Pike took cover in the orange trees beyond the house just as the window came up. The big man climbed out first, dropped to a knee, then said something into the window. They pushed Larkin through; she fell straight down and landed with a sharp gasp. Vahnich landed on top of her, and then the final man came out, a short muscular guy with a bandana tied around his head, everyone tangled together, and then Vahnich pulled her close.

Pike steadied his gun against the orange tree.

When Cole came around the far side of the house, the bandana saw him, popped off one shot, and Cole fired back. The bandana went down with a high keening whine, but pushed to his knee and fired again. Cole dropped for cover as the sliding glass doors flew open, and Bud Flynn came out, gun up and ready. Bud must have forgotten himself.

He shouted, “Police!”

The bandana swung toward Bud, and Pike shot him in the head.

Vahnich and the big man saw Pike, and Vahnich jerked the girl in front of them for a shield as they scuttled backwards toward the slope. The big man fired at Flynn, then Cole, but the shots were wild and pointless.

Pike said, “You’re done.”

Bud was behind a heavy clay pot, shouting.

“Drop your weapons! Drop’m now!”

Conner Barkley came through the doors. He had no gun and did not look for cover. Maybe he didn’t know that’s what you were supposed to do. He stormed past Bud into the yard and stopped-out in the open, in front of Bud, and alone.

Spittle flew from his face when he shouted.

“You let her go! Let my daughter go!”

The big man shifted out from behind the girl to fire. He only moved an inch or two, but the sight picture was perfect, like a dot on top of an i. Pike shot him before he could fire, and the big man fell like a sack.

Bud was still screaming, but he had crabbed sideways so he wouldn’t shoot Barkley.

“Drop your weapon, goddamnit! Put it down! You’re done, you sonofabitch! Down!”

Barkley was screaming, too; screaming as if he was having a tantrum.

“You let her go. Let GO!”

Pike stepped out from behind the orange tree. Vahnich caught the movement and angled to watch him, keeping the girl between them. Vahnich had drawn himself as small as possible behind her, and peeked from behind her head. His gun was pressed hard into her neck, but Pike couldn’t have that. He moved into the open, set himself, and lined up on Vahnich’s eye. He found the rhythm of Vahnich’s fear. The eye moved, the gun moved; the eye and the gun became one.

Pike said, “Dead man.”

The first kiss of sirens whiffed up the hill. Bud and Barkley were still screaming. Pike did not see Cole but trusted he was on target. He did not look at Larkin because she might see his fear. Pike saw only Vahnich’s eye and the eye looking back.

Vahnich dropped his gun. The gun fell, but nothing else moved. Vahnich had made his decision. He would take his chances with the courts.

Vahnich called from behind the girl.

“I dropped it. I’m giving up. I surrender.”

Bud shouted the instructions Pike had heard a hundred times.

“Raise your hands above your head. Raise them high! Lace your fingers on your head!”

Vahnich raised his hands. He laced his fingers on his head. The girl still had not moved, and neither had Pike.

Pike said, “Larkin. Go to your dad.”

She started toward Pike.

“Go to your father.”

She ran to her father.

Vahnich said, “I give up!”

Bud had come out from behind the pot. Cole was covering the men they had shot. Pike crabbed sideways across the yard until he was between Vahnich and the girl, his gun never leaving the eye.

Behind him, Bud said, “Joe. Son, the police are coming.”

Pike said, “Larkin, you okay? You good?”

“He was going to kill me. He was-”

“I know.”

Bud said, “Officer Pike-”

Pike pulled the trigger. The gun made a loud pop that sounded hollow in the open air. The body fell.

Pike walked over to secure their weapons. He checked the bodies. All three were dead.

Bud was staring at him with his hands at his sides as if he had been drained of life. Conner Barkley was holding his daughter. Cole tucked his own pistol into his waist as he came over.

Cole said, “You okay?”

“Sure. How’s that leg?”

“Better. At least we didn’t get shot this time.”

Pike went to the girl. Conner watched him coming, and Pike saw he was crying. Billionaire tears looked like everyone else’s.

Pike placed his hand on Larkin’s back and whispered.

“I won’t let them hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

She turned to him then and hugged him. She buried her face against his chest, and Pike rested his chin on her head. Bud was watching him. Bud looked sad and disappointed.

Pike said, “I still hate bullies. Live with it.”

Pike was holding the girl when the police arrived.

45

OCEAN AVENUE was lit with smoky gold light that time of morning, there at the edge of the sea. Pike ran along the crown of the street, enjoying the peace and the rhythm of his body. It was three fifty-nine that morning. No cars had disturbed him for more than two miles, and the coyotes did not pace him. He was the only beast in the city, but this was about to change.

She turned onto Ocean at San Vicente and roared toward him through the darkness. He recognized her new car, so he stayed on the center line and did not break his stride.

Larkin zoomed past, swung around, and idled up alongside him. She had gotten a pearl white Aston convertible. The top was down. She had kept the short hair, but had gone back to red. She grinned the lip-curling smile. Pike was glad her confidence was back.

“Only a lunatic runs this early.”

“Only a lunatic driving this early would find me.”

“I asked your boy Cole. Since you won’t return my calls anymore.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I think he wants to kiss me.”

“Uh-huh.”

Pike had stopped returning her calls. They had talked often in the weeks following the incident, but he didn’t know what more he could say.

She said, “Can you talk while you run?”

“Sure.”

She took a moment to get it together, then told him what she came to say.

“I’m not going to bother you anymore. Now, just because I’m not calling you doesn’t mean you can’t call me if you change your mind. You can call whenever you want, but I get it you want me to stop, so I’m going to stop.”

“Okay.”

The old flash of anger darkened her eyes.

“My friend, that was WAY too easy. The least you could do is pretend.”

“Not with you.”

The car idled alongside him. Pike caught a glimmer on the bluff, and wondered if it was a coyote.

After a bit, she said, “Do you believe in angels?”

“No.”

“I do. That’s why I go driving like this. I look for angels. They only come out at night.”

That was something else Pike didn’t know how to answer, so he said nothing.

She looked up at him.

“I’m not going to call anymore because that’s what you want; not because I want to stop. You probably think you’re too old for me. You probably think I’m too young. I’ll bet you hate rich people.”

“Pick one.”

Larkin smiled again, and Pike was glad to see it. He loved her in-your-face smile. But then her smile faded and her eyes filled, and he didn’t like that so well.

She said, “You probably think I’ll get over it, but I won’t. I love you. I love you so damn much I would do anything for you.”

“I know you would.”

“I’d even stop calling.”

The Aston Martin roared away, its engine screaming with pain.

Pike watched her taillights flare. She turned east on San Vicente, and raced toward the city.

Pike said, “I love you.”

He ran alone in the darkness, wishing the coyotes would join him.