Page 142 of Hard to Kill

As my arm drops, Licata raises his and fires.

But I’m already falling as he does.

Going down again.

Just not down and out this time.

I may be dying, but not tonight.

Licata’s bullet sails over my head as I hit the ground.

His second shot misses, too, but not by much, the bullet spraying sand against my leg. Then I’m rolling away from that spot, expecting another wave of dizziness as I keep rolling in the sand.

It doesn’t come.

I won’t let it.

I’m Jane Effing Smith.

I pull out of the roll and am already running for cover, through the scrub, as soon as I have my legs back underneath me.

I’m waiting for Licata to take his next shot when I hear Jimmy.

“Licata!”he yells as he comes out of the trees to my left, from the water side of the dunes.

Licata turns and fires at Jimmy now, sending Jimmy diving for cover.

Licata’s the one caught in a crossfire now and he has to make a decision.

Jimmy or me.

He turns back to me.

Too late.

I’ve stopped running, squared up, and raised my Glock.

Just me and the target now.

Like all those nights on the trail.

Stop, aim, shoot.

I hit Licata high up on his chest and spin him halfway around. He turns back to face me once more and raises his gun for the last time. I hit him again in the chest and he goes down and stays down as Jimmy comes running out of the woods.

Jimmy takes off his own windbreaker as he kneels down next to Licata and tries to stop the bleeding. When I get there and see how much blood there is, I know Jimmy’s too late to contain the wound, or the blood. He has to know, too.

So does Anthony Licata.

But he’s still looking to deal, all the way to the end.

“Help…” he croaks.

A bubble of blood comes out of his mouth.

“Trying here,” Jimmy says grimly, pressing down harder with his windbreaker, now soaked in blood.

“I… can help you…”

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