The Lawman Returns Read Free

what are you doing?”
    “You’re trespassing.”
    “And you’re going to jail,” Clay said. “Unless you put that gun away. Last time I checked, shooting at people was a crime.”
    Stan snorted. “My whole life is a crime. What are you doing on my property? What are those kids doing here?”
    “Why were you shooting at me? Where’s Jordan?” Sabrina asked.
    “Shooting at you? I wasn’t shooting at nobody, but I’m a-fixin’ to.”
    “Put the gun down,” Clay ordered. His sharp tone bounced off Stan, who kept the weapon level and mostly steady. “Who’s Jordan?”
    Sabrina noted the missing teeth, the sores on his face. He and Clay were the same age, she remembered Steven saying, but Stan looked a good twenty years older. She curled her fingers into fists. She sent up silent prayers as Clay held his hands where Stan could see them.
    “Why are you even arguing about this, man?” Clay asked. “Where’s Lacey?”
    Fury flashed. “She left me. Now, why are you in my home?” Gravel crunched outside under the wheels of the cruisers as the police arrived, completely unaware of what was going on inside the little trailer.
    Stan heard it, too, and he flinched, moved inside and shut the door behind him.
    Her stomach twisted. What would he do? How would they get past him?
    She realized this might very well become a hostage situation. “Stan? The cops are outside. You don’t want any trouble, do you?” She kept her voice low.
    Stan swallowed, and the gun wavered.
    Clay moved and tackled the man to the trailer floor.
    Sabrina wrapped her arms around the children’s shoulders and hurried them to the back bedroom. Away from the possibility of being shot if the gun went off. “Stay here,” she whispered.
    A small hand gripped hers. “Don’t leave me,” Maria begged.
    Sabrina’s heart slammed against her chest. What to do? Clay might need her help. But Maria had a firm grip, and the terror in her eyes said she wasn’t going to let Sabrina out of her sight.
    Sabrina heard the thumps and grunts of the fight going on in the front room. Her eyes jumped from the unmade bed to the end table to the dresser as she fought to figure out what she should do to help Clay. Tony wiggled away from her, and when he did, a small black object dropped to the floor. Her eyes zoomed in on the wallet, and she drew in a deep breath. And coughed. First things first. She knelt. “I’ve got to, for just a minute. I need to help Mr. Clay, okay?”
    Tony pulled his sister from Sabrina. “Okay. Go help him.”
    Sabrina shot him a grateful look and raced down the short hall to find Clay and Stan locked together, Stan’s fingers wrapped around the rifle, Clay’s grip around Stan’s wrist. Sabrina grabbed the nearest lamp, hefted it and brought it down across the back of Stan’s shoulders.
    He gave a harsh cry and went limp. The brief moment was enough for Clay to yank the rifle away. Stan staggered to his feet, lunged for the back door and crashed through it.
    Sabrina bolted to the window as Clay scrambled after the man. The officers, caught by surprise, weren’t ready for the wild man who’d burst from the trailer, and soon Stan disappeared into the trees.
    Deputies gave chase. Clay stumbled after them but tripped and fell down the steps to land with a thud at the bottom. He turned, his face red, a welt on his cheek, puckered and sore looking. Sabrina met him at the bottom of the back porch steps, which seemed to be in much better condition than the front. “Are you all right?”
    “Yes.”
    She whirled. “I’m going to get the kids.”
    “I’m going after Stan.” He grunted and hauled himself to his feet.
    She heard his pounding footsteps as she hurried back into the trailer to find Tony and Maria clutching one another while an officer knelt in front of them. Officer Donnie Kingston. She’d worked with him before.
    Maria spotted Sabrina and broke away from her brother to hurl herself into Sabrina’s arms. Stunned,