Kaluga's Killing Ground

By Jay Hughes

Jack Flanagan Series, Vol.

Jack Flanagan thought the terror was behind him when he left Russia. Now, it had come to his doorstep. The death of a Swedish man at the hands of a Cincinnati street gang has led Jack back to people and places he would rather have forgotten. And Ivee Jacobs, the cop who doesn't know Kaluga from Kentucky, will have to thread through an endless string of clues if he is to bring the killer to justice. A mixed-up band of "assistants" only muddle the issue.

ISBN 1-59431-032-7 Mystery/Action Adventure

Also available in RTF and HTML formats

Cover Art Maggie Dix

The forecast called for four inches of snow, but ten had already fallen. The snow would keep Jack and Talia Flanagan penned up for the weekend.

With spring near, Talia planned to look for work and Jack settled in and rest his aching back. He had not worked in weeks. Talia didn't expect him to shovel snow, did he? It doesn't snow in San Francisco.

His new job in Cincinnati had been promising.

Jack had gained a wife and, now, a nine-month-old daughter. A woman at the corner store promised Talia an interview. It would not be much, but for a girl from a small Russian village, the six dollars an hour would be plenty of income. With it, she could buy some things.

Talia would look for work if it ever stopped snowing, and she grew irritable as the morning wore on. "Jack, can you take me?"

Jack grumbled. "Sweetheart, if they get the snow plowed, yes. If not, we'll call and see if you can go some other time."

"I want to go today. Snow is not problem."

"Snow is a problem. I'd have to shovel the driveway, unless you want to," Jack muttered, leaning back on the couch.

"I will. I Russian. I can do that."

"The shovel's in the garage. Go to it."

Talia went into the bedroom and slammed the door. Jack moaned, sat up on the couch and lit a cigarette. Too much time on his hands had eroded his determination to fight the urge to smoke though he had managed to go about a year without the habit. He would quit again, he promised. But there was the baby, the move, the job change.

It had seemed so simple when he met her, fell in love and brought her home from Russia. She was such a doll, so unassuming, so yielding. She was learning to be a wife.

Now it was March and snowing again. It was too cold, too windy, and there was too much ice on the hilly streets. Jack's back hurt him. Now the baby was awake, screaming. She was nine months of sheer hell. For a man who couldn't bend over, a baby is a nightmare. "Talia, tend to Rosemary Elizabeth."

"Go to ...."

"I didn't hear that. Open the door and tell me that to my face!"

Talia opened the bedroom door. "I said go to hell." She slammed it in his face.

"I'll meet you there. Do we have plans for lunch?"

"Dead rat for you."

So it went, until Jack decided enough was enough and went to the bedroom, put his arms around Talia and kissed her. Peace in the household was realized again. It was often peaceful there.

It was the same day when the Flanagans received a letter.

My dearest Jack and Talia:

It's been months since we have written and, while life in Kaluga is pretty much the same as usual, I have decided to retire this summer from my position at the university. Rosemary and I would like to travel and naturally, we want to visit you. If this is possible, please call or write. My last week of work is the end of June. I feel confident we can both receive visas from your government and I should expect our stay would not last longer than a few days.

As you may or may not know, Katrina is free from jail and is back at work here at the university. She doesn't appear worse for wear, but is much quieter now and more within herself. I do so wish the two of you could find a way to forgive her, although that may just be the foolish ramblings of an old man.

Rosemary is in good health, though her right knee seems to stiffen from time to time due to a fall she had last autumn. She doesn't complain, but then she never did.

I shall await with delight any correspondence. Please accept our love and best wishes for the baby. We are so proud you named her after Rosemary.

Until we hear from you, Best wishes, Viktor