Page 33 of Christmas in the Shadows

Tex slowed his steps to get a better look. He needed to be on guard.

Because Chelsea’s attacker hadn’t just disappeared into thin air. He was around here somewhere.

Tex paused in the middle of the road and glanced down the dark street in front of him. Two streetlights stretched above him,but one of them was dark. The sky was cloudy, so the moon didn’t offer illumination.

He soaked in all the details. It was a middle-class, blue-collar type of neighborhood. Lots of old trucks and even older sedans were parallel parked on either side of him.

That man could be behind any of them. Hiding. Just waiting to strike.

He slowly began to walk down the street, noting the Christmas lights on many houses and the large blow-up figures adorning lawns. Santa. Frosty. Reindeer.

It was a shame that danger had to dampen his spirits.

As he passed a truck, movement caught his eye.

The next instant, a man lunged toward him, trying to tackle him to the ground.

The attempt was a foolish one.

This guy clearly didn’t know who he was dealing with.

Tex braced himself. As the guy flew into him, Tex was ready.

He stood firm, blocking the man’s momentum.

The man’s eyes widened in surprise when he bounced back as if he’d hit a wall.

He stumbled. Then he took off in a run.

Tex was on his heels.

As they reached the sidewalk, Tex grabbed him.

Threw him onto a nearby lawn dotted with Christmas decorations.

Plastic crunched beneath the man’s body as a string of colorful Christmas lights broke.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the man grumbled as he scrambled to his feet.

“I’m stopping you,” Tex muttered.

The man raised his fists in an awkward attempt at self-defense.

Tex faced him, wishing this guy would just give up.

“Leave me alone,” he muttered.

Those weren’t exactly the words of a tough guy.

“You just hurt someone I care about,” Tex told him. “That’s not okay. Why don’t you take off your mask?”

The man didn’t say anything.

Tex shrugged. It wasn’t as if he’d expected the guy to listen. “Have it your way. I’ll take it off myself.”

But the next instant, the guy turned to flee again. And ran straight into a giant inflated Santa, knocking the figure over.

Before Tex could reach him, the man released Santa—and Santa bopped Tex in the face.

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