and coming soon…

  JACK OF HEARTS

  Contents

  Chapter 1 - Lady

  Chapter 2 - Delivery

  Chapter 3 - Surprise

  Chapter 4 - It’s Awake

  Chapter 5 - She’s a Queen

  Chapter 6 - Almost Doesn’t Count

  Chapter 7 - Replacement

  Chapter 8 - I Wish I Knew Who

  Chapter 9 - It’s the Principle

  Chapter 10 - The Snow Globe

  Chapter 11 - Titus

  Chapter 12 - I’m Going to Bring an Army

  Chapter 13 - I Need a Favor

  Chapter 14 - Nosykins

  Chapter 15 - A Mini-Volcano

  Chapter 16 - Three Points

  Chapter 17 - Holly Road

  Chapter 18 - A Walking Wrecking Ball

  Chapter 19 - I Have a Plan for That

  Chapter 20 - Mouthwash

  Chapter 21 - The Poet

  Chapter 22 - Grease-E

  Chapter 23 - Little Z

  Chapter 24 - Life’s Not Fair

  Chapter 25 - Welcome to Darrington

  Chapter 26 - A KAWAH Bag

  Chapter 27 - It’s Evil

  Chapter 28 - They’re Not Safe

  Chapter 29 - Learn Fast

  Chapter 30 - As Seen on TV

  Chapter 31 - Skunk Stink

  Chapter 32 - Under the Bus

  Chapter 33 - You Sound Like My Wife

  Chapter 34 - Bill’s Burger Hut

  Chapter 35 - They Should be Afraid

  Chapter 36 - That’s Big

  Chapter 37 - Night Terrors

  Chapter 38 - Your Car’s Moving

  Chapter 39 - Keep Me on Speed Dial

  Chapter 40 - Don’t Do It

  Chapter 41 - Something Worse

  Chapter 42 - My Mom Told Me

  Chapter 43 - Do You Think I’m Tall?

  Chapter 44 - Trust Me, I Know

  Chapter 45 - Bonded

  Chapter 46 - I Want Them Unbribed

  Chapter 47 - If She’s Lady...

  Chapter 48 - I Never Promised

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  CHAPTER ONE

  Lady

  Through the tall, thick bushes, she saw her favorite place up ahead—the dog park. She strained against the leash, but Daniel’s strong arm restrained her. Lady wanted her freedom and she loved to run around the old converted baseball field surrounded by a chain-link fence. When the town built the new high school, they changed the area into a place where dogs like her could run free.

  After they reached the gravel parking lot, Daniel bent low to unhook the snap on her collar. Lady raised her head and lifted her chin. Daniel was like her—both giants. He towered above other humans as she did among other dogs. He scratched behind her ear and put his hand on her collar.

  As she sensed her approaching freedom, her paws raked the ground. She knew he didn’t see the little terrier with the long-haired woman inside the park. If he saw her, he’d never let her off the leash.

  Lady’s whole body quivered as Daniel’s large thumb fumbled with the latch. To her, the sound of the clasp as it disconnected was the same as the firing of a starter’s pistol.

  Click.

  She bolted free; her huge muscles pushed her paws into the ground and then she sprang over the tall fence in a bound.

  Freedom.

  She let out a happy roar, grateful to run. She’d been cooped up in a small apartment all day and for a hundred-ten-pound dog, it was far too confining. Lady lowered her head and sped toward the corner. Her muscles stretched, flexed, and felt wonderful as the ground raced underneath her.

  As she sprinted along the edge of the field, she looked back. Daniel casually strolled through the gate, but as soon as he saw the red-haired woman, he froze. The woman looked from Daniel to the enormous dog now charging toward her little dog. She rushed over, scooped her up, and then hurried toward the exit. Daniel moved protectively in front of her. He frowned down at Lady. “Lady.” He held out a hand. “Stop.”

  Darn. Always obedient, she skidded to a halt.

  Daniel leaned down and patted her head. Lady pressed against his massive legs and wagged her tail.

