We ran back between the two Pawnee crop dusters just as Charlie came around the hangar with one arm locked around Toby Lloyd’s neck, looking for us. The Browning .380 was pressed under Toby’s ear. Charlie’s face was bright red and there were veins standing out on his forehead. He was checking the roofline. Batman and Robin always come down from the roof. He screamed, “You’re mine, you sonofabitch. I’m gonna cut out your fuckin’ guts and fry’m in a pan!”

Karen came around the corner behind them, tears washing her face, her hands tight and clawed. She wanted to run to Toby, but she was scared if she did the nut with the gun would kill him. She yelled, “Toby!”

Charlie DeLuca dug his pistol so deep under Toby’s jaw that Toby shrieked again and wet his pants. Charlie yelled, “I’m gonna kill him, you chickenshit mother-fuckers, you don’t come out here. I’m gonna blow his fuckin’ eyes out.”

I glanced at Pike. Pike’s flat black lenses were locked on Charlie DeLuca, the shotgun resting easy along the Pawnee’s metal wing strut. Pike’s a better shot than me. Maybe the best I’ve ever seen. I said, “He’s going to do it. He’s going to kill the boy.”

“Yes.”

I gave him the .357 and took the shotgun. “Can you make the shot?”

Karen screamed, “Help him, please. Somebody help!”

Pike said, “I can make the shot, but not with his gun on the boy that way. He could jerk when he dies.”

Karen screamed, “Toby!”

Peter stumbled out of the hangar and said, “Let go my kid, you fat fuck!” There were cuts over both eyes and his nose was broken and his lips were split. There was so much blood on his face that he looked like he was wearing makeup. “I’m Peter Alan Nelsen, and I will kick your fat fucking ass!”

Karen screamed, “Peter! No!”

Charlie DeLuca smiled and swung the Browning toward Peter and said, “Kick this.” Then he fired once.

Peter fell down, and Karen and Toby screamed, and I stepped out from behind the Pawnee and yelled, “Charlie!”

Charlie DeLuca swung the .380 back toward me, pulled the trigger, and something tugged at the top of my shoulder. Then I felt something solid wash past me from behind and there was a loud noise and the back of Charlie DeLuca’s head blew out like a big rig tire filled with red paint. Pike’s Python. Charlie was dead before he started to fall.

Toby kicked away from what was left of Charlie DeLuca and ran to Peter, yelling, “Daddy! Daddy!”