Gin Palace 02 - The Bone Orchard

it was it was clearly human.
    Frank caught the shift in my line of vision and the puzzled look on my face. Just then a rustling noise came from the path, the sound of someone moving through branches.
    Now a puzzled look came to Frank’s face. He spun around, keeping Tina in front of him, and raised his .45 and fired blindly into the dark path. He got off two fast shots.
    That’s when I called to Tina and told her in Spanish to move, and when Augie and I began our charge.
    Tina let her knees buckle and dropped, but not before Frank spun around to face us again. He flung Tina toward Augie and raised his .45, leveling it at her. There was nothing I could do, there was too much ground to cover between me and them. As I charged I saw Augie snatch Tina with his left arm and instantly pull her into him, into a one-arm bear hug. Then faster than I thought he was capable of moving he spun on his heels, pulling his daughter with him. He turned his back to Frank, putting himself directly between Frank and Tina. Augie held her close to him, bending slightly at the waist, as if he was trying to surround her with his body. The instant he had grabbed hold of Tina he began to reach back for the .45 under his jacket. He began to pull it clear of his belt and turn his head back to look at Frank. He was about to raise the gun and take aim when Frank fired one round, then another, point blank.
    My heart came to a crash in my chest.
    These shots slapped my ears and left the high, shrill ringing of a tuning fork in them. I was still out of reach when the first bullet caught Augie in the left kidney. I cried out but I don’t remember what I said. I could see the side of Augie’s face, I could see him wince. He stood there with Tina held close in front of him, still shielding her. He continued, though, to turn his head and raise his .45 toward Frank. That was when the second round struck him in the dead center of his back.
    I called out again and continued my charge forward. I wasn’t covering ground fast enough. I watched helpless as Augie arched his back. He turned his head and we were looking at each other, me running for Frank, he holding his daughter. I saw his face and he saw mine. Augie pitched forward then, as if he was drunk, and fell, driving Tina to the ground with his mass. He landed on top of her and covered the length of her easily, like a huge blanket. Frank had no clear shot of her. Even in death Augie was protecting her.
    My heart now turned hot in my chest. I watched as Frank took several wide strides forward and fired several times into Augie’s lifeless body. I came upon Frank quick and flew into him hard. But he barely moved. I grabbed his gun hand and went for a wrist lock and disarm, but he was faster and stronger than I was now. As we struggled for control of the .45, he let go with his left hand and landed two hook punches into my right side. I nearly blacked out from the pain. I felt my legs wobble beneath me. While I was stunned, he grabbed a hold of the collar of my jacket and spun like a discus thrower. He let go and whipped me back almost to where I had come from. I landed hard on my stomach. I rolled over onto my back, lifted my head and looked for Frank, and that was when I saw Eddie moving out of the dark path.
    He came running into the clearing on his hobbled legs, running as fast as he could, his eyes fixed on Frank. Frank was walking toward me then on long, determined strides, unaware of Eddie’s approach behind him. Before I knew it Frank was standing over me and aiming his .45 point blank at my forehead. He adjusted his grip, then curled his finger around the trigger.
    “Say hello to your father for me,” he said.
    Something hit Frank in the center of his back then. It landed with a solid thud, knocking him forward a step. He arched his back and yelled, “Fuck.” He turned and aimed the .45 at Eddie, who flung another rock as he continued to rush toward him. This rock just missed Frank’s head. As he continued forward Eddie looked straight into the gun but didn’t blink.
    I pulled myself up into a seated position then, ignoring the pain, and lunged forward and grabbed Frank around the legs. I was going for a takedown but Frank spread his legs, widening his base and breaking the hug I had around his knees. Then I felt the butt of the .45 slam into the top of my head. It hit a second time, and then once more. I fell onto my back, and then Frank was over me again. He aimed the .45 at my head