stared at me, his lip sliding back and forth. I knew he wasn’t part of Barster’s bunch. There were no horses. None that I could see at least. I also didn’t think Clyde Barster was the kind of fellow that would let a sleazy man like this do his talking.
He poked my chest. “You’ve been warned,” he said, none too pleased. He actually sounded angry. It made me wonder if he really wanted a fight. He was probably just trying to scare me off.
“Get ready for a battle,” he whispered just before turning around.
I was ready, fool.
Day 1,030 - continued
The first shot rang out from the brush across the road. Carmen was still walking away, still on my property. But the hail of gunfire didn’t allow me to draw and get a bead on him.
I dove inside just as an explosion came out of the south woods. It had to have been a shotgun because I heard multiple shots hit the screen door as I jerked it shut behind me. Two holes in the aluminum confirmed my belief. Someone had a shotgun with buckshot.
Looking around from the floor, I noticed Lettie kneeling close to me with her 30-30 in hand.
“Saw that bastard come off the road,” she said in a hushed tone, peeking out the front window. “Heard everything he said. I had Violet take Libby and Hope into the bedroom and get on the far side of the bed. I told her to pull the mattress over them. They should be safe.”
I got to my feet, kneeling by the wall between the front window and the screen door. The bedroom door was shut. Good. One way or another, three of us were going to be safe. But we were missing someone.
I was about to ask Lettie when I heard movement to my left. Glancing over, I saw Daisy. Crouching by the cupboards, she was busy loading shells into Dizzy’s 20-gauge.
“You okay?” I asked Daisy. Her only response was a nervous look and a quick nod. She was all right, and ready for the fight.
Lettie inched closer to me. “Think there’s really three of them?” she asked.
“Maybe, maybe not.” I peeked out through the damaged screen, trying to pick up movement. Nothing. That was good enough for now.
Studying the rest of the room, I discovered places we were vulnerable. The rear window wasn’t large, but still, someone could easily pop up and fire inside through that access.
“Daisy,” I whispered, “crawl over and draw the blinds on the back window.” It wasn’t perfect, but it prevented an unfettered look through the window.
The front window was mostly glass; two small side windows had screens and both were open. We could use those for firing positions. I wanted the front door open for a while yet. It gave us more firing access and I could peek over the frame and see what was going on outside.
The only window that truly worried me was the one in the bedroom. I had no way of knowing whether it was open or closed. Since it faced the road, I figured I’d be able to see anyone approaching it.
We were set up as best as we could be. And that would have to do.
Two men dashed along the north tree line, just inside the brush. They were trying to flank us and get at our rear. I pushed the door open and clicked the safety off on the 45. Pulling the trigger, the gun jerked six or seven times in my hand. Their movements halted, followed by moaning from the brush. At least one was down.
Looking back, I saw the scared looks on both Lettie’s and Daisy’s faces. That and Daisy covering her ears. The echo of the gunfire from the home had been loud, so I couldn’t blame her.
Crying started in the bedroom. Probably from the shots. I motioned to Daisy with my head.
“Check on them,” I instructed. “Be sure they’re all right.” She crept and pushed the door open, disappearing from my view.
I focused back where I’d seen the men. Something was going on in the brush. One of them, if not both, had to be writhing on the ground.
“I just need a peek at them to know what happened,” I whispered back to Lettie. “You cover me. I’m just going to
He poked my chest. “You’ve been warned,” he said, none too pleased. He actually sounded angry. It made me wonder if he really wanted a fight. He was probably just trying to scare me off.
“Get ready for a battle,” he whispered just before turning around.
I was ready, fool.
Day 1,030 - continued
The first shot rang out from the brush across the road. Carmen was still walking away, still on my property. But the hail of gunfire didn’t allow me to draw and get a bead on him.
I dove inside just as an explosion came out of the south woods. It had to have been a shotgun because I heard multiple shots hit the screen door as I jerked it shut behind me. Two holes in the aluminum confirmed my belief. Someone had a shotgun with buckshot.
Looking around from the floor, I noticed Lettie kneeling close to me with her 30-30 in hand.
“Saw that bastard come off the road,” she said in a hushed tone, peeking out the front window. “Heard everything he said. I had Violet take Libby and Hope into the bedroom and get on the far side of the bed. I told her to pull the mattress over them. They should be safe.”
I got to my feet, kneeling by the wall between the front window and the screen door. The bedroom door was shut. Good. One way or another, three of us were going to be safe. But we were missing someone.
I was about to ask Lettie when I heard movement to my left. Glancing over, I saw Daisy. Crouching by the cupboards, she was busy loading shells into Dizzy’s 20-gauge.
“You okay?” I asked Daisy. Her only response was a nervous look and a quick nod. She was all right, and ready for the fight.
Lettie inched closer to me. “Think there’s really three of them?” she asked.
“Maybe, maybe not.” I peeked out through the damaged screen, trying to pick up movement. Nothing. That was good enough for now.
Studying the rest of the room, I discovered places we were vulnerable. The rear window wasn’t large, but still, someone could easily pop up and fire inside through that access.
“Daisy,” I whispered, “crawl over and draw the blinds on the back window.” It wasn’t perfect, but it prevented an unfettered look through the window.
The front window was mostly glass; two small side windows had screens and both were open. We could use those for firing positions. I wanted the front door open for a while yet. It gave us more firing access and I could peek over the frame and see what was going on outside.
The only window that truly worried me was the one in the bedroom. I had no way of knowing whether it was open or closed. Since it faced the road, I figured I’d be able to see anyone approaching it.
We were set up as best as we could be. And that would have to do.
Two men dashed along the north tree line, just inside the brush. They were trying to flank us and get at our rear. I pushed the door open and clicked the safety off on the 45. Pulling the trigger, the gun jerked six or seven times in my hand. Their movements halted, followed by moaning from the brush. At least one was down.
Looking back, I saw the scared looks on both Lettie’s and Daisy’s faces. That and Daisy covering her ears. The echo of the gunfire from the home had been loud, so I couldn’t blame her.
Crying started in the bedroom. Probably from the shots. I motioned to Daisy with my head.
“Check on them,” I instructed. “Be sure they’re all right.” She crept and pushed the door open, disappearing from my view.
I focused back where I’d seen the men. Something was going on in the brush. One of them, if not both, had to be writhing on the ground.
“I just need a peek at them to know what happened,” I whispered back to Lettie. “You cover me. I’m just going to
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