Page 77 of Stormy Ride

“Try me.”

Hubbard pulled a gun and turned towards me, and I shot him in the face.

Bang.

He dropped like a sack of potatoes into the mud and his blood and brains rained down on him like confetti at a wedding.

“Face down on the ground,” I hollered at the other two. “Max, Sarge.” I gave the dogs a hand signal and Max ran at one guy, gave a loud growl, and took him down. Jaws around the guy’s throat, he didn’t move.

I called Max off and the guy assumed the position as Max stood in front of him growling. I tossed Harlan my cuffs while I covered him with the shotgun. Ted caught up by then and I motioned him to cover the third guy that Sarge knocked down and had by the pantleg.

Harlan stuck a knee in the asshole’s back like I’d showed him in a training session, and he almost had the cuffs snapped on when the guy rolled and pulled a knife from his boot. He slashed at Harlan and cut him.

That infuriated me and as Harlan jumped away from the blade, I pulled the trigger.

Bang.

I shot him in the head, and we were down to one horse thief left standing. That guy finally got the message and raised his hands. Ted was right there to cuff him.

“Billy, call Doctor Olson for these two assholes. I want to take Harlan inside and look at the slice in his arm.”

“Copy,” said Billy.

“Ted, secure that guy in the back of my squad.”

“Copy,” said Ted. He grabbed the guy he had just cuffed and pushed him into the back of the Bronco.

In Hannah’s kitchen, I ran warm water and cleaned up Harlan’s left arm. Still bleeding like a fuckin river. About a three-inch gash and not too deep. The blade that caught him hadn’t gone into muscle or ligaments, but he needed stiches to close it up.

“You need stitches.”

Ted came running into the house, pretty worked up. “Is your kid okay?”

“He needs stitches in his arm. I’m going to wrap him up tight and you’re going to take him to the clinic in town. Got it?”

“Yep. I’ll take him.”

“I have to wait here for the coroner. You take Harlan home to my ranch when you’re done at the clinic, and then bring Hannah back here.”

Ted nodded. “I’ve got it. Clinic. Ranch. Back here.”

I rummaged around and found stuff in Hannah’s medicine chest. A roll of gauze and some white medical tape and that’s all I needed. I wrapped Harlan’s arm and taped it. “You okay? You look a little pale.”

“I’m good. Been sliced before.”

I touched the scar on his cheek and smiled at his bravado. Juvie was a tough place to grow up. “You go with Ted and get your stitches and when you get home to the ranch, drink a coffee with a shot of whiskey in it, then lie on the sofa. Got it?”

“I’ve got it.” He smiled.

“Rest until I get home.”

“I don’t want the girls fussing over me.”

“Good luck with that.” I winked at him.

Harlan grinned.

Ted was long gone to the clinic with Harlan when Doctor Olson arrived. He looked down at the two bodies and shook his head. “I hate shotgun deaths, Travis. Couldn’t you have used a nice clean rifle bullet?”

---