One Day in a Small-Town Desert, chapter 9, page 2

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Zhíno Zhudıro’s hand shook as he pointed his stolen semiautomatic at the closed door, waiting for the Enforcer to enter and get a surprise. Bolts of pain stabbed out from his upper arm as he tried to hold the large gun steady. Ahísıhíta damn the Tara-fucker who shot me. Zhíno’d lost his own gun when that old spawn shot his wrist, so now he was stuck using this clunky, Voro-fucker piece of gooseshit. At least he had a full clip, though.

The doorknob turned and the door flew open.

Zhíno fired twice before he spotted the Enforcer hidden behind the doorjamb. Without pausing, he adjusted his aim and fired several more rounds. Wood splinters showered from the jamb as the door slowly swung back shut. Before it closed, the Enforcer’s handgun appeared in the gap. Zhíno dove to the floor behind the large wooden table as bullets snapped past his head. His broken left hand bumped the linoleum, nearly overwhelming Zhíno with nauseating waves of agony.

“Nıgédazo! The suspect!” the Enforcer screamed as he kicked open the door again.

With tear-soaked eyes and clenched jaw, Zhíno aimed his handgun between the chair legs. He’d be flanked soon; the table would be no protection. And he’d already used almost half the clip. The Enforcer emerged from the garage and Zhíno fired a few more rounds at the Voro-fucker. Wood legs exploded, temporarily blocking his view so he didn’t know if he had hit the plaguing Enforcer or not. He fired again, though, keeping the bastard at bay.

Bullets zipped through the kitchen, shot from the front room, slamming into the floor and table near Zhíno.

He lurched backwards, shielding his face from the flying splinters. The movement turned into a retreat as he staggered to his feet and ran for the back door. He fired two blind shots behind him before shoving his burning-hot gun in his trouser pocket and flinging open the door, protecting his injured hand. He slammed open the screen door and leapt into darkness.

He had to hide. He had to set up an ambush.

His feet landed on the soft soil and he immediately cut left, toward where he remembered some animal cages.

Back inside, an Enforcer screamed, “He went out the back!”

A crack of yellow light dimly illuminated the dirt ahead of Zhíno. He blinked before realizing it was another door to the house and there was a small, old woman silhouetted in the opening.

She gestured to Zhíno, ordering, “Come inside!”

Zhíno ran straight at her.

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