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Back The Hallows Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Howard grimaced. “Shit, Jim, this here’s the killer. This son of a bitch killed Patty Winchester. When I found out, he came after me, man.”

“If that’s true, we’ll work it out. But for now I need you to put your weapon down.”

“It’s him, Jimmy. He’s right here, and you’re gonna let him go?”

“Mark,” he said, coming within a few feet of Howard, “please put the weapon down. I don’t want to fire, but I will if you don’t give me a choice.”

Howard chuckled and lowered the weapon to his side. He looked at me and said, “What’d I tell ya, Counselor? You can’t rely on nobody.”

He lifted the gun to his head, the muzzle pressed against his temple. I jumped up. “No!”

Howard pulled the trigger. Warm blood hit my face as his body tumbled over. The officer he’d called Jim stood in shock for a few moments before he put his gun away and checked Howard’s pulse. There was no need. A hole the size of a tennis ball had blossomed on the right side of his skull. His dark black blood was mixing with the dirt and making a thick mud.

Will ran up to me. “You okay?”

“We need to find Lyle,” I said, brushing past him to get out.

“Hey, wait a second. Tatum, stop. Tatum!”

I turned around.

“We found them. They were in the basement. They’re both okay. You saved them, man. You came in right before Howard did anything. They’re okay.”

I nodded. Will put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Let’s sit down.”

“Better idea, let’s lie down.” I got down to the ground, my heart a second away from bursting out of my chest, my stomach a pit of acid about to burn through the skin. I lay back on the dirt and stared at the light coming through the cracks in the roof of the barn, then turned on my side and vomited.

When the ambulance arrived, Lyle and Nikyee were checked by a paramedic. I went over to her.

“If you hadn’t come in—” she said.

“Hey, no use playing that game. We’re all still here.”

“Tatum!”

Gates ran up and threw her arms around me. “That was the stupidest damn thing I ever—”

“Can you do me a solid and save the yelling for later tonight? I think I’m about to pass out.”

She stared at me, anger and worry in her eyes, and then said, “I think I have to fire you. You’re too reckless.”

“Hey, won the trial in a weird sort of way, right? That’s all that matters.”

“Is it?”

I grinned. “No, it’s not.”

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