Far point

By Trevor Lloyd

This sniper drama unfolds at a fast pace as drug cartel gangsters try to take on Nate Lucas who is trying to take back his daughter from their clutches.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trevor Lloyd
• Release date: Apr 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533701732

Book preview

When a new wind blows into a dusty old town how long will it take before vengeance from generations past stills it? Read this gripping novel of betrayal, murder and torture and wish for a way to fight back.

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Trevor Lloyd

This book is dedicated to my wife and family.  I wish to make a special mention of Kay’s part in this novel in particular for suggesting the plot, for which I am truly grateful.

Far Point

September, 2015

Contents

Chapter Onepage 7

Chapter Twopage 11

Chapter Threepage 15

Chapter Fourpage 22

Chapter Fivepage 26

Chapter Sixpage 30

Chapter Sevenpage 32

Chapter Eightpage 37

Chapter Ninepage 41

Chapter Tenpage 47

Chapter Elevenpage 50

Chapter Twelvepage 55

Chapter Thirteenpage 59

Chapter Fourteenpage 62

Chapter Fifteenpage 64

Chapter Sixteenpage 67

Chapter Seventeenpage 70

Chapter Eighteenpage 72

Chapter Nineteenpage 76

Chapter Twentypage 79

Far Point

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A novel

Trevor Lloyd

Dramatis Personae

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Antonio HerreraCartel Boss

Carla SimsDispatcher

Don FrenchChemist

Dwain ChristopherNewspaper Editor

Emily ChristopherLeyland’s mother

Eva DoloresFormer Call Girl

Herb SobelSherriff’s Deputy

Herb WaltersLawyer

James DeaverMinister

Andrew DaleyDeputy Head Teacher

Kim ChristopherLeyland’s Wife

Lana DeaverMinister’s wife

Leyland ChristopherAircraft Construction Manager

Luis DelgadoPhotographer

Maria Lopez/Exposita RamirezChemist

Mort BaileySoda Jerk

Nate LucasCarpenter

Paul AudreySherriff

Rayne LucasWife

Ron FeldmanMayor

Haley LucasDaughter

Sam MortimerFormer Mayor

Susan WhillakerTown Clerk

Vincente LorenzoLecturer

Zelda GriffithsCitizens Band Radio Caller

North Briton

A weekly periodical June 1762 - April 1763, published by the radical John Wilkes. It achieved notoriety when issue 45 accused George III of lying in a speech to parliament. Wilkes and the magazine were prosecuted under a general warrant for seditious libel. In the ensuing case, Wilkes was acquitted and general warrants were declared illegal.

The Washington Post, page fourteen, third and fourth paragraphs:

Ethnic unrest

Paramilitary gunmen killed 95 American Indians and wounded 13 others in an attack on a village in the Chiapas state of Mexico in late December. Many of the victims were women and children.

International outrage over the massacre put pressure on president Medillo to investigate the paramilitary groups believed to be behind the massacre. As the result, the governor of Chiapas has resigned. The government announced that the lapsed peace accord with the Zapatista rebels would be reactivated and that a bill would be introduced to ensure indigenous rights. Although talks between the government and the rebels were initiated, they broke down recently.

Feature from a National Geographic: Expo promotion of that time:

North American Free Trade Agreement

(NAFTA) A trade agreement between the USA, Canada, and Mexico, agreed in August 1992 and effective from January 1994. The first trade pact of its kind to link two highly industrialised countries to a developing one, it created a free market of 375 million people, with a total GDP of $ 6.8 trillion. In May 1997, at a meeting of 34 of the hemisphere's political leaders (only Cuba was absent) in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, it was agreed to negotiate a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by 2005.

Perspectives

Battle experience just before WW2 showed that soldiers rarely fired at targets more than about 400 m / 1,300 ft away, so there was no reason to have a rifle and cartridge capable of firing 2,000 m / 6,500 ft.  Ordinary rifle range was 300 yards in the Second World War and a lighter cartridge led to a lighter rifle and meant troops could carry more ammunition.

Tales from the Special Forces Club. 2013 William Collins, London.

Hunting blogs

Ten to fifteen times magnification range is standard. The Zeiss Conquest possesses a magnification range of between four point five to fourteen at forty four millimetres diameter. The glass quality trumps magnification as most twenty times magnification optics have unforgiving eye relief and head positioning problems associated with them.  I shoot best at any common magnification range between two to seven point five.

Far Point

Chapter One

Ron Feldman had been a two bit salesman for all of his working life, his father had been Hispanic but he never knew him because he left before Renaldo was born.  At fifty three he had used his innate skills to convince people to buy his wares; first it had been ice block home deliveries then jewellery but of late he had turned to buying favours or rather selling them to vulnerable people.

Jim Deaver was his first hit.  Deaver had been a church minister with a loyal following, Tell the truth and shame the devil, had been his message until he relied too much on Jim Beam.  His taste for liquor had been a private indulgence and was never revealed to his congregation until Feldman saw him stumbling out of his car one Thursday afternoon down on Main Street.  Like a cat he homed in on the minister and invaded his personal space to smell his breath, Liquor minister, before the sun has gone down?  Do you want the world to know?

He kept his victim’s attention for a while longer before he delivered his killing shot, I can help you.

The minister was crestfallen but he looked at Feldman in a new light, How?

Whatever business you have in Sells wait a while, first let me buy you a coffee and put a proposition to you.

Taking him by the crook of his arm, he assisted Deaver across the busy main street and into Miller’s; a family coffee shop and eatery.  He selected a bench as far away from the counter as possible and said, Two lattes Mary, and waited while they were being prepared.

