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But Charlie didn’t go down He dug his heels into the mud to stop Benny’s rush and then he clubbed Benny aside with a forear and ducked enough to h power there to drive hier, Benny tried to hook a punch into Charlie’s crotch, but Charlie turned into it, and Benny’s fist collided with the big man’s hip bone Pain exploded in Benny’s hand

"Nice try, pup," Charlie said "Points for having sorabbed Benny by the hair, jerked him to his feet, and then buried an uppercut so hard into Benny’s storound His entire abdomen seemed to be folded around Charlie’s massive fist, and the impact drove all of the air out of the world Benny fell, eyes bulging, face purpling, gasping, capable only of ht to take in even aas she fought against the Hahter of Charlie and the other bounty hunters

He heard his own inhu … You boys dohis sorry butt into the pen and tie hiirl some manners and then tie her up with the others The rest of you, go find those other kids and let’s get this ca’s been a total clusterfu--"

And so out of the dark and slarab Benny He gurgled out a single low cry and fell face forward onto the ground Benny stared at the man, at the knife that was buried nearly to the hilt between his shoulder blades The handle was black and ribbed, and the inch of blade that shoas equally black and double-edged

Benny felt his brain twist around backward He knew that knife!

Then a screaman’s body and crashed full force into the knot of bounty hunters The horse was not one of the bulky draft horses that had broken free fro buckskin was a bloody s, whose eyes were dark and wild, and who slashed at the bounty hunters with a glittering sword

Tom!

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"TOM!" BENNY YELLED, NOT KNOWING IF WHAT HE WAS SEEING WAS real or if he had just gone completely crazy Hoas it even possible?

Apache reared up and kicked one bounty hunter in the chest, and the man flew backward, as if he’d taken a double load of buckshot Another man rushed the horse from the side and tried to pull Tom from the saddle To beneath the horse’s hooves

"Christ!" bellowed Charlie "That’s Toun up, but Benny came up out of theman Charlie wasn’t ready for it this tiround Charlie’s shot punched a hole through the shoulder of Texas Jon McGoran As the bullet slaer of his puht Wild Bill Fairchild full in the face

Benny had no chance against Charlie in any kind of a fight, but he could at least keep hied at Charlie’s arun, but then used that hand to punch Benny in the face Benny felt his nose crack He kneed Charlie in the thigh twice and then flung himself away from a second and more powerful punch that would have easily broken his neck

He scra for Nix She enty feet away, and the Ha her like a shield as Tom advanced on hih thunder ru flashed in the west

"Drop that sword, Toirl’s neck," the Hammer promised He meant it, too He had his whole arm looped around her throat and held her so that her feet were inches above the ground

The other bounty hunters were recovering fro fro uns and pointed them at him

Tom reined Apache to a stop The buckskin still wore the reh it looked like it had been gnawed on by every zom from here to the state line

"You don’t want to do that, Marion," said Toirl down"

"Kiss my hairy butt, Tom You drop that sword or so help me, I’ll pull her head clean off"

Tom flicked his wrist so that the blood that streaked the shipped off It splashed Joey Duk across the face

"Benny," Toot to his feet, his head spinning from the punch to the nose "Yeah," he said breathlessly

"That’s going to cost you" Charlie growled as he also got to his feet His gun was muddy and useless, but he didn’t need one Tom was surrounded by nearly twenty bounty hunters

Tom slowly raised his sword until the tip of the blade was pointed directly at the Motor City Haive you one last chance, Marion Let Nix go"

The Hahed, and so did the other unned, Toonna do?"

"Me?" To But you will let her go"

"Says who?"

"Says me!" A voice snarled out of the darkness, and there was a heavy whoosh as a long h the air, and a flash of silver as a wickedly sharp bayonet blade cut through the back of the Motor City Ha His Achilles tendon parted with an explosion of blood, and he screairl--and fell He literally threw Nix froered toward Benny, who rushed to catch her