sister’s hand in hers. Polly inched away from me, and I stepped to the side.
“Is he okay?” she asked.
“He’s scared of me,” I said. “He might trust you.” Polly pulled free of Amy’s hand and rushed to the boy’s side. They clung to each other and watched us with wide eyes. I pulled the door shut and turned to her.
“We can’t fix this, Amy,” I said. “I don’t know how, and we don’t have the resources.”
“We can’t just turn our backs, either!” she said.
“You’re right, we can’t. And we won’t.”
“We’ll figure something out,” she said. “After we deal with the Manson family.”
“They’re going to be waiting for us,” I said. She nodded and pulled her pistol from the cargo pocket on her right leg. No one was waiting at the bottom of the steps, but a glance toward the rack by the door showed the shotgun and the M14 absent from it. I pulled the revolver from the holster and pointed toward the back door. Amy nodded and padded silently to the rear of the house, while I went to the front window. Father and son were standing between the porch and the truck, guns in hand. Penny stood behind and between them, her lips pressed together in a sharp line. Once again, I wished I’d worn my vest. Without it, I only had wit and luck to count on, and neither one would stop a bullet. I went back into the front room and grabbed the offending book.
“I’m coming out,” I said as I let the door open an inch or two. Slowly, I pushed the door open the rest of the way and watched to see what they’d do. Del brought his rifle up and aimed it at the door while Tad pointed his shotgun at it without bothering to aim.
“You get the hell away from my kids, mister,” Del said. “I want you off my property now!”
“Near as I can tell, the biggest danger to your kids is you,” I said as I stepped out onto the porch.
“You have no right to tell us how to raise our kids,” Penny said from behind her husband.
“I was talking about your husband and your son pointing guns at me without knowing where your other two kids are,” I said as I turned and moved to my right. Their guns and their eyes followed me. “Now, I’d love to be as far away from you folks as I could get right now, but you’re standing between me and my truck.”
“I think we’re standing between you and my new truck,” Tad said. Amy darted from the side of the house as he brought his shotgun up a little higher for emphasis. I paused and looked at him for a moment. I still needed time for Amy to get the drop on them, but Tad was just as impulsive as she was. If anyone was going to start shooting, it was him.
“Son,” Del said slowly.
“I want that truck Dad,” Tad said emphatically. “Think of all the stuff in it.” Del nodded after a moment, and Tad smiled.
“Right now, kid,” I said slowly as I saw Amy pull the camper’s rear hatch open, “I’d be thinking real hard about the Golden Rule.” The comment had the desired effect, as father and son exchanged glances.
“You get your daughter and you get the hell off our land,” Penny snapped after a few seconds. “If you know what’s good for you,” she added with a smirk.
“Hell, you ought to be grateful we don’t just shoot you now,” Tad said. All three of them froze in place when Amy racked a round into the Mossberg.
“Funny,” she said, her voice tight. “I was just about to say the same thing to you assholes.” All eyes went to her, and I brought the revolver up. As I sighted on Del’s back, I wondered if I was going to survive Maya’s reaction when she saw what two weeks with me had done to her little girl.
“Drop the guns,” I said as I pulled the hammer back. It wasn’t necessary, but it got the point across. “Now.” Tad almost threw the shotgun down, while Del took the M14 by the barrel and laid it down on the ground in front of him. “Turn around and put your hands against the truck.” All three of them glared at me, but
“Is he okay?” she asked.
“He’s scared of me,” I said. “He might trust you.” Polly pulled free of Amy’s hand and rushed to the boy’s side. They clung to each other and watched us with wide eyes. I pulled the door shut and turned to her.
“We can’t fix this, Amy,” I said. “I don’t know how, and we don’t have the resources.”
“We can’t just turn our backs, either!” she said.
“You’re right, we can’t. And we won’t.”
“We’ll figure something out,” she said. “After we deal with the Manson family.”
“They’re going to be waiting for us,” I said. She nodded and pulled her pistol from the cargo pocket on her right leg. No one was waiting at the bottom of the steps, but a glance toward the rack by the door showed the shotgun and the M14 absent from it. I pulled the revolver from the holster and pointed toward the back door. Amy nodded and padded silently to the rear of the house, while I went to the front window. Father and son were standing between the porch and the truck, guns in hand. Penny stood behind and between them, her lips pressed together in a sharp line. Once again, I wished I’d worn my vest. Without it, I only had wit and luck to count on, and neither one would stop a bullet. I went back into the front room and grabbed the offending book.
“I’m coming out,” I said as I let the door open an inch or two. Slowly, I pushed the door open the rest of the way and watched to see what they’d do. Del brought his rifle up and aimed it at the door while Tad pointed his shotgun at it without bothering to aim.
“You get the hell away from my kids, mister,” Del said. “I want you off my property now!”
“Near as I can tell, the biggest danger to your kids is you,” I said as I stepped out onto the porch.
“You have no right to tell us how to raise our kids,” Penny said from behind her husband.
“I was talking about your husband and your son pointing guns at me without knowing where your other two kids are,” I said as I turned and moved to my right. Their guns and their eyes followed me. “Now, I’d love to be as far away from you folks as I could get right now, but you’re standing between me and my truck.”
“I think we’re standing between you and my new truck,” Tad said. Amy darted from the side of the house as he brought his shotgun up a little higher for emphasis. I paused and looked at him for a moment. I still needed time for Amy to get the drop on them, but Tad was just as impulsive as she was. If anyone was going to start shooting, it was him.
“Son,” Del said slowly.
“I want that truck Dad,” Tad said emphatically. “Think of all the stuff in it.” Del nodded after a moment, and Tad smiled.
“Right now, kid,” I said slowly as I saw Amy pull the camper’s rear hatch open, “I’d be thinking real hard about the Golden Rule.” The comment had the desired effect, as father and son exchanged glances.
“You get your daughter and you get the hell off our land,” Penny snapped after a few seconds. “If you know what’s good for you,” she added with a smirk.
“Hell, you ought to be grateful we don’t just shoot you now,” Tad said. All three of them froze in place when Amy racked a round into the Mossberg.
“Funny,” she said, her voice tight. “I was just about to say the same thing to you assholes.” All eyes went to her, and I brought the revolver up. As I sighted on Del’s back, I wondered if I was going to survive Maya’s reaction when she saw what two weeks with me had done to her little girl.
“Drop the guns,” I said as I pulled the hammer back. It wasn’t necessary, but it got the point across. “Now.” Tad almost threw the shotgun down, while Del took the M14 by the barrel and laid it down on the ground in front of him. “Turn around and put your hands against the truck.” All three of them glared at me, but
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