Page 200 of The Woman Left Behind

“Lower your weapons!” Rus shouted, causing Harry to stop moving and cast a quick look around.

Pete wasn’t the only civilian training a gun on Abernathy.

“Lower your weapons!” Rus bellowed.

“He preyed on our women!” Tim, the manager of the tack shop, who was pointing a revolver at Abernathy, shouted.

Abernathy swung around wildly.

Shit!

“Lower your weapons!” Rus repeated.

“He killed Sonny and Av!” Chuck, the owner of the greengrocer, who was pointing a rifle at Abernathy, yelled.

“You are putting my deputies and my civilians in jeopardy!” Harry boomed. “Lower! Your! Weapons! NOW!”

Weapons lowered.

“Back away from the suspect!” Harry ordered.

Everyone backed away but Harry’s crew.

Abernathy turned on Harry.

Harry’s adrenaline spiked.

Quick assessment: gunshot wound to the shoulder, probably from George. Mangled gun arm, one of his dogs. Torn leg of his pants, blood visible, another one of his dogs. Further weeping at his side, maybe Kimmy.

Hollowed cheeks, sharpened cheekbones, that slight gut Harry saw in the video from his house was gone. Too busy hunting or not enough money meant he’d done without food, and from the sunken look of his eyes and the dark circles under them, also sleep.

“You’re injured and you’re surrounded,” Harry told him. “Lay down your weapon. Put your hands behind your head. And get on your knees.”

Abernathy just stood there, staring hate at Harry, his gun aimed at Harry’s chest.

Harry had put on a vest, but he didn’t like this one fucking bit.

He’d already shot at Harry, but Harry knew it, he saw it.

The man was already dead, he understood that. He just had to make it happen.

“Lay down your weapon, Karl,” Harry commanded. “Do not?—”

Harry didn’t finish that.

With a primal yell, Abernathy ran toward Harry, raising his gun’s aim to Harry’s head.

“Don’t shoot!” Harry shouted, tilting his eye to the sight of his weapon and lowering his aim to the man’s thigh.

His shout was drowned by a blast.

Abernathy’s chest exploded in a cloud of crimson, and he collapsed to his back, his gun clattering off to the side.

Harry turned and looked up to see Karen on the roof two buildings down. She had a tactical rifle.

She always got the blue ribbon in their marksmanship competitions.

Christ.

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