Zach nodded. He looked about to crap himself, but the guy was trying.
“Go.”
He followed Zach until he went into an empty room, then ran downstairs. After shrugging into his tactical vest, he grabbed two Glock 19s along with two spare magazines, and the rifle. He had enough firepower to shoot them little fuckers ten times over.
The phone vibrated again. “Fuck me.” He’d have ignored it but it was Uncle Ted.
He set up by the window they’d reinforced the night before and opened it enough that he could fire. “Sheriff, I’m a might busy.”
“I know, son.” He’d never heard his uncle scared, but there was a first time for everything. “I got everyone I can heading your way.”
That didn’t sound like help was close. “I appreciate it.” The two vehicles slowed and turned but kept on course for the house. “They’re here. How’d they find us?”
“Violin case. One of the five turned himself in. Told us Stephen bugged the case in case Zach ran off. Seems one of them knew how to track you.”
Four instead of five. That made the odds poor instead of really poor. “Listen, Uncle Ted. Thank you for everything. You’ve been a better father than I had a right to expect.”
“We don’t need to go there, Colton.”
Actually they did. “These aren’t the best odds on earth.” They weren’t the worst either, but he sure could use some backup.
“Hang on, son. Help is on its way.”
“They’re almost here. I got to go.” He hung up, took aim, and took out a tire, sending one vehicle spinning for a second before it came to rest facing him. The second side-by-side kept moving,and he went for another shot, but it went wide. The driver sped up and moved to the right of the house. Dammit.
The last thing he fucking needed was to fight a battle on two fronts. Still, that back door was barred up some, and Barley was already losing his shit from the gunshots, so he’d know when they breached the goddamn door.
Asshole one, the youngest of the four as he remembered, started firing into his house, and he didn’t want to think about the damage it was causing. He took a deep breath and hollered in his best cop voice, “Y’all are trespassing on private land. It’s marked. You’re armed and unwelcome. My backup is on the way. This is your only warning.”
Then he returned a suppressing spray that had them diving behind the vehicle.
“Just send Zach out!” the tall ugly one said.
Right, like that shit was going to happen. He’d pick his teeth with the assholes’ bones first. “Zach who?”
“We know he’s in there! Give him over and we’ll leave. Do you have a death wish?”
Colton didn’t bother answering. He heard rattling in the back, got a nice shot on Tall Ugly’s gun hand and fired. The scream he got in return satisfied his soul a little. He’d pray on that later.
“Lay your gun down, boy,” he ordered the youngest. “I’m not playing with you fuckers anymore.”
“I—” The kid was about to crack; he could smell it.
“Shoot him!” Tall and Ugly yelled through his pain. “Shoot him so Rocky and Peter can get that little bastard!”
Colton really needed this one to shit or get off the pot. The back door was letting loose, and every fucking crack and groan of wood just pissed him right the hell off.
When the kid lifted the pistol, Colton took his next shot, going for the shoulder. He didn’t get to see where his bullet hit,because Barley went nuts. The kid let out an agonized yell, so that was all he needed to hear.
Another shot rang out from the back of the house.
“You hurt my dog, you piece of shit, and I will make y’all sorry you were ever born.”
He moved to where he could control access to the stairs. If he could buy himself a bit more time, he might survive. He could feel the vibration from Greg’s motorcycle in the back of his neck.
He fired a few shots to keep the two in the house busy. Staying low and as out of the way as possible, he waited. Those assholes would find it hard to hide behind furniture when there wasn’t any.
Barley was barking like there were armed men in the house, but goddamn the dog didn’t get that bullets weren’t scared of the sound. Colton gave two short whistles, and Barley came running. Just the idea the dog was around was going to slow those boys down, and that was all Colton needed.