  “She’s a big baby,” Daniel tried to reassure the woman.

  “She’s beautiful.” The woman smiled with some trepidation as she held the squirming animal tighter in her arms. “How old is she?”

  “Two. She’s a King Shepherd.”

  “She certainly is. And look, she even has a spot on her chest that looks like a shield.”

  Lady’s chest swelled at the compliment.

  Daniel lowered his head. He was shy; Lady rarely saw him talk to other people.

  The woman tilted her head and smiled at him.

  His head rose. “What kind of dog is yours?”

  “A terrier. Her name is Juliet.”

  “I love Shakespeare.” Daniel’s huge hand reached out and patted the little dog. It yapped and wiggled in response.

  “I’m Lisa.”

  “Daniel.”

  “I’ve seen you two on the walking path before,” she said. “Do you come here often?”

  He nodded. “Mostly after work.”

  “I usually come in the afternoon. I work the nightshift at the hospital but today’s my day off.”

  “That’s great.” Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean…great you have the night off.”

  Lisa glanced at her watch and frowned. “I’d love to talk more but I have to get going. I’m meeting a friend for dinner.”

  Daniel’s eyes searched her face. “A friend?”

  “Girlfriend,” she added quickly with a little smile. “It was nice meeting you. Perhaps we’ll see you here…tomorrow?”

  Daniel started to speak, but instead just nodded.

  Lisa waved as she walked through the gate and to her car.

  As Daniel waved back, Lady bolted across the field. She charged around the outfield with delight. The wind against her face made her eyes water, but she pushed herself even harder. Lady watched Lisa’s car pull onto the deserted side street and then disappear around the corner. The ground became a blur as her paws sunk into the grass. She whizzed by Daniel, dug down even deeper, and picked up more speed.

  Run. Run faster.

  Daniel clapped and cheered for her. She gulped in huge breaths and felt power course through her. The grass flicked up in the air as her paws sunk into the turf and ripped out little tufts with each stride. As she headed back toward Daniel, she saw him pull the ball out of his pocket. She pranced sideways as she fought to burn off all her speed and momentum to change direction.

  “You want it, girl?” Daniel drew back his arm and heaved the ball to the far side of the field.

  She flew straight out for it. The ball bounced high and to the left. Her weight shifted and so did her trajectory. The ball bounced again before she bounded forward and caught it in her jaws.

  “Good job, Lady.”

  As she pranced back, she saw a vehicle stop at the end of the parking lot behind the bushes. Its rear lights flashed.

  “Lady, come,” Daniel called and she obeyed.

  She moved to his side, and he clicked the leash on her thick collar.

  “I think they’re having car trouble.” Daniel rub
bed her head. “Let me talk to them then we’ll come right back and play ball.”

  They went out the gate and then walked along the fence toward the vehicle. As they got closer, Daniel stopped and knelt down. He looked into Lady’s eyes and smiled. “Just wait here a second, girl. We don’t want to scare them.” He scratched behind her ears with both hands, and she licked his face. Laughing, he stood up and hooked the leash over the fence post.

  Lady sat down and watched him walk over to the vehicle. He disappeared from view as he went around the bushes. She heard Daniel say hello but the driver’s voice was too quiet to make out what was said.

  The longer Daniel spoke with the driver, the more Lady didn’t like it. She sensed something was wrong. She let out a loud whine.

  “It’s okay, Lady,” Daniel called out. “I’ll be right back.”

  She jerked her head and the leash tightened on the fence.

  After another minute, she heard a commotion, followed by a loud thud. Lady jumped to her feet. The lights on the vehicle shook.

  She barked. Daniel?

  He didn’t answer.

  She barked again even louder. Nothing.

  Lady raised her chin and sniffed. A new scent hung in the air—blood.

  She charged forward. The leash strained around her neck and snapped her back close to the fence. She growled, barked, and then lunged forward again. The entire fence shook but it held her in place.

