As if summoned, a gunshot rang out.  A woman atop the wall shouted, “They’re back!”

Luther grabbed his rifle and sprinted toward the wall.  Allistor followed.  When they reached the top, Allistor saw three men with M16’s standing roughly in the same spot they’d parked earlier.  About fifty yards out from the gate.

The one in the center shouted.  “Luther!  I know you guys got visitors this morning!  Send them out with whatever goodies they had in those trucks!”

Allistor didn’t wait for Luther to respond.  “You must be Evan?”

The man nodded.  “No need for you to get hurt, whoever you are.  Give us your trucks, and you’ll be free to walk back to wherever you came from.  This town, and everything in it, belongs to us.”

Allistor shook his head.  “That’s not gonna work for me.  I drove two hundred miles to see my friend Luther, here.  Old friend of the family, ya know?  I get here, and the first thing I hear is some asshole named Evan killed his son.  You should leave.  Now.”

Evan smirked up at him.  “We’ve got this place surrounded.  Send out your shit, or we’ll come in and take it!”

As Evan spoke, Allistor put his shotgun into inventory and pulled out a Mossberg 30.06 with a scope.  Just as the man finished speaking he raised the rifle, took aim, and fired.  Evan’s head exploded.  The two men on either side of him stood in shock for a moment.  It cost the one to the right his life as Allistor chambered another round and put one through his chest.  The third man managed to reach cover.

Luther looked at him wide-eyed.  “What the hell did you just do?” he shouted.  Both men ducked down as answering fire came from the third man, and at least two others they hadn’t seen before.

“I just took out their leader.  They’ll be confused and disorganized, at least for a while.  Maybe even argue amongst themselves about who should be in charge.  I’m hoping they retreat long enough for us to get you safely out of here.  Assuming you want to come with us?”

Luther’s voice was bitter.  “It’s not like we have much choice, now.  They won’t stop till we’re all dead.”

Allister shook his head.  “What’s different?  These guys were always going to kill you.  Either by raiding this place, or starving you out.  If they thought they could take these walls, they would have already.  Now there are two less of them, and their leader is dead.  If anything, I improved your position.”