CHAPTER SEVEN—“FORE!”

They drove the golf cart down the path and across the course until they reached Timber Lane. Kyle spotted Laiwyn Scorr’s carts parked next to a large white rock covered on the top with a mossy tuft.

Beside the rock were Scorr, Hess, and three other men with square shoulders and semi-muscular builds who were no doubt his bodyguards.

John hit the brakes and their cart pulled to a stop about thirty meters away. “Here we go,” he said.

“Yeah,” Kyle said as he stepped out. “I can’t wait to do some golfing.” He went to the back and pulled out some clubs, handed one to John and kept one for himself. Then he grabbed two golf balls and held them in his other hand.

Together they walked across the perfectly manicured grass. Voices and laughing travelled over the course from distant golfers enjoying their trip.

About teen feet off, Kyle and John stopped short.

“Lovely day,” John said as he hefted the tablet.

“Let’s skip the small talk bullshit,” Scorr said, “Give me my computer and you can have the girl.”

“Why?” Kyle asked. “It’s not like any of us can get off this tub after we’re done here. We still got another day before the real partying can begin.”

“No more games,” Scorr said. He signaled his bodyguard who took Kelly Hess by the arm and pulled her forward.

“Get your hands off me!” She squirmed, but not hard. “Laiwyn—I can’t believe you!”

“Shut up.”

John stepped forward and so did Kyle. He put the two golf balls in his pocket and took Hess’ other arm. She was now being held by two men, except if it came down to a tug-of-war contest, Kyle would no doubt lose if pure strength was the determining factor.

He couldn’t help but smirk at Hess and Scorr’s guard, who had a dour look on his face. These guys were pretty serious.

John handed Scorr the laptop, then the guard holding Hess let go. Kyle pulled her back. “Hands off, Squeaky.”

He didn’t respond, only shoved her to the side slightly as he readied himself for what would probably come next. Kyle reached into his pocket and grabbed the two golf balls.

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Scorr stepped back and scrutinized his computer for a moment. “Good he said. Now give me back the girl.”

“What?” John asked, his shoulders squaring.

The third body guard that had hung back somewhat came forward and pulled out a pistol from behind his back. It looked a lot like one of the guns from the crew arms locker.

“I knew it,” Kyle said.

Scorr smirked. “Then you’re stupid as well as gullible. Now hand her over.”

“You think you can take us both down with one gun?” John asked.

“One is all it takes,” the bodyguard said. He wasn’t pointing the pistol. He had the weapon down against his leg.

Scorr and his thugs probably had their own tech setup that would shield them from the authorities if anything went down here right now, but that didn’t mean they wanted to invite trouble by being brasher than they had to be.

“Take her!” Kyle said as he sidestepped to put himself in front of Hess.

“How romantic,” she drawled.

Scorr sighed and signaled the other two men, both holding their golf clubs, to get her. John moved in their path and swung his club in an overhanded arc toward one of the men. He blocked the blow with his own club but then John punched him in the gut.

The second man came at John, but the big guy didn’t block with his arm. Instead he angled his back toward the man and took the hit before bringing his elbow into the man’s jaw. He went down hard on the grass.

“Shit,” Scorr said with a chuckle. “You two are good, but you can’t take a bullet that way.”

The man with the gun stepped forward.

This is my move, Kyle thought as he let the two golf balls fall out of his hand. The guard with the gun glanced down at the sudden distraction and then Kyle swung his club and hit a ball straight at the man.

It glanced off his forehead with a thud, sending him sprawling onto his back. The guard had barely hit the grass before John was atop him, taking the weapon out of his hand.

“What the hells?” Scorr complained. “What the fuck am I paying you losers for? Fine. Keep the bitch. Now get up you worthless idiots. We’re leaving.”

Scorr turned and started making for his cart.

“This doesn’t feel right,” John said as he hid the pistol behind his belt.

Kyle repositioned himself. He turned in a perfect golfer’s swing and sent the second ball at the back of Scorr’s head. He grunted and flailed face-first into the green.

Kyle laughed.

As his bodyguards turned around, John punched one then the other. The third man simply ran away.

Kyle sauntered up to Scorr and picked up the tablet. “Guess you won’t be needing this.”

Scorr was half unconscious as he squirmed in the grass. In the distance some golfers were looking on.

Kyle put his hands to his mouth and called, “Stray ball. Call a medic!”

Kelly Hess sighed heavily as they went to her.

“I guess you’re going to make me come with you, huh?”

“That’s right, little hussy Hess.”

“Fuck off.”

They went back to their golf cart.

“That last swing…” John said as they got in. “That was pretty impressive.”

“I know, right?”

“Not that you managed to hit Scorr with that ball, but your swing I mean.”

“Beginner’s talent.”

“Bullshit.”

“What are you saying, John?”

“What I’m saying, is that I’m going to be looking through your things to see if you keep diapers on hand.”

Kyle laughed.