“You’re confused, boy. I told you he’d asked about
the back roadso you’d find yourself, another hiding
place Not to put yon up to killing the man. Now
drop that axe and we’H talk about it calmly.”
He held his gun steady and looked down at me.
“Damn stupid of you to go snooping.around,
Doctor.”
“It seemed better than being a
And there’s a little boy in that
medical attention.’
–
He shook his head fiercely.
“Boy’s gonna die.”
“Not true, $heriH. He .can be treated.”
“That’s what they told me about my wife. I let
thm cut her up and fill her with poisons and the
cancer ate her up just the same.” He returned his
attention to Carmichaeh
“I backed you up to a point, Doug, but it’s gone
too far. Lay down the axe.”
22 Joaathan Kd
‘ ·
The two of them locked eyes. I seized the opportunity
to roll out of hac ‘king range. – ·
Carmichael saw me and swung his weapon.
The .45 blazed. Carmichael jumped back,’scream-Lng
Ln.pain. He clamped one hand to his side, blood
seeping out around his fingers. Incredibly, the other
continued to grip the axe.
“You–you hurt me,” he muttered, incredulous.
“Just a flesh crease,” said Honten evenly. “You’ll
survive. Nowlet go of the damned axe, boy.” .
I stood and inched toward the discarded rifle,
staying out of the blond man’s swinging range.
The door to the trailer opened, sp’ cold ‘white
light down the pathway. Nona ran out calling
Carmichael’s name.
“Get the rifle, Sis!” he yelled. The command
emerged from between pain-clenched jaws. The hand
holding the axe was’ shaking. The one at his side
was glossy red from wrist to fingertips. Blood rolled
viscously over his knucklesnd dripped to the
ground.
The girl came to a stop, Watching wide-eyed as
the dirt at Carmichael’s feet sprouted a spreading
crimson flower.
“You killed him. she shrieked and ran toward
Houten, striking out blindly. He straight-armed her
while keeping a bead on the wounded man. She
flailed away at him without doing any damage.
Finally he shoved her aside-and she staggered-off-balance
before falling.
I edged closer to the rifle.
Nona picked herself up.
“You filthy old fuck!” she screamed at the Sheriff.
“You were supposed to help us and now you’ve
killed him!” Houten looked past her woodenly. Sudo
denly she flung herself at carmael’s feet. “Don’t
die, Doug. Please I need yofi so bad.”
“Get the riflel” he screamed.
-She looked up at him blankly, nodded, and
marched toward the weapon. She was closer to it
than ! and it was time to move. As she stooped to
retrieve it I dove.
Carmichael saw me out of the corner of his eye,
pivoted and slashed down at my-.am with the axe,
I jerked back. He grunted in agony, his wound
leaking copiously, and slashed again, missing meby
inches,
Houten Crouched, two-handed the .45, and shot
Carmichael in the back of the head. The exit trajectory
t/re open his throat. He clutched at his neck,
sucked in air, gurgled, and dropped.
The girl snatched up the rifle and cradled it
knowingly. She stared at the body on the ground.
Cannichael’s limbs twitched autonomically and she
watched, transfixed, until they were still. Her hair
was loose and blowing in the n’,ht breeze, her eyes
frightened and moist,
ulence. The
up, pointed the weapon at me,
arced around, aiming at the sheriff, -.-.- .J i .
“You’re just like the rest,” she spat at him. . Before
he could reply she shifted her attention
back to the corpse, began talking to it in a singsong
voice.
“He’s just like the rest, Doug. He didn’t help us
because he was good, because he was on our side
like you thought. He did it because he was a fucking
coward. Afraid I’d tell his dirty secrets,”
“Quiet, girl.,” warned the sheriff.
24 Jonaun’I6l
She ignored-him. ‘
“He fucked me, Doug, just like all the other filthy,
evil old men with their filthy cocks-and, their sagging
balls. When I was just a little girl. After the
monster broke me in. The righteOus arm. of the
law.” She sneered. “I flashed him a sample and. he