Danny moves slowly over to the other headlight, making deep dents in the hood as he goes. Clang. Clang. Clang.

Then there’s a smash. And no more headlights.

“Hey!”

Danny looks up. Cadaverous Gant stands in the doorway, lips pulled back from his teeth. He looks livid. He looks, with the sunlight hitting his liver spots, like a really angry corpse. Danny laughs. This only makes Gant angrier.

“First you kill Jeremiah and then you attack my car?”

Danny brings the chain link down on the hood. Clang.

“Stop that! Jeremiah took great pride in maintaining this car. He would wax it every day until I could see my—”

Clang.

“Stop!” Gant screeches. “Stop it!”

“Make me,” says Danny. His throat is so dry it hurts to speak. “Come on out of there. Face me like a man.”

“What is this?” Gant sneers. “You think you’re the hero? You think you can—”

Danny doesn’t think anything of the sort. Danny just smashes the passenger side window.

Gant lets out a cry of anger and horror and jumps down the steps. Danny backs off into the middle of the street, giving himself room. Gant stalks right up to him and Danny raises his fists, thinking maybe he can use the broken link to knock out a few of Gant’s yellowing teeth now that he no longer has the house to make him unstoppable. But even out here, the old man surprises him with his speed and his strength. Danny barely glimpses the punch that rocks his head back. He completely misses the one that knocks him on his ass.

Dazed, he can only look up as Gant takes Jeremiah Wallow’s knife from his pocket. He closes his eyes. He doesn’t want to see the end coming, and he has no strength left in him to fight.

Then suddenly he’s being pulled to his feet and spun. Gant holds him from behind and digs the knife into his throat. Danny opens his eyes.

Valkyrie stands on the steps of the house. Her face is a mask of blood and she’s holding her ribs with her left hand. Her right hand is outstretched, and it’s glowing white.

“Your aim is off,” Gant snarls, almost directly into Danny’s ear. “You’ll hit your friend here. Might even kill him.”

“My aim’s improving,” Valkyrie says. “I’m just out of practice, that’s all.”

“Then go ahead,” says Gant. “Fire. If you think you can do it. Go on. Tell you what, I’ll make it easy on you. I’ll count down from three. If you haven’t fired by then, I’ll cut his throat. Does that sound fair?”