Free Crossing the Line by J. R. Roberts

Come see for yourself.”
    Following the other man back outside, Clint didn’t even bother looking for a shed. Instead, he let his eyes wander along the jagged line of the horizon that looked out onto Trickle Creek. The town was dark for the most part, but had a few torches lit along the streets. Some of the windows had flickering lights behind them as well, but the whole area seemed to mostly be asleep.
    Stopping at a small shed, Carl dug in his pocket for a key and took his time fitting it into a lock on the narrow door. “So, do you think they’ll come?”
    â€œWho?”
    Carl looked over to Clint with a crooked scowl on his face. “You know who. And before you waste your breath, don’t bother trying to tell me you came all this way at this ungodly hour just to look at a shed full of tools.”
    â€œMaybe I did and maybe I didn’t,” Clint admitted. Judging by the way Carl shook his head, he was having a much easier time believing the former rather than the latter.

SIXTEEN
    They arrived less than half an hour later.
    Clint spotted the first man approaching from the east side of town, circling around to come at Carl’s house from the rear. Knowing there would be others, Clint kept looking until he spotted the second man trying to circle around toward the front of the house. Once he had those two picked out, Clint searched for the third.
    â€œI see him,” Carl whispered.
    Clint looked at the spot where Carl was pointing, but couldn’t see anything other than shadows. “Where?”
    â€œRight there. Just passing those trees now.”
    Squinting at the trees, Clint was finally able to spot movement that couldn’t possibly have been caused by the wind or an animal. Nodding, he said, “One of them looks big enough to be the fellow who pulled the knife on you earlier. That means the other two are probably George and his other friend.”
    â€œWho else would it be?”
    â€œMissionaries?”
    Carl glanced over and laughed under his breath.
    â€œRight,” Clint said. “That’d be too much to hope for. Why don’t you get inside and make sure your sister is safe.”
    â€œI will not hide in the house to leave you out here.”
    â€œIf you’re so capable of doing this, why did you seek out my help in the first place?” When he didn’t get a reply to that, Clint said, “That’s what I thought.”
    â€œAt least let me help.”
    â€œThe best thing you could do for me is get inside and make sure your sister is safe and away from the windows. After that, light a few lanterns inside.”
    â€œMoths to a flame, huh?” Carl asked.
    â€œThat’s the idea.” With that, Clint hunched down and rushed away from the house.
    He heard Carl go inside, but he wasn’t about to stay put long enough to see if the other man carried out his request. Clint was too busy running from shadow to shadow, bush to bush, and tree to tree in order to get closer to the biggest figure he’d spotted. He went for the big one for two reasons. First of all, he knew the big fellow was fairly slow. Second, it would be more difficult for George and the other one to tell what was going on, since the big man already stuck out like a stump.
    As Clint made his way around the big man, he didn’t even see the lumbering fellow turn in his direction. Only when Clint was less than ten feet away and accidentally stepped on a branch did the big man stop and take notice. By that time, however, it was too late.
    Clint stayed low and rushed at the big man with his arms held open wide. When the big man turned to face him, Clint grabbed the man’s gun arm and twisted it to the side. He used his other hand to reach along the big man’s belt to feel for the blade that had been there before. Sure enough, the man had collected his knife after the last time Clint had taken it from him. Clint relieved him of the blade once