Armstrong used the deputy as a human shield. She planted the barrel of her gun in the back of Dani’s head while she watched Kenny emerge from the tunnel with the little girl in his arms. The chubby closeout king was grimacing and snorting back a mountain of pain.
When Bones made her way out of the tunnel, Boss smiled and said, “Oh look, the gang’s all here.”
Bones ignored the tension in the air and approached Step. “Where’s my stuff?”
Motioning to Dani and Armstrong, Step said to Boss, “Your partner don’t seem willing to let go of things.”
Boss growled. “Let her go, Armstrong.”
Armstrong took a step back, pulling Dani along with her. “No way.”
“Give me my stuff!” Bones tugged on Step’s arm.
“Goddamn it!” Step shouted. “Later!”
“Armstrong,” Boss said, “I ain’t gonna tell you again. This has all been worked out. We’re all gonna walk out of here drawing in air. Everyone wins.”
“My partner took a load of buckshot to the face. How am I supposed to explain that?”
“Line of duty. Got in a tussle with some backwoods boys,” Boss said. “Besides, if it was the old man’s gun, it wasn’t nothing but rock salt. His pride is more damaged than anything. The whore got the best of him.”
Bones turned to him. “Wha’cha call me?”
“Easy now, Bones,” Step said, grabbing for her.
She moved out of his reach and raised her gun. “Call me that again.”
Boss groaned. “Tell me you ain’t dumb enough to shoot that thing in here?”
Without warning she popped off a round, hitting the back tire of the tractor.
Boss dove to the ground, covering his head with his hands. Kenny twirled around with the girl in his arms and nearly collapsed from the pain. Step fired three quick shots into the fuel tank, sending gasoline gushing out onto the wood plank floor.
Armstrong yanked the deputy out the back door of the barn.
The tension slowly eased in Boss’s body, and he looked up from his prone position. “It didn’t explode.”
Step snickered. “I guess you watch too many movies.”
Boss looked down and watched the fuel leak spread out on the floor and inch its way toward him. He made a move to stand, but stopped when Step ordered him to. “You’re fine right where you are.”
Kenny was finding it more and more difficult to hold on to Sarah. “Dani?”
Step looked to the back door. “Shit.”
The fuel began to soak Boss’s feet.
Bones screamed and stomped her feet. “I want my stuff!”
Boss could feel his thighs getting soaked. “Jesus Christ, just shoot her already!” he shouted.
Step spoke to Bones in a cool, calm tone. “It’s in the truck. Look in the glove compartment.”
She stared at him. “You ain’t lying?”
“It’s there, I promise.” He held out his hand. “Give me the gun.”
She hesitated and then obliged. Walking backward, she made her way out of the barn and then turned toward the house.
Boss started to stand, but Step stopped him once again.
Protesting, Boss said, “I’m getting soaked.”
Step pulled out his pack of Porter 100s from his shirt pocket and shook it until a filter tip stuck out of the top. “Stop your whining.” He stuck the cigarette in his mouth, placed the pack back where it came from, and then pulled a lighter out of his pocket. “You wanna tell me about my wife again? I don’t think I quite got all that.”
Boss eyed the lighter. “Fuck.”
The cigarette lit, Step took a deep drag, held it in his lungs for as long as he could stand, and then blew out a steady stream of smoke. “That about sums up the situation. We’re all fucked. Although, I’ve been fucked a whole hell of a lot longer than you. You let me kick around in misery for a good long while, Boss.” Step approached the man soaked in fuel. “What I want to know is, did you enjoy it?” he asked as he squatted, lighter in one hand, gun in the other.
Boss lay motionless.
“Answer me.”
“It was business,” Boss said, sounding more nervous than he ever had in his life.
Step turned to Kenny. “Business, he says. Can you believe that?”
Kenny wanted Boss dead as much as his partner, but something in Step’s eyes unsettled him. “Don’t do nothing yet. Not in front of the girl.”
Step sighed. “Get on out of here. Take her home. I got this.”
Kenny didn’t move.
“Go on.”
“Can’t,” Kenny said.
“Damn it, Kenny. Just get.”
“The old lady took a chain to me down there. Pretty sure she broke a bone or two. Little girl here don’t weigh nothing at all, but it’s near killing me holding on to her.”
“What’re you saying?”
“I’m saying you’re gonna have to take her.”
“You’re full of shit, Kenny.”
“I ain’t, I swear. I’m struggling to get a good breath. I’ve had broken ribs before, and that’s what I’m dealing with right about now. I’d bet money on it.”
Step grumbled to himself and stood. “Boss’s got to be dealt with.”
“Come get the girl. Take her home, Step. I’ll deal with that pile of puke.”
Step hesitated, his gun aimed at Boss. He slowly made his way to Kenny. “Suppose you owe him, too.”
“And then some,” Kenny said, doing his best to pry Sarah loose.
“I’ll take her to the truck,” Step said, yanking the little girl free. “Then I’ll come back.”
Kenny shook his head and took the gun from Step, never moving it off the target. “You ain’t thinking straight. Get the girl out of here, make sure she’s safe. I’ll take care of Boss and see what I can do about finding that pretty lady deputy.”
The skinny closeout king stuck the lighter in Kenny’s left hand before he headed for the front door of the barn. He stopped when Kenny called out his name. “I think you were right about one thing.”
“What?”
“That whole trigger business. Only it ain’t just women that wanna forget. I’d give just about anything to find a gal that’d find my forget-shit trigger. I got a mess of stuff I ain’t got no desire to remember.”
Step simply nodded at Kenny before he made his way to the truck.