Nobody smiled.So much for that.
The two young guys stood up, going behind me to the bar, leaving the cleft palate guy as the only one seated. The only one who wasn’t an immediate threat.
I didn’t like the other guys behind me, but didn’t want to show any hesitation. One thing was for sure: if this turned violent, I’d have to takeout Chief first, because he was the greatest threat, which posed a problem, because he was also the one guy I needed to question.
I said, “Hey, look, I clipped your car outside. Can you come on out with me and take a look? Tell me what you think the damages are worth? I’ll pay you for it.”
I heard footsteps behind me, coming fast. I managed to turn halfway, my hand snaking to my weapon, when I caught the movement of a club in the corner of my eye, whipping towards my head. I managed to get my hand halfway up, deflecting the blow, but it still came in, knocking the hell out of me.
Someone swept my legs out from under me and I hit the floor, feeling a hand jerking on my holster. I snapped a punch blindly, connecting with something hard. I heard a scream, but felt my weapon come free.
I crabbed onto my back, and saw the giant guy coming in.
Chapter 21
Jennifer pretended to shop, picking up a bag of jerky and a Coke, wondering what was taking Pike so long. Either Chief was in there, or he wasn’t. The bar couldn’t be that crowded.
The man in the chair split his time between keeping his eyes on her and fiddling with his phone, but didn’t make any other moves. The old lady looked like she wanted to close the shop down, tapping her hands nervously on the counter.
Jennifer went down a final aisle, pretending to look at a variety of homemade trinkets, when she heard a thud next door, then a scream. She dropped the jerky and Coke and swiftly went to the blanket covering the door. The man in the chair was just as quick, leaping up and blocking her way.
He smiled and said, “Better for you to stay out here, miss.”
She said, “I’m a federal agent. Get out of my way.”
The words meant nothing to the man. He held out his arms, barring the door and said, “Don’t worry. They ain’t going to hurt him too much. Just teach him to quit asking questions on our land. You go in there and you’ll be in the mix too.”
Quick as a whip, she pulled her Staccato, put the barrel on his forehead and said, “Iwantin the mix. Get out of my way.”
He stumbled backwards, moving so fast he fell over. She whipped the blanket aside and ran into the room, seeing Pike on the ground, three men standing over him delivering a beating, one of them a giant.
She took a two-handed grip on the Staccato and fired above their heads,then raced forward. They blast caused all of them to leap back in shock. She reached them, saw one raising a pistol and said, “Freeze! Don’t move! We’re federal agents!”
The man dropped the pistol, another one dropped a bat, and the two of them raised their hands. The giant did not.
She said, “Pike, you okay?”
He stood up, and she could see the beast stirring. She recognized the rage, but didn’t know if it was from the beating he had taken, or the fact that he’d somehow allowed them to do so.
The giant said, “You have no jurisdiction here.”
Pike picked up a bat off the floor, walked over to the man who’d taken his pistol, and swung it one-handed, smacking him on the side of the head, knocking him to the ground.
He then leaned over, picked up his pistol, and put it in his holster. The giant advanced on him and Jennifer shouted, “Stop moving! Get your hands in the air!”
He said, “Fuck you and your badge.”
Pike turned to face him and the giant raised his fists. Jennifer lowered her aim, focused on his upper thigh, and broke the trigger. The bullet slapped him hard, taking his legs out from under him like he’d been jerked off his feet by a rope. He screamed, hitting the floor and writhing in pain, his hands clamped to his thigh.
Pike looked at her in shock and said, “Jesus, Jenn! I can take him one-on-one. I’m holding a bat, for Christ’s sake!”
She said, “Sorry. Can we get the hell out of here now?”
“Yeah, but you just shot Chief.”
She thought,What the hell. Can this get any worse?
Pike said, “Keep your gun on those other two. I’ll get him up.”
