One Day in a Small-Town Desert, chapter 9, page 1

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Chapter 9: The Moment of Discovery



Pí‘oro Kılímo gritted his teeth as the medics stepped onto the tile floor of the entryway.

He couldn’t let them stumble across the chapel by accident. He had to show them to the kid and his healed legs. It would throw his previous statements in doubt, but at least it would protect Vata.

He rolled his shoulders under the Enforcer’s grip and growled, “Let me go and I’ll show you where Bhanar is.”

The Colonial Enforcer loosened his hold, but didn’t release him. “Where?”

A door in the kitchen squeaked open. Gunshots exploded, too quick to count. A man barked, “Nıgédazo! The suspect!”

The Enforcer released Pí‘oro, his gun drawn in a smooth motion. He popped around the corner into the front room, handgun leveled, but didn’t fire. Instead, he ran out of sight toward the kitchen.

That Zhíno punk’s in the kitchen? How the plagues did he get in?

Several more shots fired. Glass shattered. Something wood crashed to the floor.

Pí‘oro stood irresolute, his hands clenching for something to use to stop this destruction of his home. How much was this firefight damage going to cost to repair? With both Zhíno and the police unlawfully breaking into his house, somebody had to pay.

One of the Enforcers yelled, “He went out the back!”

All that shooting and they didn’t get him? Why’d they have to take my rifle away? I could bag that punk with one bullet.

Footsteps stormed across the kitchen linoleum floor. The back door slammed open against the wall. The Enforcers’ voices faded as they exited Pí‘oro’s home.

Pí‘oro glanced around the entryway. The front door stood wide open. The medics were nowhere to be seen.

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