“That’s a nice watch.”

I kinda laughed at that. Not ‘cause of how the old guy said it, but ‘cause I was picturin’ the watch slippin’ and fallin’ off the stump of his wrist. I asked, “How’d you lose that arm, old man?”

“How’d you lose that tooth?”

I laughed at that, too, and showed him the watch. He grabbed my wrist and yanked me down and headbutted me so fast and so hard that I couldn’t see nothing’ but stars. Then he started hittin’ me with his one hand, one, two, three times before I could get away.

Karch and Dex came runnin’ back in but when they seen me lookin’ whipped and my nose bleedin’ they laughed.

Karch said something about “Gettin’ your ass beat by a fifty year old gimp.” Dex laughed even harder. It pissed me off, so I rushed the old man and kicked him in the gut. I kicked him again, but he grabbed my foot and pulled me to the floor.

Dex reached out to get us untangled but when he bent over, the pistol in his shoulder holster swung down. The old man grabbed it and fired two shots into Dex without even pulling it from the holster. Karch yelled and jumped on the old man. The pistol fell out and I snatched it up and emptied the clip into Karch.

I knew what I was doin’. No, I didn’t. But I did.

“Give me the pistol, son,” the old man said. And I did that, too. “Now tell me about that watch. And tell me why you boys are following the girl you stole it from.”