  She heard someone step out onto the gravel and saw shoes, but they weren’t Daniel’s. She sniffed but she couldn’t pick up the person’s scent; the air was heavy with the odor of blood now and that’s all she could smell. Lady roared. Daniel? She was worried someone was hurting her friend. She burst forward again and the collar bit into her throat. Her front claws raked the gravel as she strained against the leash.

  The driver walked toward her and the dog park. Lady barked as the footsteps approached. Suddenly, headlights from another car appeared at the end of the road. The feet stopped and turned in that direction. Lady gulped in a huge breath and barked louder than ever before. The driver hurried back to the vehicle. She saw the feet disappear inside, followed by the sound of the vehicle’s door shutting.

  Over and over again, Lady barked. The other approaching car turned down a side street.

  As the vehicle started, she scanned the area, desperately seeking any sign of Daniel, but there was none.

  She shot forward. The leash and collar went tight. Her body twisted in the air and then she crashed onto the gravel. She landed on her side. She whimpered in pain as the rocks dug through her thick fur and cut her. The vehicle drove away.

  Daniel.

  Lady scrambled to her feet and then backed against the fence. She ignored the taste of blood in her mouth and took a deep breath. Lady pushed like a sprinter off the block, took one long stride, and then jumped. Her eyes watered and she gagged. The collar moved down her throat toward her broad chest. Leather stretched. The fence bent forward and the clasp on the leash broke.

  The vehicle picked up speed. Her ears lay flat back on her head, and blood surged into her muscles. Her sharp canine teeth flashed as the need to protect her owner drove her forward. The trees next to the road flew by as she lowered her head and concentrated on one thing—speed. With each stride, dirt flew behind her as she charged along the road. The vehicle reached the end of the street and stopped. Finding new hope, she dug harder. Just as she narrowed the gap, the vehicle moved forward and took a right onto the main road.

  Lady’s weight shifted and she cut into the woods to try to cut the fleeing vehicle off. Branches scraped at her face as she hurtled through the underbrush. She bounded over a log. The lights from the vehicle shone through the trees.

  I can make it.

  A briar patch stood in her way but she didn’t slow. The thorns tore at her flesh but she ignored the pain. She burst free onto the road just behind the vehicle. She let out a roar that echoed across the road.

  The vehicle sped up.

  Lady ran as fast as she could, but it wasn’t fast enough to catch the speeding vehicle. The lights became fainter as the vehicle moved farther into the darkness. Spit and foam covered her mouth, but she continued to run. When the lights disappeared from sight, she stopped and sniffed the air.

  Nothing.

  A car blew its horn. It narrowly missed her as it whizzed by. Lady shook. She took two steps forward and staggered sideways. Daniel. She gulped for air as her throat burned. On trembling legs, she stumbled over to the side of the road and collapsed in the grass.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Delivery

  WHERE ARE YOU? Replacement texted.

  Jack read it and cringed. He debated what to say, and then replied: LOOKING FOR A JOB.

  DO YOU NEED HELP?

  NO THANKS.

  She texted back: LET ME KNOW BEFORE YOU HEAD HOME. I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU.

  He tossed the phone down on the passenger seat of the Charger, picked the piece of paper off the seat, and checked the number again: 76 Winslow. One look at the neglected duplex with five cars haphazardly parked outside caused Jack’s shoulders to stiffen.

  I never thought I’d end up doing this for a living.

  He whipped his door open and headed for the trunk. The shadows lengthened as the sun started to set. As he scanned up and down the street of the rundown neighborhood, he instinctively straightened up. A group of men stood on the porch of the house next door and watched him.

  Even the police travel in pairs in this neighborhood. I look like an easy mark.

  Jack opened the trunk and took out three pizza boxes. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw the group of men return to talking among themselves. He made his way up the broken concrete walkway. Jack shifted the boxes to his left hand and knocked on the door.

  “Hold on a minute,” a woman’s shrill voice called out from inside the apartment. The dark green door creaked open. A thirty-something-year-old woman stared at him. Dressed in a loose brown blouse and six-inch heels, her blue jeans were so painted on, Jack was tempted to look for brushstrokes. She leaned her dyed blonde hair against the doorjamb and then looked Jack up and down. A lusty smile spread across her face. “Please tell me you’re a stripper-gram.”

