check for me. It’s important.”
She nodded and walked over to the front door and looked out the window. She said, “I don’t see anyone.”
“Are you sure?”
She said, “I think so.”
I said, “Okay. Kara, listen to me.”
I glanced at her to make sure she was listening, and then I looked back at the big guy. He still wasn’t sitting.
I said, “Take a good look at these guys. Especially that one.” I pointed at Carter.
She came back over and looked at them.
I said, “These guys came here to kill you.”
She gasped and said, “What? Why?”
“Something your mom saw twenty years ago. There’s a guy in the ER. The one down the street. His name is John Martin. He’s a Marshal. Go to the ER and find him. Find the sheriff’s deputies. They’ll be there already. This guy Martin will explain everything to you. He’s in bad shape right now, but he’ll be okay in a couple of days. Meanwhile, you tell the sheriff what went on here tonight. Make sure he knows about the other cop that was here. Tell him that twenty years ago, you and your mom were moved here by John Martin.”
Her mouth hung open. I could only imagine what she felt. I knew something about not knowing who you were your whole entire life. In a way, I was the lucky one. At least my old man was still out there somewhere. What did Kara have?
I said, “I know. It’s a lot. Trust me. You’ll be better off with John Martin explaining it all to you. Just remember that these guys are bad. This guy came here for you and your mother. He’s the bad guy. You ever see him again, you steer clear. Got it?”
She either nodded or said nothing because I didn’t hear a response. I craned my head and asked again, “Got it?”
She said, “Yeah.”
“Good. Now get the hell out of here.”
Kara said nothing, didn’t go to the back to pick up any of her belongs. She didn’t go to a car in the parking lot. She just took off out the door, running.
I turned back to the big guy and said, “She’s running. I walked from the ER in less than ten minutes. So we don’t have a lot of time. Means I gotta get going.”
The big guy said, “What you going to do?”
Carter said, “Who the hell are you?”
“I told you. I’m nobody.”
The big guy lowered his hands but kept them in my sight. He said, “No one’s going to believe you. We got a cop with us.”
I said, “You don’t listen too good. I’m not going to be telling my side. I told you. I’ve got to be going.”
The big guy said, “You’re a pussy.”
I said, “Whatever. You’re the one who got beat.”
“Bet you aren’t anything without that gun.”
I looked down at Carter, who was on the dirty diner floor. He was scooting toward the table like he was going for his gun.
I fired another round at him. It hit near his face. Tile exploded up in a small dust cloud.
I said, “Next one goes in your back. Paralysis will ensure you don’t make it back here looking for Kara. You want that?”
The big guy scrambled forward. He was quick, faster than I thought, but useless.
I pointed the Glock back at him and said, “Don’t make me kneecap you, too.”
He froze. Now I had to figure out what to do with him.
I said, “You want me to ditch the gun? Go at it with you? We could go blow for blow until one of us is dead or the cops show up. What do you think?”
The big guy said, “I’m game for that.”
I thought about it for a moment. The thought was appealing in a way. We could duke it out like a couple of characters from a stupid Hollywood flick. Or whatever.
I said, “I guess I could give you a chance. Not very sporting for me to just shoot you while you’re unarmed? Right?”
He grinned and said, “Right.”
Carter said, “Emile, kill him!”
I said, “Emile? What kind of name is that?”
The big guy ignored the question and said, “So we gonna do this or what?”
“Sure. I’ll fight you. Why not?”
He grinned again.
I motioned like I was going to throw away
She nodded and walked over to the front door and looked out the window. She said, “I don’t see anyone.”
“Are you sure?”
She said, “I think so.”
I said, “Okay. Kara, listen to me.”
I glanced at her to make sure she was listening, and then I looked back at the big guy. He still wasn’t sitting.
I said, “Take a good look at these guys. Especially that one.” I pointed at Carter.
She came back over and looked at them.
I said, “These guys came here to kill you.”
She gasped and said, “What? Why?”
“Something your mom saw twenty years ago. There’s a guy in the ER. The one down the street. His name is John Martin. He’s a Marshal. Go to the ER and find him. Find the sheriff’s deputies. They’ll be there already. This guy Martin will explain everything to you. He’s in bad shape right now, but he’ll be okay in a couple of days. Meanwhile, you tell the sheriff what went on here tonight. Make sure he knows about the other cop that was here. Tell him that twenty years ago, you and your mom were moved here by John Martin.”
Her mouth hung open. I could only imagine what she felt. I knew something about not knowing who you were your whole entire life. In a way, I was the lucky one. At least my old man was still out there somewhere. What did Kara have?
I said, “I know. It’s a lot. Trust me. You’ll be better off with John Martin explaining it all to you. Just remember that these guys are bad. This guy came here for you and your mother. He’s the bad guy. You ever see him again, you steer clear. Got it?”
She either nodded or said nothing because I didn’t hear a response. I craned my head and asked again, “Got it?”
She said, “Yeah.”
“Good. Now get the hell out of here.”
Kara said nothing, didn’t go to the back to pick up any of her belongs. She didn’t go to a car in the parking lot. She just took off out the door, running.
I turned back to the big guy and said, “She’s running. I walked from the ER in less than ten minutes. So we don’t have a lot of time. Means I gotta get going.”
The big guy said, “What you going to do?”
Carter said, “Who the hell are you?”
“I told you. I’m nobody.”
The big guy lowered his hands but kept them in my sight. He said, “No one’s going to believe you. We got a cop with us.”
I said, “You don’t listen too good. I’m not going to be telling my side. I told you. I’ve got to be going.”
The big guy said, “You’re a pussy.”
I said, “Whatever. You’re the one who got beat.”
“Bet you aren’t anything without that gun.”
I looked down at Carter, who was on the dirty diner floor. He was scooting toward the table like he was going for his gun.
I fired another round at him. It hit near his face. Tile exploded up in a small dust cloud.
I said, “Next one goes in your back. Paralysis will ensure you don’t make it back here looking for Kara. You want that?”
The big guy scrambled forward. He was quick, faster than I thought, but useless.
I pointed the Glock back at him and said, “Don’t make me kneecap you, too.”
He froze. Now I had to figure out what to do with him.
I said, “You want me to ditch the gun? Go at it with you? We could go blow for blow until one of us is dead or the cops show up. What do you think?”
The big guy said, “I’m game for that.”
I thought about it for a moment. The thought was appealing in a way. We could duke it out like a couple of characters from a stupid Hollywood flick. Or whatever.
I said, “I guess I could give you a chance. Not very sporting for me to just shoot you while you’re unarmed? Right?”
He grinned and said, “Right.”
Carter said, “Emile, kill him!”
I said, “Emile? What kind of name is that?”
The big guy ignored the question and said, “So we gonna do this or what?”
“Sure. I’ll fight you. Why not?”
He grinned again.
I motioned like I was going to throw away
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