Page 120 of The Bright Lands
Luke waved vaguely toward the door. “They’re in the back of my truck. The gate’s unlocked.”
Luke forgot about Mitchell almost the moment he was gone, forgot all his earlier misgivings, forgot most everything. With every second his lips lingered on this boy with his toothy smile, Luke hoped that dawn would never come.
BETHANY
When Mitchell Malacek dropped the tail of the truck, Bethany had the rifle aimed directly at his forehead. His mouth dropped into a cartoon’s “Oh” of surprise.
In a tight, dangerous voice Bethany said, “Don’t move.”
The fucker bolted.
She followed him with the rifle’s barrel. Her finger hesitated on the trigger for one second.
Another.
She couldn’t do it.
Malacek was gone.
Shit.
Run, she told herself.Runnow.
Bethany rose into a crouch, clutched the rifle carefully by the stock and frogwalked down the bed of the truck. She leaped into the grass and collapsed when she tried to stand. Blood burned as it flooded back into her veins.
She threw an arm over the truck’s open gate. She dragged herself up.
Run.
JOEL
Parter crouched over Kimbra, pressed his fingers to her neck.
“Dad,” she moaned. “It hurts.”
“Christ,” Boone said to Joel, shaking all over, tears in his eyes. “You see what you’ve done? What’ll her father say?”
Parter and Browder exchanged frowns. Browder tightened his grip on the knife.
“Wait!” Joel shouted, straining at the clasps on his ankles and nearly falling on his face.
Browder grabbed a handful of Kimbra’s hair. He placed his knee in the small of her back. He brought the knife to her neck.
“Coach!”
A boy was shouting outside, pounding the trailer’s door. “Coach, there’s someone here.”
Browder pulled the knife away, sprang to his feet.
Boone opened the refrigerator and retrieved a handgun from inside (because of course, Joel thought:what Texas fantasy would be complete without a gun in every crevice?) and gave Parter a resigned nod. Boone stepped past Joel and found Mitchell Malacek waiting outside, pointing furiously to something Joel couldn’t see.
“Bethany Tanner!” Mitchell said. “Luke’s truck. She’s got a gun.”
“Where is she now?” Parter pushed Boone aside.
Mitchell’s face went white. “I—I—”
Parter let out a roar and shoved the boy off the porch. Mitchell landed on his ass in the dirt.
