Page 55 of So Silent

The killer stopped and stared at her. He blanched and ran down the street, waving his knife wildly behind him. “Stay back!” he cried out. “Leave me alone!”

Faith dropped to the ground by Turk, who was getting shakily to his feet. “Come on, boy,” she said. “Almost done. I need your help. I can’t catch this guy on my own. He’s too fast.”

Turk shook his head, then bared his teeth and sprinted after the killer again. Faith followed after, lungs burning, as the killer led them through the neighborhood. Doors and windows started to open as residents heard the commotion and looked out to see what’s going on.

“Stay in your homes!” Faith called to them. “The suspect is armed and dangerous! Stay inside!”

“No!” The killer shouted. “They’re the dangerous ones! I’m trying to help all of you! They can read your thoughts!”

“Drop your weapon!” Faith called. “Come quietly, and I promise I won’t hurt you.”

“You’re a liar!” The killer shrieked.

He looked over his shoulder and saw Turk once more gaining. He yelped and brought his whistle to his lips again. Turk yelped in pain, but this time, he didn’t slow.

He dove for the killer’s ankle. The killer cried out and jumped into the air, then kicked down, sending Turk sprawling. He broke into a dead run once more, heading for a neighborhood park.

“Turk!” Faith called. “Are you all right?”

Turk got to his feet, shook himself and followed the killer. Faith sighed with relief to see him okay and followed him.

“Please!” The killer cried. “Leave me alone! I don’t belong to you!”

“I don’t want to hurt you!” Faith called after him, leaping the fence to the park and rolling back to her feet on the other side. “But if you keep trying to hurt my dog and flee the scene of an attempted murder, I will have to! Surrender, and everything will be okay!”

The killer laughed and looked over his shoulder. “Oh, nice try. I really believe that! You want to read my mind? Read this!”

He stared intently at her but said nothing as he ran. The absurdity of it almost made Faith laugh, but the guy had just tried to stab Turk, so her humor was short-lived. She lifted her handgun and said, “There’s no more homes around here, so if you don’t comply, I will shoot you. Put your weapon down!”

“Fuck you!”

The killer dove into the trees, and Faith swore and went after him. Turk entered a few yards to the side and tried to cut the killer off, but the killer blew the whistle and lunged with the knife at the same time. Turk sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blade, but the killer swung it crazily, and Turk was forced to back away.

Faith had nearly reached him when the killer stepped back and drove the knife toward her head. She ducked just in time. She could hear the soft whirr of the blade as it pierced the air above her.

She spun on her heels and drove her fist toward the killer’s liver, but he backed just out of the way and lunged with the knife over and over again. She slipped right, bobbed left, twisting and fading out of the way of the blade, but he kept her on the back foot, and after her first swing, she couldn’t attempt any more offense.

She lifted her gun, and the killer sliced the blade across her fingers. She cried out and dropped the gun, and he stabbed at her neck. She just managed to parry the knife before falling to the ground.

Turk leapt over her and snapped at the killer’s knife hand. The killer cried out and fell backwards, lifting his whistle and blowing it. Turk kept his mouth around the killer’s forearm, but when the killer blew the whistle directly into his ear again, he cried out and let go.

Faith rushed him before he could stab Turk, but he swung the knife again before saying, “Get out of my head!” and sprinting deeper into the trees.

She cursed and drew her flashlight. She found her gun a few yards away and tested her fingers. They bled profusely and trembled slightly, but they could still grip. She switched the light to her injured hand and took the gun in her left.

“Come on, Turk.”

Turk’s legs were shaky when he got up, and he didn’t move as fast when he restarted the pursuit. She felt a rush of worry for him. Would this damage his hearing permanently? Should she just wait for backup?”

Turk barked at her and sped forward, and she felt her courage renew. Turk was right. They had to be willing to sacrifice whatever it took to stop this killer before he murdered anyone else.

They moved through the trees, barking and calling for the outlaw to surrender before he got hurt. Faith heard a rustling sound and aimed her handgun just as Turk leaped at the killer.

The killer swung his knife toward the K9, trying to stab him in the air. Faith grabbed his arm and struggled to control his wrist. Her intervention allowed Turk another grip, this time on the arm with the dog whistle.

“No!” The man shrieked. “No! Give that back! Aaahhh!”

The bloodcurdling shriek at the end of that came with a sudden burst of adrenaline. The killer threw Faith off of him, then punched Turk hard in the jaw. Turk let go and whined, dropping to the ground.

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