The Winners: Rich Enough?

By Pete Groves

Suspense is built page by page as the novelist expertly points out how the lure of instant wealth is a magnet for dangerous people who care little for the lives of winners as they will do anything to steal that money. A well-crafted, fast-paced, action story where highly likeable characters beat the odds to arrive at a happy ending making this exciting tale a favorite for readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9798369419755

Book preview

1

T here’s a dream; of course there is. There is reality; of course there is.

A high-powered bullet crossed my old oversize shirt about two inches above my navel. Having had more than a few rounds of ammo headed my way in the past, I knew immediately to hit the ground, roll into a ditch, and play dead. High-caliber round? The damn thing took a piece of my shirt with it and skipped across the adjacent waterway and into some poor bastard’s outboard motor, which immediately quit and left him staring at it as I rolled into the road ditch.

I got the EMT folks on the way quickly by saying I had been shot. No waiting by yours truly for whoever might arrive to finish the job. And I held my fingers to my lips repeatedly as we headed for the hospital. Once in the known Wi-Fi dead area, I told the truth of this near miss and a huge lie about drunks firing, illegally, from boats at Canada geese. Many thanks to the EMT folks. Several twenty-dollar bills donated for a crew lunch later, I was walking quickly into the nearest woods.

And that is what can happen when you’re, as they say, a winner. Actually not a winner. There were two of us.

Shit no!

Shit yes!

2

A s I headed for my boat on the dock another day later, I could easily see that a woman was sunbathing on my foredeck. A bit taken aback, I got to the dock step and offered, Welcome aboard.

She sat up and said nothing. And standing in the cockpit, I said nothing.

She stood, and I could now appreciate her extremely well-toned, muscled body. She was so good looking, I just about fainted. The swimsuit left nothing unsaid, and she had the movements of a gymnast—quiet power. I noticed a large surgical scar on her right upper leg. She seemed to be about my age—twenty-eight.

As she came closer to me, she offered, Sorry to surprise you.

I love surprises, I whispered.

Well, maybe not.

As I went down the companionway steps, I saw there was a very big sniper rifle sitting on the settee table in an unzipped carry bag.

Ouch, a gorgeous woman with a really big gun. The thing even had a flash suppressor.

Following me and reaching into a gym bag, she quickly sported a cover-up.

Extending her hand, she said, You can call me Liz, Sam.

Fear started in my gut. She already knew my name, and her hand had a very firm grip.

I gave her my best smile. Well, hello, Liz, and what good luck do I have to earn a visit from a lovely person like you?

I want you on my side.

Side? What’s that? We’re taking up pickleball?

As I know you know, bad things can happen, and that round I put in your shirt was to get your full attention.

Well, Liz, I do appreciate that you missed.

Her eyes went wide. Sam, I did not miss; I don’t miss! You stopped to look at the view or something, and since you were not moving, I knew I had to take the shot, a totally safe shot. And now you understand how easy it would be to kill you deader than dead.

My stomach was now doing its own gymnastics.

And, Sam, you did one tour; I did two tours, so I know we both have some nasty experiences to forget, but at least we were on the same side.

3

M ost people buy lottery tickets from convenience stores, gas stations, and the like. These places frequently have pretty basic surveillance. Of course, the spacing for the lottery drawings are all the same, about two or three days apart. This means the surveillance device has the same amount of turnaround time no matter where it is.

And yes, the promotional thinking is to release information as to where a winning ticket was purchased, but then of course the person who bought it is unknown until he or she shows up to cash in the ticket. This in turn means you can review two to three days of surveillance and see all the likely winners—the people who bought tickets during those days. But also, it is a given, smart big winners say nothing and wait until they feel it is safe enough to go to a lottery office with their winning ticket. So it is a crapshoot as to who the winner is even if you have surveillance of the ticket buyers at the winning store.

During this time, winners are vulnerable, and immediately after a big drawing is when they are most vulnerable. Winning tickets worth many millions can be sitting in a purse or a wallet, or in a plastic bag under a mattress.

Maybe dear Liz had snipped the surveillance CDs from the small grocery store where I bought my ticket. I went there often, and the tiny office door was usually wide open right next to the unisex bathroom.

I did stare at her. I couldn’t help it; she was just so damn good looking. I said, I sure am happy you want to save me from something.

She smiled at me and said, Well, that’s true. I bought you a vest because we’re in this together.

She zipped up the rifle bag and pulled the vest from under it. Hanging the rifle in the bag over her shoulder, she headed for the companionway saying, That’s the best vest there is.

Seeing her beautiful legs on the companionway steps, I lost it. I lightly patted her perfectly tanned left leg, saying, I hope you enjoyed that rocky road ice cream. She turned on the top step, looking down at me, smiling and laughing while shaking her head. You are a bad, bad boy! I think I’m beginning to like you, so wear the vest!

Whatever you say, Liz, that’s for sure. Well, she wasn’t the only one who could steal a surveillance CD.

4

M aybe this woman who called herself Liz was as phony as a three-dollar bill, except, no, she couldn’t be. There were too many truths in what had happened that afternoon and the day before. Maybe she was all pro at shaking down rich lottery winners, but how could she know I was one? That question was driving me crazy.

Had I followed all the rules? Mouth shut, tell no one! No big purchases! Stay in your normal day-to-day routine! Don’t go in a lawyer’s office or make calls for advice from those adviser guys or CPAs! Put the damn ticket in an ultrasafe place! Shit, yes, I was golden, but Liz just proved I wasn’t.

Damn, it pissed me off. I was dying to ask her how she knew. Sweet Jesus, maybe she didn’t. Maybe she took that shot to push me into an admission.

I was definitely going nuts! All I wanted to do was build an Olympic swimming pool for kids.

OK, Liz, maybe I’ll play pickleball with you, but I might be on the other side of the net.

She was right about the vest. It was expensive, rated to take big hits, lightweight, and it fit me.

Yes, I did put it on. The next day I was on the job and telling my guys I had to drive