The window’s too small to get out of, even if Jennie were conscious. The only chair is on the other side of the desk. The filing cabinets are too heavy to tip over—

He ducked another knife strike, frantically running through his limited options.

The phone is on the floor, and I don’t think he’s gonna give me a minute to call 9-1-1—

Was that smoke?

He glanced to the side and swore. The lamp that had been on the desk had gone into the wastepaper basket; smoke wisped up from the trash. Calligan followed his glance, and grinned even more as flames licked up from the paper and the bulb exploded with a pop.

Oh shit. Isn’t the other side of this trailer where they keep the explosives’ shed?

To put it out, he’d have to leave Jennie—which was exactly what Calligan wanted. The minute he left her unprotected, Calligan would kill her.

Calligan laughed, and David snarled as the flames licked up a little higher from the wastebasket.

This guy is effin’ crazy! Where the hell is Mooncrow? Can’t he see the fire from here? Mooncrow might not be able to get through the locked door, but if he called the fire department—

Calligan lunged, and David skidded out of reach, the blade actually ripping his shirt in passing. Calligan was as fast as a striking snake; he recovered and lunged again, as the flames caught the chair next to the desk and dense black smoke mingled with the flames—

If the fire didn’t get them, the smoke surely would!

Where was Mooncrow?

Calligan’s got him. Or he’s had a stroke. He’d looked awfully gray back there at the office.

Calligan lunged again, trying to drive David away from Jennie, and cackled insanely. And this joker doesn’t care if we all die so long as he gets me and Jennie!

Screw this. There’s only one way to deal with this maniac.

He knew he was going to get hurt, but he didn’t think that Calligan would anticipate his next move, and he remembered something one of his Lakotah buddies told him about going up against a knife-fighter.

You can always take the knife out of the picture if you’re willing to get hurt doing it. Just force the target on him; don’t let him pick where he’s going to stick you.

And the flames were climbing the wall beside him, now. They didn’t have more than a minute or two if they were going to get out of there alive!

Calligan lunged—and David charged into the lunge.