They moved into position without argument. The moon was new, leaving the yard in deep darkness. Perfect for an attack. Jake, Catherine whispered. I'm scared.
Good, he replied. Fear keeps you sharp. Just remember what I taught you. Breathe. Aim.
Squeeze gently. What if I have to? What if I kill someone? Jake glanced at her pale face in the darkness. Then you live with it, but you live.
Hours passed. Jake's eyes burned from staring into the darkness. Then movement by the barn. A shadow where no shadow should be. They're coming.
He breathed. More shadows spreading out to surround the house. Jake counted at least six, more than Garrett had brought earlier. Nobody shoots until I do. Jake ordered, "Let them get close. " The shadows crept nearer.
Jake could make out individual shapes now. One approached the front door, probably planning to kick it in. Others moved toward windows. They were good, professional, but they were expecting sleeping victims, not an armed reception. The man at the door raised his foot.
Jake shot him through the window. The night exploded. Gunfire erupted from all sides as the sisters opened up. Glass shattered. Wood splintered.
Jake worked the rifle's lever, picking targets in the muzzle flashes beside him. Catherine fired the shotgun, the recoil knocking her back, but her aim true. The barn, Rose shouted. They're trying to flank us. Jake saw them.
Two men using the barn for cover, trying to get an angle on the side window. Hold your positions. He grabbed the second rifle, burst out the front door, rolling behind the water trough as bullets winded overhead. From this position, he had a clear shot at the barn. One man down, then two, but more were coming, seeming to materialize from the darkness.
Jake. Margaret's warning came just in time. He spun, firing from the hip, dropping a man who'd been creeping up behind him. The battle raged for what felt like hours, but was probably minutes. Then, as suddenly as it began, it ended.
The survivors fled, horses pounding away into the night. Jake stayed behind cover, counting heartbeats, waiting for a trick. "Finally," he called out. "Everyone all right? We're fine," Margaret answered.