He pushed the doors open about an inch, and then stepped back to the side. He cocked his head, hearing the hum was a steady buzz. “We’re ready,” Kirk said, coming up behind him and Arthur held up his hand and Kirk stopped talking.
“You hear that?” Arthur whispered.
“Yeah, sounds like a lawnmower,” Kirk answered and his brothers nodded.
The boys moved behind Arthur as he stared outside and the buzz continued getting louder. Then they saw a small go-kart coming down the road rather fast. Arthur watched as the kart pulled off the road and up to the pumps at the small gas station across the street.
The driver was an older kid who took something from his lap and passed it to his passenger who was much smaller. When the driver got out of the go-kart, he reached back and pulled out a rifle that had been sitting beside him. “Smart kid,” Arthur mumbled as the kid looked at the pumps and then at the store.
Arthur could see the kid’s shoulders slump as he walked to the doors and looked inside the dark store of the gas station. When the kid turned around, Arthur saw him cradle his rifle up to his shoulder but not lift it. Following the boy’s gaze, Arthur saw a little girl running across the road to the gas station.
“That’s a girl,” Kirk said and looked at the boy. “He will get in trouble, riding that go-kart on the road.”
“Yeah, it’s too loud,” Arthur said, watching the boy lower the rifle as the girl reached the parking lot.
“Don’t move!” a man’s voice bellowed and Arthur turned to see a man step out from behind the gas station. “Got ‘em, Ash!” he called out and another man stepped out from the other side of the store.
“Mean guys,” Kirk whispered as the men aimed at the kids.
“Put the gun down, boy, or I’ll just shoot ya,” the first one shouted, aiming at the boy.
“Boys, step back and lay on the floor,” Arthur said, pulling his AR up.
The boys dropped down as the boy across the road put his gun down. “Very good,” the first man called out. “You girl, get over here before I shoot you in the leg!” he shouted and the girl moved up closer to the go-kart.
When the men lowered their rifles, Arthur stepped up to the door and eased it open. Lifting his rifle, he sighted in on the speaker and flipped the safety off. He squeezed the trigger twice and the AR coughed. The man let out a grunt as the bullets hit him and Arthur was on number two when he looked over to see his friend fall to the ground.
Just as the man realized what was happening, two rounds slammed into his chest and blew out the back. Dropping his rifle, the man grabbed his chest as he dropped to his knees. Frothy blood poured out his mouth as he fell face first onto the pavement.
“Boys, on me,” Arthur said over his shoulder as he walked to the road, glancing around with Daisy beside him. The little girl that had run across the road gave a squeal as a man and a large dog walked toward her, and took off when the boys came out. When she’d reached the shoulder of the road, the little girl slowed seeing three little boys follow the man and big dog across the road.
Scanning around, Arthur watched the boy pick up his rifle. “Don’t aim it at me,” Arthur warned, walking into the parking lot keeping his rifle toward the two he shot and saw the passenger was a little girl around four or five. “A word of advice, get something that’s quieter,” Arthur said, walking past the boy who looked like a young teenager.
“It’s all I had,” the boy said, looking at the three small boys following Arthur. “Thank you, mister.”
“Welcome,” Arthur replied, walking up to the body of the first one he’d shot. The man let out a moan and Arthur moved his AR and pulled the trigger, shooting the man in the face. “Boys, if you ever shoot someone, you make sure they are dead,” Arthur said, turning back to look at the boys.
All three were pale after watching Arthur casually shoot the man in the face. “Boys, people like that will hurt you for no other reason than they can,” Arthur told them, walking over to the other body. Kicking it over, Arthur saw the man was dead and Daisy sniffed the man.
Looking at the man’s bright red nose, “Rudolph is a real good name,” Arthur mumbled, turning to see the boys behind him. “Boys, I told you I would protect you. This is what it will take. We couldn’t have left and they needed help.”
“Yes, sir,” Kirk gulped, swallowing hard.
“Boys, don’t feel bad defending family. We fought evil today and won. Just be happy we are alive,” Arthur told them as Nicole started crying. “My gun was quiet,” Arthur groaned, pulling a made bottle from his left thigh cargo pocket.
He glanced around and saw the teen boy was standing next to the go-kart and the young girl was coming back across the road. “Name’s Arthur,” Arthur said, putting the bottle to Nicole’s lips with his left hand. The teen boy noticed Arthur’s right hand never let his AR go.
“I’m Shawn, and thanks again,” Shawn said as the girl came over.
“Like I said, get something that’s quieter to ride around on, Shawn. We heard you from a long way off,” Arthur said, heading back to the retail store.
“Hey, is there any place safe around here?” Shawn asked.
Stopping at the pumps, Arthur looked at the small girl in the go-kart, cradling a blanket. “Only what you make. I’m hearing on my radio that this is going on
