“A’right Rookie, welcome to your first real assignment: checking on the Widow Lucas. Picking up the check for dinner earlier don’t count.”

Winston’s feet made crunching noises as he walked across the gravel dirt, poor excuse for a front yard. The old wooden porch creaked beneath his feet as he rapped on the old door.

“Ma’am?”

No answer. He knocked a little harder.

“Mrs. Lucas, This is Deputy Winston with the sheriff’s department, you in there?”

Still no answer.

Winston took a couple of steps off the porch and back down the steps and shrugged at Tormel.

“No one’s ho-” A horrible roar ripped through the air as the front door exploded, spraying shards of wood and bits of dust and pellet across the yard. Winston dropped immediately to the dirt. The smell of gunpowder filled the air, as wisps of smoke danced along the shaky barrels of a shotgun protruding through the freshly holed door.

An elderly woman’s voice crawled out among the rapidly elongating silence, “You best git.”

“Ma’am, put the gun down. I’m Deputy Winston with the-” Winston’s voice cracked in fear.

“I don’t know, no deputy Winston. Now you leave fore I give you the other barrel, y’hear?

“Lila!” Tormel let his toothpick drop to the ground.

“That you, Sheriff?”

“Sure is. Best put the shotgun down.”

“I don’t know no Deputy Win-”

“He’s one of the new boys, Lila. He’s gonna get up, real slow and show you his badge. Right?”

Tormel nodded encouragement at the still shocked Winston lying flat in the dirt. Winston, against his better judgment, crawled slowly to his feet, taking a moment to brush the dirt and dust off his uniform that had just been issued that day. He took a sneaky moment to make sure he wasn’t hit or bleeding anywhere but before he could take even the smallest step toward showing his badge Tormel strode quickly past him.

“We don’t have time for this tonight, Rookie.” He was up the steps and on the porch in an instant, “Now, Lila, give me the gun before you hurt someone.”

“No.”

“Give me the goddamm gun before you kill my goddamm new kid.”