Breaking the ice as if in sympathy Ron stared at the minister and said, I like those hundreds and thousands she sprinkles over the coffee, it makes my day yes siree!

After the drinks were served Feldman began, You are in a genuine pickle minister and no kidding.  You’re on the sauce and people are noticing, tell me you’re not."

The minister lowered his head into his hands, I guessed it.

Feldman waited as he stirred his drink then he rapped his teaspoon onto the saucer to get his partner’s attention.  Perception was his game, convincing individuals to desire his wares or promises.  I can make it go away, whatever headache is causing this I’ll fight it with you.

The minister looked at him; the dread of ignoble disaster had been replaced by a sudden pang of hope.

Feldman asked him outright, What is it?

My wife is seeing another man.

Who?

Mort Bailey at the drugstore.

Bailey was a college dropout and worked weekdays at the soda counter.

Feldman’s Hispanic looks and grease backed hair revealed no hint of his Dutch mother’s blood with her corn flower blue eyes and flaxen hair.

Is she intimate with him?

I don’t know but she’s dismissive; her mind is elsewhere.  I think she’s in love with this jerk.

Feldman put a comforting hand on Deaver’s arm and smiled, Let me look into this, do you have any outstanding tasks to do while you’re here?

Only to buy more booze.

His tightened his grip, The booze stops right now minister, let me get proof and find out for sure.  Meanwhile go home and get rid of any incriminating bottles you might have lying around.

Deaver nodded and looked seriously at Feldman then he raised his tasse de cafe and sipped quietly until it was empty and he rested it on the saucer at an angle before saying, All gone.

Good. Feldman stood and pulled Deaver up with him then he reached into his pocket to extract a bill and placed it on the table.

Thanks.

Feldman looked askance and replied, Don’t thank me until we find out and even then I doubt that you will.

The walk back to the minister’s car was less unsteady and Feldman climbed in and said, Give me the keys and I’ll drive you, just relax.

The Ford Taurus moved easily into the stream of traffic and he took a roundabout route to the church.

Feldman decided that he would use his own car to take photographs of the couple and told Deaver his plan, Let’s get the low down on them before we do anything.  Keep a low profile and drop the drink, you got that?

Yes, sure.

Then do it.

Walking back into town he used his cell phone, Luis this is Ron, meet me in half an hour with your camera kit.

Luis Delgado was one of his brighter Hispanic cousins from the east side who had worked as a syndicate photographer until the work had dried up.  The moustachioed young man met Feldman at his car and was promptly told to get in.  We’ve got Mrs Deaver falling for a soda jerk so stay in the car until we sight either of them.

Delgado looped the strap of his mini Nikon camera and adjusted it to stay concealed between his jacket lapels.  By four pm the sun was still burning in the cloudless sky as the minister’s wife sauntered into view swinging her handbag and taking out a mirrored compact to arrange her hair before entering French’s drug store.

Unbidden Luis took picture after picture then Feldman nudged him with his hand, Stay here.

Getting out of his car Feldman waited before following her in and took an immediate interest in a full rotunda of paperback books away in the corner.  The soda jerk greeted his customer with a lascivious grin before saying, Afternoon ma’m can I get you anything on this hot afternoon?

The soda jerk Mort Bailey possessed a golden college jock look about him, his muscular charm and daring stares were magnetically attractive to lonely forties female types whose last gasps before feminine invisibility beckoned were commonplace.

He missed nothing and stared at a mirror as she passed Bailey a note.

Feldman could fathom nothing more until he left the store to the accompanying chime of the door bell, he walked back to his car and took his seat next to the out of work photographer, Take as many snaps as you like but save some for lover boy.  My hunch is that he’ll head for a rendezvous and we can catch them at it.

Fifteen minutes later Mrs Deaver brushed at her auburn hair as she passed by with a rose flushed neck; it was a sure sign of arousal.

The southern Arizonan town of Sells was small and pretty.  Its clean streets and mom and pop stores were a testament to a community that had existed from one generation to another since 1871.  The belfry tower and small stone hewn church encompassed the dedicated toil and hopes of yesteryear; entertaining beliefs of statehood and the sacrament of universal suffrage for all unless you were female or non-white of course.  However changes occurred over time to redress the balance and although the town still retained the facade of historic birth folks of every colour and hue now walked its streets.

Watch the lights, there she is heading for the west-way ramp.

Luis’ younger eyes had already spotted Lana Deaver’s car as she drove steadily west for three miles before slowing to a near stop as she swung right off the black-top road and moved onto a dusty trail.

Luis turned to his cousin and said, What will you do Renaldo she will see us if we use the same route.

Don’t worry, I think I know where she is going, we’ll take the next side road and wait a while.

Feldman’s off road pickup truck had many practical uses, one of which was its commonality; in rural places it didn’t look the least suspicious as it reversed down a similar track and nearly opposite the route that Mrs Deaver had taken.  They were well hidden from prying eyes and the pair looked on as the powdery dust grains caused by the woman’s car passage were still in evidence.

It’s a hot one.

Stop complaining Luis.

Well what are we waiting for?

Evidence Luis, I think she is heading for Bailey’s shack so let’s wait and see.

He reached into the glove box and took out a pair of binoculars and blew on the lenses before wiping them on the loose fabric of his shirt; only then was he satisfied enough to peer through them.  Then the lax muscles around his mouth twitched, Caramba.

The Kawasaki 500 motorcycle rider was in a hurry and raced down the highway at top speed; then he swerved with practiced grace down into the dusty track that Mrs Deaver had driven down less than eight minutes ago.

Mort Bailey had wished to own