Page 43 of Buck Baxter and the Mysteries of Love

They ducked again.

Suddenly a bullet flew past me, coming from the opposite direction—the front of the train.

I spun about again, and this time I saw the one-eyed German standing above a hatch on the roof of the carriage directly behind the engine.

Only he wasn’t alone.

In front of him stood Harry, a human shield, with one of Hammer’s arms locked around his neck.

In Hammer’s other hand was his pistol, and on his bruised and battered face was that damned evil grin of his.

He fired again, twice, one bullet aimed at me and one at Stella.

I ducked.

Stella screamed and took cover behind the wheel lock of the hatch on the middle car of the train, clinging to itfor dear life.

I aimed my shotgun at Hammer, but he held Harry in front of him, making it impossible for me to get a clear shot.

From behind me, the soldiers fired more bullets that sent sparks flying off the iron roof of the train.

I was trapped.

Up ahead, the end of the line was coming up fast… and in that moment, I knew it was the end of the line for me too.

Until I heard someone yell—

“Hey assholes! You hungry? Cause I got somethin’ for ya… lead sandwiches!”

Me, Stella, Harry, Hammer, and all the Germans suddenly turned to see the black Anderson convertible come tearing up the access road alongside the speeding train.

Behind the wheel was Bugsy, driving like a lunatic, while standing up in back was Mamma, a Tommy gun in her hand and a smirk on her face.

“Mom! Pops!” I whispered, a grin spreading across my own lips.

In one moment, I saw Mamma give me a wink.

In the next, she opened fire, rattling off a barrage of bullets that sprayed the Germans behind me. The lead pierced their legs, and like falling dominoes they dropped one by one off the roof of the cargo car, screaming as they plunged from the speeding train.

Mamma then turned her Tommy gun on Hammer.

Hammer turned his pistol on her, but Harry seized his chance to elbow the German as hard as he could in the stomach.

Hammer doubled over and fired off a shot.

It missed Mamma, smashing a headlight on the car.

“Goddammit!” Bugsy yelled. “This thing just had a spit and polish!”

Harry scrambled himself free of Hammer’s grip and dropped onto the roof of the train.

I turned my shotgun on Hammer, just as Mamma aimed her Tommy gun at him.

But as we both fired, the one-eyed German leapt down the open hatch into the carriage below.

Taking his place, the eight soldiers who had carried the crates away from the cargo car suddenly sprang out of the hatch one by one, weapons blazing.

Their bullets didn’t stand a chance of hitting their targets as Mamma pumped the air with lead, theratatatatatatatatatatof her Tommy gun sending every last soldier pitching and plummeting off the train.

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