The Watchman Read Free

watched.
    He said, “We’re in place. What happened last night?”
    “I’m still trying to find out. I got no idea. Is the new house okay?”
    “They had our location, Bud. I want to know how.”
    “I’m working on it. Is she okay?”
    “I want to know how.”
    “Jesus, I’m working on it. Do you need anything?”
    “I need to know how.”
    He closed the phone as she stood, water running down the trough of her spine to the dolphin until she wrapped her hair in a towel. Only then did she find him in the mirror again and smile.
    “You’re looking at my ass.”
    The pit bull barked.
    He did not hesitate. He drew the Python and ran to the back bedroom.
    She said, “Joe! Damnit.”
    In the back bedroom, he fingered open a slit in the shade as the girl hurried up behind him. The dog was on its feet, squinting at something he could not see.
    She said, “What is it?”
    “Shh.”
    The pit was trying to see something to their left, the flat top of its head furrowed and its nubby ears perked, no longer barking as it tested the air.
    Pike watched through the slit, listening hard as the pit was listening.
    The girl whispered, “What?”
    The pit exploded with frenzied barking as it jumped against its chain.
    Pike spoke fast over his shoulder even as the first man came around the end of the garage. It was happening again.
    “Front of the house, but don’t open the door. Go. Fast.”
    The towel fell from her head as he pushed her forward. He hooked their duffels over his shoulder, guiding her to the door. He checked the slit in the front window shade. A single man was walking up the drive as another moved across the yard toward the house. Pike didn’t know how many more were outside or where they were, but he and the girl would not survive if he fought from within the house.
    He cupped her face and forced her to see him. She had to see past her fear. Her eyes met his and he knew they were together.
    “Watch me. Don’t look at them or anything else. Watch me until I motion for you, then run for the car as fast as you can.”
    Once more, he did not hesitate.
    He jerked open the door, set up fast on the man in the drive, and fired the Colt twice. He reset on the man coming across the yard. Pike doubled on each man’s center of mass so quickly the four shots sounded like two—
baboombaboom
—then he ran to the center of the front yard. He saw no more men, so he waved out the girl.
    “Go.”
    She ran as hard as she could, he had to hand it to her. Pike fell in behind her, running backwards the way cornerbacks fade to cover a receiver, staying close to shield her body with his because the pit bull was still barking. More men were coming.
    When Pike reached the bodies, he dropped to a knee and checked their pockets by touch. He was hoping for a wallet or some form of ID, but their pockets were empty.
    A third man came around the corner of the house into the drive, saw Pike, then dove backwards. Pike fired his last two shots. Wood and stucco exploded from the edge of the house, but the man had made cover and the Python was dry. The third man popped back almost at once and fired three shots—
bapbapbap
—missing Pike, but hitting his Jeep like a ball-peen hammer. Pike didn’t have time to holster the Python. He dropped it to jerk free the Kimber, pounded out two more shots and dropped the man at the edge of the house. Pike ran for the car. The girl had the driver’s door open, but was just standing there.
    Pike shouted, “Get in.
In.
”
    Another man appeared at the edge of the house, snapping out shots as fast as he could. Pike fired, but the man had already taken cover.
    “In.”
    Pike pushed the girl across the console, jammed the key into the ignition and gunned his Jeep to the corner. He four-wheeled the turn, buried the accelerator, then glanced at the girl.
    “You good? Are you hurt?”
    She stared straight ahead, her eyes red and wet. She was crying again.
    She said, “Those men are dead.”
    Pike placed his