Standing by Fin close to Mike’s back gate in the big side yard between the farm and Mike’s row of houses in the development, I smiled at No and Rees galloping Blaise and Moonshine around the big space, Layla dashing between them.
“Like she’s been born on one,” Fin muttered and I looked to him to see his eyes were glued to his girl and his lips were curled up.
“She’s been taking lessons from you for a while now, Fin,” I reminded him.
He didn’t take his eyes from Rees when he replied, “She’s still way good at it.”
I looked from Fin to Rees to No and noted they both were but Fin had no praise for No.
I decided not to point that out, let my lips twitch but didn’t smile and asked a stupid question, “Things solid again between you two?”
“Yup,” he replied instantly and in a way that didn’t invite further discourse.
My lips twitched again.
Then I told him, “Smart women know when to forgive.”
Fin had no reply.
“Though, if it happens again, smart women also know when to stop being stupid.”
Slowly, Fin’s eyes cut to me.
I pressed my lips together.
Okay, clearly that conversation was over.
As if he intended to make this point even clearer than he’d already done, Fin walked toward where Rees was wheeling Moonshine around at the top of the yard closest to the corn.
No was at the bottom of the yard closest to the street and he was galloping their way.
And that was when it happened.
I heard the roar, my eyes went to it and saw a suped-up muscle car turn at high speed into the lane.
Then it turned off the lane and drove through the yard.
For a second I stared.
Then two heads popped out of windows.
Even at a distance, I recognized those two heads.
And I saw in their hands they had guns.
I turned and shouted, “Go!” at the top of my lungs right when the first gunshot rang out.
Layla started barking. I saw Fin’s body jolt, his head whipped around toward the car then he started sprinting to Rees.
More gunshots as I ran across the field and screamed, “Go, go, go! Into the fields!”
Fin got close to Moonshine and Rees, reached out and jerked the reins. Moonshine halted and in a flash Fin had a hand to the saddlehorn and heaved himself up on the horse’s back behind Reesee who’d yanked her feet out of the stirrups. Fin shoved his in, wheeled Moonshine around, dug his heels into her flanks and Moonshine shot toward the corn. No was already within five feet, Blaise in full gallop.
Layla had run to me.
“Get inside, Dusty!” No shouted over the continuing gunfire.
“Inside, Aunt Dusty!” Fin yelled as he took Rees into the fledgling corn, No hot on their heels.
But I was already running.
Then I wasn’t.
This was because pain and fire ripped through my thigh and I went down hard on my palms.
“What the fuck, Troy?” I heard screeched but I was crawling, Layla moving with me, alternately barking fiercely and whimpering while nosing me. I was trying to gain my feet but my right leg kept collapsing from under me.
I heard the roar of the car and I lifted my head to look up at the house. That was when I saw Mom and Rhonda there, coming out the backdoor.
I lifted up a hand and waved sideways toward the house, screeching, “Inside! Lock the doors. Call 911!”
“Dusty!” Mom shrieked and made as if to come out to me but Rhonda caught her at the waist and yanked her roughly in the house.
Thank God.
Thank you, God.
Thank you, Rhonda.
I kept crawling at the same time trying to gain my feet, Layla with me, whimpering and barking. The pain was excruciating. I felt wetness all around my leg, a lot of it.
Blood.
Shit.
Shit!
Layla started growling.
“Troy!” I heard screamed just as I felt a boot in my side and I had no choice but to go in the direction it took me.
To my back.
I looked up at the boy who tried to touch Reesee.
He looked down at me.
He was smiling.
He was also holding a gun pointed at me.
My blood turned to ice.
Then he fired.
*
He felt it. When it happened. He felt it like he was in dispatch getting the call.
The air in the Station went static.
Merry, sitting across from him and on the phone, cut his eyes to Mike.
He felt it too.
Marty Fink, a uniform who was walking across the bullpen, stopped and his body went still.
And he felt it too.
Then all the phones started ringing.
Mike leaned forward instantly and tagged his out of the cradle.
“Haines,” he growled.
“Mike, oh God, Mike,” it was Jo in dispatch, “shots fired at the Holliday farm.”
Mike heard no more.
This was because he dropped the phone back into its cradle and he didn’t even look at Merry before he was gone.
*
Joe Callahan ran up the steps at the Station.
Sully saw him and shot out of his chair, moving to the top of the stairs to head Cal off.
“Cal, cool it,” he ordered, hands up, palms pressing down.
“Talk to me,” Cal growled, his eyes scanning. No Colt. No Merry. Lots of activity.
No Mike.