Chapter 19

Anya stifled a small scream. Gus froze in place. Slowly he turned, putting Anya behind him. Jimmy Broughton, holding a 9 mm in his hands, stood inches away from him, outlined in the shards of moonlight that managed to poke through the canopy of trees. And swore because he hadn't taken his gun outside with him because he was so sure this was the one safe place in the world.

"I'm probably the only one who knows this used to be your home," Jimmy told him. "No one else would think to look here for you."

"You bastard," Gus spat. "It's you, isn't it? You're the inside man." But the question was rhetorical.

"More like silent partner," Jimmy bragged. "Virgil and I have made some hot money over the years."

"You protected him," Gus guessed. "That's how he avoided getting caught all these years."

"And if hadn't been for that little bitch hiding behind your back, I'd still be riding the gravy train. But I'm taking care of that now." He sighed. You just wouldn't listen to me and send that bitch away, would you? I could have taken care of her with no one the wiser." He gave a short laugh. "I told you it would be your funeral."

Gus could hardly believe the man he'd considered his best friend was his worst nightmare come true. "My brother and his wife are right in that house, Jimmy. I don't know how you expect to get away with this."

"Easy. We're just going to walk out of here, using the trees for cover, hop the fence and get in my car."

"You'll have to shoot me, because I'm not moving." Anger poured through Gus, but he kept it carefully controlled. He couldn't afford to let emotion distract him.

A door slammed. "Hey, Gus. Y'all out there?" Rafe, on the front porch. "You okay?"

"Tell him you you're fine. You'll be there in a few."

"I'm looking for the moon," Gus yelled.

There was a moment of silence before Rafe answered him. "Okay. Gotcha."

The door slammed again.

"Now then," Jimmy said. "Let's just move along quietly. "I've got a…friend waiting at the car to help me with you two."

Gus could feel Anya's fingernails digging into his waist where she was holding him. He blessed her for being the kind of woman who could keep her head in a situation like this and follow his lead.

"If you're going to shoot us, Jimmy, you might just as well do it here, because I'm not moving."

"Maybe I'll shoot the bitch first," he spat.

"You'll have to go through me to do," Gus pointed out, still keeping his body between Anya's and the agent. "And how will you explain two dead bodies on my brother's ranch?"

"Maybe I'll just shoot you and take her with me," Jimmy sneered. "Have some fun with her before I get rid of her. After all, she was one of Virgil's girls, right?"

"Wrong," Gus spat out, "and you know it. And if you're that slime's 'business partner', you know most of the women did not go willingly."

Keep talking. Keep him focused on me. Come on, Rafe, get a move on.

"Doesn't matter. Anyway, I'm done talking." He gestured with his head. "Let's get going. Now."

"I wouldn't plan on going anywhere, if I were you." Rafe's voice was a disembodied sound in the darkness, but moonlight glinted on the gun barrel he now pressed against Jimmy's neck. "Drop the gun."

"Shoot me and I shoot them." Jimmy's voice had an ugly tone to it.

"Maybe. But think about the damage a rifle blast can do to the back of your neck. They'll be looking for pieces of your head in the next county. That what you want?"

Gus kept his eyes glued to Jimmy's face but it was hard to make out the look on it in the absence of real light. He wanted to tell Anya to run, head for the house, but he was afraid that Jimmy would be stupid enough to try to get a shot off.

"Better drop the gun, Jimmy." He kept his voice low and even, despite the rage surging through him.

For a long moment nothing happened. Then Jimmy lowered his hand and dropped the gun to the ground. Rafe's foot swept out and hit Jimmy's legs, knocking him to the ground. The two men were on him instantly, immobilizing him with the rope Rafe had looped over one shoulder. Then they frog-marched him back to the ranch house, Rafe's rifle pointed at the man's back the entire time.

"Good thing you remembered that signal," Gus commented, still shaking with anger.

"Some things you never forget," Rafe told him. "Like the fact that brothers are always brothers no matter what."

With that the final storm window sealing his past cracked and shattered and the first threads of peace stole through Gus.