Panic ripped through Peter’s body like wildfire. He dashed back through the foyer, flinging the double doors to the movie theatre aside, and ran out into the middle of the road.

At the bottom of Mainstreet, just before the road spilled past the last of the red-brick houses out into the night, slashes of red light struck the snow. The vehicle was stationed just around the corner out of sight, but even from this distance, Peter saw how the rear lights were so much bigger than those of the sheriff’s Jeep had been. He staggered forward, wiping snowflakes from his lashes, and watched the shadows of the people standing there crisscross the ground. Someone was talking loudly. Shouting followed. Then came gunshots. Becky ran out from beneath the shadow of a doorway next to the Old Western Outfitters store. Tokala too. They kept low behind the cars lining the sidewalk. But they were alone. High above them, the hot light of the neon cowboy burned through the tumbling snow. But the apartment window above the store was dark. All the windows across Mainstreet were. The houses had already been vacated.

Another gunshot sounded and Cooper spilled out from an open doorway. Earle followed. But they’d managed to find someone. Earle turned back, raising a finger to her mouth for the person behind them to stay hidden. Val, one of the men from the town hall, ducked back inside the door, pulling a jacket across his shoulders and another gunshot fired. Cooper walked out into the middle of the road. He was still some distance from the stationary vehicle, but he made no attempt to conceal his whereabouts. He just stood there, legs wide, heel of his hand on the belt, waiting. He looked back. His dark eyes peered out from beneath the brim of his Stetson, and he seemed to find comfort in seeing Peter standing there. He was scared.

Peter had never seen Cooper this way before. The boy that leaped into his canoe with a machete and an easy smile and never once rocked the water, had gone. It was only now Peter realized that Emmett was unaccounted for. Peter ran up to Cooper and took his hand. But everyone else was to stay hidden. Cooper looked behind him, instructing the others to hang back. Becky and Tokala nodded, ducking back down behind a car. Earle and Val did the same. With everyone in position, Cooper squeezed Peter’s hand and they ran down to the corner of the street.