  Jack felt the color rise to his cheeks. Dismissed from the Darrington Police force, his current struggle to pay the bills made that idea tempt him more than he wanted to admit. He pulled the Pisa Pizza red and black baseball cap that covered his thick, dark-brown hair lower as he tried to push the thought of how far he’d fallen out of his head.

  “I have three specials for you.” At six one, handsome, fit, toned, and dressed in a black shirt with a giant pizza slice on the back, Jack could’ve been the pizza-delivery poster boy. As Jack handed her the boxes, her smile widened. She stepped back as she opened the door.

  Jack scanned the living room. Two guys on the couch watching TV. Blondie here, but no Ramon.

  “Who’s at the door?” someone called from down the hallway.

  “It’s the pizza man,” Blondie barked back.

  “I have a cheese, a pepperoni, and,” Jack opened the box to give her a good look, “a bacon and egg pizza.”

  “It’s your favorite,” Blondie called over her shoulder as she took the boxes and then walked to the table.

  Jack smiled.

  “I didn’t order any pizza.” A pudgy guy in a T-shirt and jeans stomped down the hallway. He stopped when he saw Jack.

  Jack recognized him right away from the wanted poster in his pocket—Ramon Jenkins.

  “This isn’t 67 Winslow?” Jack looked down at the fake pizza order in his hand.

  “No, jackass.” Ramon laughed. “This is 76.”

  “Crud. My mistake.” Jack shrugged as he reached behind his back and grabbed his handcuffs.

  “Thanks for the pizza.” Ramon scoffed as he reached for a slice.

  For Jack, everything slowed down. He lunged forward. One handcuff clicked on Ramon’s outstretched right wr
ist. Jack pushed Ramon against the doorframe and then yanked backward and up on Ramon’s arm.

  Ramon gasped. Jack pulled higher. Ramon’s left arm involuntarily rose. Jack snagged it and snapped the cuff shut in one fluid motion.

  Jack jammed Ramon’s face against the wall as he turned to look at the two men on the couch who sat there, shocked.

  “Titus sent me,” he growled. The men froze. The name Titus affected people in this neighborhood that way. They knew if they ever wanted bail—never cross Titus.

  “You can’t just come in,” Ramon whined.

  “Yeah, I can. You skipped bond. Now shut up,” Jack snarled as he jerked Ramon away from the wall and then pulled open the door. “Walk,” he ordered.

  Jack kept an eye on the two guys and Blondie. None of them moved. He yanked the door closed behind him, and then pushed Ramon down the walkway toward the car.

  “Come on,” Ramon begged. “I was gonna go talk to Titus after the game.”

  “Shut up.” Jack kept an eye on the group of men next door. They walked forward on the porch as they watched him but they didn’t come down the steps. Jack pushed Ramon against the Charger and patted him down. Finding nothing, he opened the back door. “Get in.” He held onto Ramon’s shirt collar as he sat him down in the car and then hurried around the front and shut the door.

  Jack dropped the Charger into drive and checked the rearview. The men stayed on the porch and no one exited Ramon’s house.

  “Come on,” Ramon pleaded. “Take me to Titus and I’ll explain.”

  “Save it. You skipped court twice.”

  Ramon squirmed in the backseat. “How’d you find me?”

  Jack wanted to brag and tell Ramon that his ex-girlfriend let slip a trivial detail when he interviewed her—Ramon loved bacon and egg pizza. Jack wanted to boast about getting the assistant manager at the Pisa Pizza to look up anyone around here who had ordered those weird toppings. But Jack wouldn’t say anything that could let Ramon know who helped put him back in prison.

  Charging me fifty bucks for the hat and shirt was a little steep, though.

  “Where you taking me?” Ramon asked.

  “The Bay.”

  Ramon hung his head. No one wanted to go behind bars—especially Long Bay.