Tharpe let out a chuckle, but his eyes didn’t show any humor. “That’s very noble of you, dropout. But it’s a big mistake.” He stepped to the side and calmly drew his service weapon, letting it point at the ground. Not too showy, but he got his point across.

It was one thing to threaten me, but no one, and I mean no one, threatens my mom.

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

A KILLER HAD my mom by the arm and I had never felt so helpless. I had to buy time and engage this creep.

I said, “What’s your plan? Kill a fifty-five-year-old nurse to cover a drug deal?”

My mom mumbled, “Fifty-three.”

Tharpe said, “No one has to die. Just give me the keys and all is forgotten. If not…” He raised the gun to my mother’s head.

Suddenly she realized exactly what was going on and let out a little whimper. This was coming from the toughest woman I had ever known. My stomach flipped. Then I realized Mom didn’t look scared, she looked pissed off. Right then, I knew I had to act. This jerk wouldn’t forget anything. As soon as he had the keys, my mom and I would both be dead and Natty would spend the rest of his life in jail.

My gun was two blocks away in my own house. Then I realized his gun probably didn’t have a bullet in the chamber. Had he checked his gun after I’d knocked the crap out of him? My guess was that he hadn’t.

I raised my hands slowly and said, “Okay, okay. We can work this out.”

I tried to calculate the probability of whether he had checked his gun. Was there a round in the chamber? I shook the idea out of my head. Whatever my calculation revealed, I couldn’t risk my mom’s life on it. I needed Tharpe’s full attention on me. I wanted his anger completely focused on me.

I said, “Typical Marine, threatening a woman.” I took a tiny step backward and to the side.

Tharpe looked at me and said, “A SEAL dropout is questioning Marine honor?” He lowered the pistol from my mom’s head and pointed it in my direction. “You, a goddamn paperboy, think you can cross me.”

I took another step back. The gun followed me and he took a step away from my mother. Now my mom was behind him, and I felt emboldened.

Tharpe said, “I should’ve taken your head off with that crowbar.”

I reached up to feel the Band-Aid that was still stuck to my forehead. At least one mystery was solved.

I said, “You’re not even smart enough to hold on to the key you stole.”