Page 55 of Big Daddy Sheriff

He dropped the phone without another word, leaving Detective Willingham to say, “Marshal Hardin? Are you there? Marshal?”

Theo had brought Grace into town to play with the other Littles.

She was excited, talking ninety to nothing as she rode in the passenger seat of his pickup, but right now, Theo didn’t hear a word she said.

He was too focused on the man holding the hunting rifle in the center of Main Street.

He stopped the truck, put it in reverse, and backed up, eager to get his little girl to safety.

“Damnit, Don,” he muttered. “Not again.” He’d heard about what had happened when he and Grace had been camping. And that certainly wasn’t the first time one of Don’s benders had turned dangerous.

It probably wouldn’t be the last time, either, unless the man got some serious help.

Something seemed different, though.

It only took a second for him to realize Don was aiming his rifle at a person! And the person was armed, too, wearing a black ski mask.

So was their partner who stood by them.

And the guy sitting in the idling car.

The pickup’s tires squealed as he jerked the wheel hard. He parked in a wide alley between two free standing brick buildings. The space was open on both ends, and as he slid out of the pickup, he said, “Drive, honey. Go home until I tell you it’s safe. Now!”

“Daddy!”

“I have to help Quinn. Go, baby!”

She was scared but she slid over into the driver’s seat, ready to take the truck on out the opposite end of the alley.

Before getting out of the vehicle, Theo had pulled the holstered Glock pistol from beneath his seat. He took off toward the danger.

The Marine was back in action.

Austin had just pulled the fire engine out of the garage, ready to wash the thing. It wasn’t that dirty. But he was bored. That was a good problem for a firefighter to have, he supposed.

But that boredom wouldn’t last long, he realized. Hell had broken loose on Main Street right before his eyes.

And it was all unfolding just as Daisy was arriving for work.

“Get down!” he yelled, rushing to her. He shielded her with his own body and forced her forward, into the firehouse. Once she was around the corner and out of the line of fire, he hollered, “Get inside!”

He headed back out the open garage door and to the firetruck. By now, Cane and Walker had heard the commotion, too, and rushed out into the truck bay. They confirmed that Daisy was okay, told her to get inside as well, and then rushed to the truck where Austin was unraveling the hose.

“Who are we up against?” Cane yelled.

“I don’t know, but they’re wearing masks and have guns. They’re not friends, I know that much!” He grinned devilishly. “Let’s let ‘em have it, boys!”

They turned the water on.

Don’s shot went wide, but it still startled the man, the bullet sizzling a few inches away from his right ear.

The criminal dropped to one knee and leveled his gun at Don. He never got a chance to fire.

A blast of water punched into his body, sweeping him back with hurricane force, and shoving him against the outside wall of the store. He closed his eyes and kept his mouth shut, but the hydro onslaught was nearly more than he could take.

By the time it ended, he collapsed into a heap on the ground, struggling to breathe.

His gun had been washed far out of reach by the overbearing tide.

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