Free THE KILLER ANGEL: Book Two "Legend" (THE KILLER ANGEL TRILOGY 2) by Myles Stafford Page B

The thug on the ground became suddenly very quiet and completely still.
    “We can take you to safety,” I said to the kids, who were already clinging to me and rubbing Ben. “Do you want to go with us?”
    They looked at us, heads bobbing in the affirmative, saying nothing, but their bright eyes revealed happy anticipation.
    “Then it is done. You are with us!”
    But what to do with the man who had enslaved and abused them?
    Brick had his eyes on me as I evaluated the bully. The evil-tempered brute was clearly a human predator. I had long ago vowed to never let any such creature live to torment the innocent if I could help it, and I had honored that vow on more than one occasion.
    Still, in spite of that oath, it was not in my nature to kill someone in cold blood, certainly not a defenseless man on the ground.
    Brick sensed my unease and stepped in. He precisely understood my dilemma, and hoped to spareme one more burden on my bruised conscience. He picked up the man’s revolver and emptied it of all save one bullet.
    Speaking to the prostrated man in an even tone, who was now shaking in his cowardice, Brick announced, “You have two options: You can shoot yourself in the knee or I can shoot you as I would a runner. Pick up the gun and make your choice.”
    Such calm, yet forceful words from this former, laid-back school teacher. We were both changing so very much in this new world, becoming far more than we ever were, or ever would have been before
...
    I moved the children out of the enclosure and away from view, with Ben following.
    A few minutes later, I heard the sound of a single gunshot; cries of pain followed. The kids giggled a little and put their hands over their mouths, their new freedom revealing suppressed glee that lay dormant for far too long.
    As Brick rejoined our little band of survivors, I embraced my trusted friend and brother.
“Merci beaucoup, mon cher ami. ”
I said.
    “Fortunately, he took the first option.” Brick smiled. “I’m not sure that I could’ve managed the second.”
    “I completely understand, Brick,” I said, but I was not so certain that I would have given the man an alternative to a swift death, which caused me to consider my own increasingly dark sense of morality and what I was becoming. I was glad that I did not haveto find out. Brick, ever vigilant of my well-being, had done the right thing to handle the matter, sparing me further mental anguish.

Chapter Six
    “Fort Hope ”

    “I NEVER saw your scar so sharp like that; gonna have to do something about it. Scary stuff there.” Brick was trying to cheer me up as we reviewed our actions and walked with the children, discussing strategy. The kids were becoming perky, natural curiosity taking hold, and they began asking about my scar and other things that seemed to puzzle them, which was heartening.
    Food, clothing, and supplies for the children were first on our list of priorities. The kids had no family, which seemed evident from the start, and they confirmed the notion upon further careful discussion.
    Following a hearty meal, and after equipping the kids with necessary supplies, we made camp for the night a couple of hours out of Whitehorse on the roof of what had been a two-story high school.
    “Ah, we’re getting so close; I can feel Hedley from here,” Brick announced. “It should be smooth sailing from now on. No worries; no trouble.”
    The layover was a good, relatively secure location, with plenty of food and drinks retrieved from its cafeteria kitchen. We rigged a shower station for the kids and had them thoroughly clean themselves after first giving them hair cuts. Then it was time for a good night’s sleep.
    A few hours later, secure behind fences and walls on our rooftop hideout, I snapped awake to see Ben at the parapet, eyeing something passing one street over, dimly visible in the deep shadows of a moonless, starry night.
Runners
. A sizable pack of them, moving in the same direction in which we