Page 81 of Johnny Gun

“Come any closer and I’ll stick it in!” Trent hissed. Sweat covered his forehead. A drop ran trailed down his colorless face.

“What good will it do except to kill your friend?” Johnny took a conciliatory tone. Trent was already riled up enough. One wrongmove, and Gomez would die. “Either way, you’re toast. We all know what you did. This doesn’t end well for you, unless you cooperate.”

“Here’s the reality. Touch the IV with that needle, and you’ll be on the floor before you can breathe,” Barron threatened, tight fists at his sides. “I never fail at this distance.”

Johnny couldn’t help but wonder what the fuck Barron was talking about.

“And I’ll have enough time to pull the IV out.” Johnny stepped forward, feeling a strange calmness.

Behind him someone turned the lights up in the ward as nurses spoke with excitement. Johnny overheard, “Security and police are on their way.”

“Daddy,” Isolde called out.

He didn’t turn. “Yes, baby. Trent is going to put down the syringe and kneel. Come on, dude, it’s over. Think, man.”

Trent blinked. Wiping his forehead with his free hand, he lowered the syringe a bit.

“Don’t make your situation worse.” Johnny continued softly. “You haven’t killed anyone, and you could testify against the cartel. That might improve your chances. Come on, drop the needle.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” Trent glowered. “I can’t testify. The cartel will kill me. I failed them. That means I’m dead already. Failure is unacceptable.”

“The MC will protect you. We’re brothers, and we take care of our own. We can put in a good word. Ask the authorities to relocate you.” Johnny moved two steps closer and so did Barron.

“The authorities will relocate me?” Trent scoffed. “You’re such an idiot. The cartel has no mercy. They’ll find me no matter what.”

“You’re not?—”

“Don’t move any fucking closer!” Trent shouted. Eyes fixed on Johnny, he lifted the needle tothe IV.

Barron’s jump was a blur. The forward kick connected with Trent’s knee, shattering the joint.

Isolde screamed.

Trent collapsed onto his side. Running to the fallen man, Johnny snatched the needle from Trent’s fingers.

Pandemonium exploded as nurses hurried into the room, spreading out to reassure the disturbed patients. Four security officers arrived, weapons out. Two nurses knelt next to Trent as they examined his shattered knee. A third brought rigid splints to immobilize the joint while the guy wailed and sobbed in pain.

Gomez remained blissfully unconscious. He would never know how close he’d come to dying, twice.

Holding Isolde tightly to his side, Johnny glared at the whining Trent, then spoke to Barron. “I thought you never failed at close distance.”

“Who says I failed?” Barron retorted.

“But the knee?”

“In this place, firing a gun is out of the question.” Barron smirked. “Trent hesitated long enough, making plenty of space between him and the IV tube. When he lifted the needle a second time, I knew I couldn’t wait. I had to act and went for the knee. I’m aware Captain Weaver wants him alive to answer questions, so this is perfect. The guy’s going to pay for a long time.”

“That’s my friend Barron.” Johnny laughed. “Cool thinker under pressure.”

“I’ve had my moments of total panic. You, of all people, should remember.”

Johnny was about to argue whenhe recalled the Yoanni incident. “Yeah, dude. That chick was nuts…”

A resident doctor appeared on the scene, shouting at their little group. “What you’ve done is unacceptable! I’ll make sure the hospital files charges against you. You’ve disruptedour patients and injured a visitor. Someone has to pay for the cleanup and damages.”

“Actually,” Captain Weaver thundered in his deep voice behind the doctor, “this ward is now the scene of an attempted crime, and as such, you’ll have to move the patients to another room. I want full details of what transpired hereand the name of every nurse who was on duty for questioning.” He studied the condition of the room, the moaning patients, the nurses splinting Trent’s leg, then turned to the officer with him. “Cuff him, Jenkins, before they put him on a stretcher. I need to talk to these three.” He jutted his head toward Johnny, Isolde, and Barron.

“Right away, Captain.” Handcuffs in hand, the officer scurried toward Trent.

---