“Uh-huh…” Jake grabbed the neck of the lamp with both hands and tugged as hard as he could. The lamp was indeed heavy, and for a moment the cord connecting it to the wall socket held fast. But only for a moment. Jake yanked it loose and, turning, banged it at Monster’s surprised face.

“What the hell?” Perez snarled, fumbling for the pistol in his belt.

Monster tried to shield himself with his beefy arms, but Jake bashed him twice, three times, and the big guy went down to his knees. Jake bonked Monster squarely on the top of his head, then threw the heavy lamp at Perez.

Perez got off several shots before the lamp banged into him. Jake was right behind it, leaping at Perez, struggling for the gun. They crashed to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. Glynis screamed.

Perez was wiry and stronger than he looked. Jake was gripping the gun with both hands, twisting it out of Perez’s grasp. Perez butted Jake’s face, punched with his free hand at Jake’s ribs, his kidneys, but Jake wrestled the automatic out of his hand and smashed it across his lean jaw. The man went limp.

Getting to his feet, Jake saw Monster pushing himself to his knees, blood streaming down his face from a gash on the top of his head.

“Tim’s been shot!” Glynis cried, kneeling beside Younger, who sat slumped in his chair.

Jake pointed the automatic at Monster, who lurched toward him clumsily.

“Don’t make me shoot you!” Jake begged.

Monster grinned crazily through the blood. “You ain’t got a chance, Jake. When those two mooks come back they’ll shoot you.”

The two Las Vegas guys burst into the room, guns drawn.

“Hold it!” Jake snapped, in what he hoped was a believable imitation of countless TV cop shows.

Pointing the automatic at Perez, Jake yelled, “I’ll blow his head off if you don’t get the hell out of here.”

The pair of thugs glanced at each other.

“Go on back to Las Vegas or wherever the hell you came from,” Jake said, pointing the gun at the still-unconscious Perez.

They dithered. Jake cocked the automatic with his thumb. The click sounded very loud in the shadowy room.

“C’mon,” said one of the goons to the other. They turned and left the room. Jake heard the lodge’s front door slam.

Monster was sitting on the floor now, his knees drawn up. “They ain’t gone,” he said, in a low mumble. “They’ll be waitin’ for you out there.”

“Then we’ll stay right here,” said Jake. “With our star witness.”

“Jake, Tim’s been shot!” Glynis repeated. “He’s bleeding!”

“It’s not bad,” Younger said through gritted teeth. “Just nicked me, I think.”