Chapter 10

Gunfight in the middle of the night...

Evangeline was covering her ears as the bullets were flying into the house. The men who climbed out of the cars didn’t get to say much before John started to shoot at them. She had dropped to the floor, not being able to handle the thundering sound of the guns. Someone was screaming as the gunfire was beating back their cries, and Evangeline quickly realized she was screaming in the middle of the gun battle. She had been in far too many of these battles in her life.

                She tried to get away from her father. It wasn’t the first time she ran away or the first time her father came to teach her a lesson about running away.

                She had gotten away years ago, fled west, and almost made it to the coats when her old man tracked her down. She was in bed with good boy Scott when her dad’s men came kicking in the door in the middle of the night, dragging them both out of bed. They tossed a hood of their heads, threw them into different cars, and took them out into the middle of nowhere.

                “I told you,” Willy said, pulling the hood from Evangline’s head. Evangeline had been crying, and makeup was running down her face as she looked up to her father.

                “I’m sorry, daddy, I am.”

                He kneeled in front of her, grabbing her jaw hard. “I told you no matter where you run, I’ll find you, got me?”

                “Yes, sir,” she said, almost feeling like her jaw was being broken.

                “You shoudn’ have ran, doll,” Willy said, stepping out of the way for her to see Scott’s head still covered and him kneeling in front of the cars. “And I’m going to believe this hound dog tricked you into jumping into bed with him.”

                “He doesn’t know who I am,” Evangeline cried. “He didn’t know.”

                “Good, then that’ll be a lesson for the hound dog,” Willy said, nodding at one of his men. The man’s name was Peter, and Peter put a shotgun to Scott’s head. Evangeline watched in horror as his head was turned into a bloody mess, as if the blast of the shotgun ripped his skull in two, and everything came pouring out. She had nightmares about Scott for years after his death. Sometimes, she still had those awful dreams, watching his head come apart like it was made of paper.

                He screamed at her right as the shotgun blew his head away. “Why didn’t you kill me?”

                It was her fault. Suppose she had told Scott her real name. He wouldn't have gotten into bed with her if she had let him know who she was. She was the one who pulled him into bed that night. She wanted to feel safe for a while and forget all the horrors of her life, but those horrors came to her door just as they came to John’s door tonight.

                Evangeline looked up to see John behind the wall, trying to reload, but his old hands were dropping some of the bullets. The shooting had stopped, but there were enough men out there to kill John with ease. She was sure they would send a few guys around back if the shooters were smart. She couldn’t let John be killed just for being nice to her. She couldn’t let this old man die yet.

                And as for Able, he was gone. She guessed he ran for it, but he was nowhere in sight. She looked at the door, peppered with holes, and reached her feet. She headed for it, hearing the shouts of the shooter from the other side.

                She knew one of them.

                “John,” she roared, “Kiedis, I’m coming out.”

                “All right,” John said back, “alone, doll. I don’t want to make a mess of things.”

                Evangeline walked out with her hands up, still blinded by the headlights. She wanted to shield her eyes but stopped, knowing it was best not to give John a reason.

                “I’m come with you,” she said, “just leave this old man alone, you got me?”

                “Sure thing, do �"“John went to say something, but his words were cut in half by the shouting and gunshots echoing around her now. Evangeline gasped, and before she knew she was being pulled back into the house by John as the men on the other side of the light were locked in a fight for their lives.

                “I think,” John said as they both moved away from the door, “your big friend got his hands on them.”

                “He’s just one man,” Evangeline said, listening to the fight outside. One of the men in the crew went running for the house. They saw his shadow flash for a second over the door, and John jerked his weapon up to aim at the man, but something pulled him back into the blinding light. The man cried out before he was killed, and his death cries echoed only for a second before they were gone.

                The world went still.

                The wind dared not blow.

                The house stood still in the thick lights of the cars outside.

                Evangeline stared at the door as John stood there looking into the as well. He held the weapon up, pointing at the light when they heard the heavy boots walking up to it. John brought his rifle up a little more, the rifle's weight almost too much, when Abel stood blocking out all the light. Blood was dripping off his hands, and he held a long knife in another one.

                “John, get rid of the bodies,” Abel said, “if I were you, I would skip town for a bit.”

                “Not leavin’ my home, sir.”

                “There’ll be more of them,” Abel said with a shrug. “Your choice, sir.”

                Evangeline was already heading for Abel.

                “We’ll take one of their cars,” he said. “Get you off this damn mountain.”

                Evangeline stopped looking back at John and dashed to him, giving him a kiss.

                “Thank you,” she said softly.

                “Are you sure?” John asked, holding onto her arm.

                “I am.”