Wyatt - 01 - Kick Back (24 page)

Suddenly he yelled, Youre gutless,
Wyatt, and swirled around, snapping off random shots.

It didnt seem to be panic shooting.
Hes asking me to face him, Wyatt thought. Its his moment of glory, the poor
thug.

Wyatt waited. Sugarfoot turned and
again moved off through the trees, heading toward the border with the orchard.
Wyatt followed. He was about twenty paces behind Sugarfoot now. The challenges
were becoming more frequent. What are you, Wyatt? Scared? Too piss-weak to
show yourself?

Wyatt began to close the distance.
The pines were beginning to thin out and he could see Sugarfoot more clearly.
He was facing away from him. Wyatt saw him put his hand to his mouth and cry, Youre
gutless, Wyatt. Show yourself like a man.

Wyatt stepped out, steadied the .38
with his left hand, and shot Sugarfoot Younger in the back of the head.

He cocked the gun again, and waited.
But Sugarfoot had pitched forward and dropped and hadnt moved.

He released the hammer and lowered
the gun. His energy seemed to drain into the ground.

When the voice called to him from
the path running along the fence, he jerked as if awoken from sleep. He thumbed
back the hammer, raised the gun, almost fired.

Mr Warner?

It was Craig. He came closer. He
hadnt seen the body yet.

Mr Warner? Whats going on? Are you
all right?

He looked concerned. Hed been
running. Then he noticed the body spread face down in the grass, frowned,
trying to make sense of it, and turned a shocked face to Wyatt.

Wyatt lowered his .38 again. Craig saw
the movement, saw the gun. He started to back away, mouthing something, and
Wyatt realised it was No, please, no. With a last wrenching look, Craig
turned and began to run.

It was a bursting, fearful run, as
if he expected the punch of bullets in his back. But Wyatt had begun to stumble
back through the trees to his own house. He was galvanised by Craigs
expression of natural horror. It told him hed lost everything here. All he had
in the world was a short head start and seventy-five thousand dollars and far
to run.