She pushed with the pistol, making the man’s head move to the side. “I’ll kill you if you don’t, you and your amigo.”
The passenger’s eyes widened to the size of golf balls as he said, “Do it, Ramón! Crash it down!”
Hunter held onto the side mirror and the open driver’s window as the driver floored the pedal and the truck groaned and bounced on the road, gaining speed until it hit the gates.
Wood splintered and exploded in all directions as the truck shot through the opening. Hunter dropped from the truck and ran with it until she regained her footing, then she stopped, cut behind the still moving vehicle just as Suretta and Nadine shot the truck cab to pieces, thinking the men inside were attacking.
The truck continued forward, through the courtyard and going like an arrow toward the large grill and the wall behind it. Suretta continued to shoot the cab, but the truck didn’t slow down, and everyone watched as the truck crashed into the grill, knocking meat in all directions and the grill tops spinning through the air.
The children screamed when the two large propane tanks tore loose and the open flames ignited the spewing gas in a hollow roar like a jet engine. The tanks bounced and spun across the yard, propelled by the compressed propane inside, and sprayed fire like two large flame throwers. One tank glanced off the wall and spun like a blazing pinwheel, covering everything near it with fire, including the two men tending the grill. Nadine and Suretta held the children in place as they watched the flames scorch, then ignite the stucco and wood walls of the building. Everyone stared dumbfounded at the fires, everyone except Hunter.
She came around the rear of the truck at a sprint and brought her pistol up, knowing she had to kill them all if the children were to survive. Fear moved inside her like a living thing, but she ran forward.
One magazine, thirteen rounds, she thought, with the place on fire and so many enemies.
Her first shot took La Osa in the forehead, and the huge woman staggered back several steps before falling into a burning pile of wood as the propane tanks gradually lost their pressure and dwindled to nothing.
Suretta shot at Hunter and missed, but the bullet snatched at her shirt.
Ike came to his feet as everyone’s attention focused on the fires and Hunter. He hopped into the air and pulled his bound wrists under his feet so his hands were in front. He clubbed Nadine with them, knocking her to the ground, but not unconscious.
Paco left the children and ran to the wall, crouching behind a decorative rain barrel to stay far from the fighting and the flames.
No one guarded the kids. Kelly yelled to the other children, “Run outside, run away!” She helped them go, herding them in front of her, and at the last, she hesitated, almost going for Anita, but Hunter caught her eyes and waved her to the gate.
Suretta kicked Ike in the chest and he went down again, rising slow, and not making it to his feet before she was on him, launching terrible kicks and punches to his face.
Ramona clawed at Solomon’s face, but he brushed her away like a nuisance fly as he shot at Hunter. The bullet stung like a quick electric shock as the bullet grazed her forearm across the top, leaving a red, oozing groove that burned like touching a hot stove.
Hunter snapped two fast shots and hit Chapa square in the chest. Solomon staggered back, and she shot at his head but missed as his footing slipped.
The small bartender in the white jacket kicked open the glass door and sprayed bullets at Hunter with an AK-47. She swung her pistol toward him and fired as fast as she could until he dropped, then she put one more in him to make sure.
Nadine momentarily panicked at all the shooting, and then she noticed Kelly as the girl urged the other children out the gate. Nadine caught her twenty feet from making it through. She turned with Kelly against her chest and her pistol at the child’s temple. She yelled, “Kincaid! Drop your damn gun or I’ll kill her!”
Everything seemed to stop.
Nadine said, “You know I will.”
Hunter looked at the distance between them. Ten yards. Both heard Solomon’s voice, “Go ahead and shoot her, and the kid, too. She’s nothing but trouble.”
Hunter looked at the cartel leader as he pulled open his shirt and slid his hand under the bulletproof vest to rub where it stopped the bullets but still bruised him. He lifted his pistol, “Adios, Kincaid.”
Hunter didn’t remember how many rounds she had left. Save Kelly first, she thought. Her arm hung at her side, the Glock in her hand. She whipped up her pistol, shooting Nadine through the right eye, dropping the tattooed woman on her back as her clenched hand drug Kelly down on top of her.
Solomon shot and his pistol sounded loud to Hunter because she was directly in front of the muzzle. The round hit her on the hip and spun her half-around, causing Chapa’s next two shots to miss. Hunter’s right hip numbed from the bullet’s impact, but she remained upright and still had the pistol.
Before Chapa could shoot a fourth time, Hunter fired as she stepped to the side, putting her round into his upper lip right below the nose. He dropped loose-jointed, hitting hard and dead before he struck the ground. Hunter jerked as she heard an animal-like scream behind her.
Suretta charged, holding a knife low with the blade facing up, intent on gutting her.
Hunter brought up the Glock and saw it was empty. She pulled the Gerber knife and crouched, intent on fighting to the death so Kelly could escape.
As Suretta closed to within five feet of Hunter with her focus totally on the Border Patrol Agent, Paco shot her twice from ten feet. She fell forward and hit the ground in an awkward fall like a drunk person. Hunter looked at Paco, who said, “She is a very bad woman. A bruja, a witch.”
Kelly pushed Nadine’s lifeless arms off her and struggled to her feet. She ran to Hunter and hugged her tight. Kelly felt light enough to float away, like a balloon.
Paco walked toward them, stopping to help Ike to his feet. “I am sorry for my part in these troubles,” he said.