Cut and Run 2 - Sticks and Stones

out of Earflaps’s reach and get to his feet. Swizzlestick was on his knees, coughing blood and dazed. Ty had Redjacket down, holding him by the neck in a sleeper hold until he lost consciousness. Deuce and Earl were still tied, though Earl seemed to have almost managed to loosen his ropes.
    Zane had to duck as Earflaps took another jab at him with the shotgun, too close to get off an actual shot with it, and he managed to get the man in the gut with a good punch. As Earflaps doubled over with a howl, the gun fell from his belt to the dirt, only to kick away toward the others. Zane stayed on him and kicked out viciously, his boot coming into crunching contact with one of Earflaps’s knees and then his gut; Earflaps gave a series of pitiful howls and collapsed, falling over on top of his shotgun. Zane spun around, trying to find the sidearm.
    Neither Earl nor Deuce were free yet. Ty still held Redjacket by his neck, and as Zane watched he rolled the unconscious man to the side and pushed himself up, reaching for the gun on the ground next to him. But before Ty could get to it, Swizzlestick raised his shotgun and aimed it right at Ty’s back.
    In that split-second, Zane reacted instinctively: he snatched Ty’s gun up from the dirt and pulled the trigger without a single thought.
    Three gunshots cracked loudly in immediate succession, echoing in the forest, and everything came to a sudden stop as Swizzlestick collapsed, thudding hollowly on the ground with three bullets in the chest.

Chapter 11

    T Y ROLLED to his side as soon as the shooting started, ducking and covering and then rolling into a crouch with Redjacket’s gun, prepared to return fire. He found himself with his gun aimed at Zane, his finger on the trigger and ready to squeeze. Zane was on his knees, having turned his gun on Earflaps, who seemed frozen in place, shotgun loosely in hand, as he stared at Swizzlestick’s bleeding corpse.
    “Put it down or you’re joining him,” Zane said harshly to the stunned man, outstretched arm not wavering as he held his gun on him.
    Ty gasped, his heart racing as he aimed the gun away from Zane. He turned his head to look at the man who lay dead. He was sprawled on his back, bleeding from three different expertly placed bullet holes.
    Zane had killed the guy without even a blink of the eye. Ty had agonized over how to do this without bloodshed, and then Zane had just gone off and shot the guy. While he’d known that Zane was capable of killing, Ty hadn’t seen it. Not like this. Not at all, now that he thought about it.
    The gunshots had caused everything to cease long enough for Earl to finally free himself. He was cutting Deuce loose with a knife he’d grabbed from somewhere. Ty knew he should move to help, but all he could do was stay there on his knees and stare at his partner in stunned silence. He’d known Zane had killed Tim Henninger from reading the reports of what had happened in New York. He’d never asked Zane about it, though, and on some level he hadn’t truly believed Zane really had it in him to take a life so easily.
    Ty shook himself and looked down at the dead man’s body—the man had to have been right behind him, gun up and ready to fire. But Zane had beaten him to it.
    Earflaps was so shocked that he hadn’t moved. Zane got to his feet, walked over, and yanked the shotgun out of his hands. “Everyone okay?” Zane asked in a low growl. He hadn’t even turned an eye toward the man he’d just shot down, and he ignored it as everyone stared at him, dumbstruck. Ty didn’t move any more than it took to lower his gun. Deuce sank back to the ground and shook his head without speaking.
    Earl looked from Zane to the body and back again. “Nice shot,” he said finally, still breathing hard.
    Zane’s dark eyes flickered to the body and back before he tucked the shotgun in the crook of his arm and walked over to crouch next to Deuce, murmuring, setting one hand gently on Deuce’s outstretched leg.
    Ty found himself continuing to stare at Zane. Then he realized he was gaping and snapped his mouth closed. He shook his head to dispel the numb feeling, and he forced himself to stand. He spared a glance for Redjacket, who was still unconscious. He’d be out for a few minutes yet.
    Ty looked at Earflaps, and he gestured toward the ground with the barrel of his gun. “Face in the dirt,” he ordered in a hoarse voice. The man complied without argument. Ty turned to his father and was