Nineteen

"Holy shit", Argus said, "what the fuck?"

"I think we had better skedaddle", Seth told him, as he scrambled to his feet and ducking, headed back out to the door leading out to the yard, Argus following behind them.

"Hurry up", Seth called out, "I think he's behind you".

Fulsom had also come down through the hole. Seth had been down there the whole time, listening, and it was fortunate the floor was so old and so rotten. He was able to pull out the joist and the floor boards with a crowbar he'd found in the yard and brought along just in case he might need it. Argus and Seth crawled as fast as they could on their hands and their knees, coming into the yard all out of breath.

"Hey guys", Brian said as he saw them emerge. "Anything interesting there?"

"Guy's got a gun", Seth managed to say as he leaped and rolled over some old boards for cover, Argus copying his every move.

"A what?" Brian asked him, confused.

Fulsom came out shooting wildly and missing.

"Oh fuck", Brian said, and looking around, picked up a piece of old rebar and casually brought the thing down on the gun, knocking it out of Fulsom's hand to the ground. At the sounds of gun shots, Mikael had come running, and piled on as Brian had jumped on the guy. They soon had him pinned and though Fulsom struggled, Mikael had his arm in a very tight grip, and threatened to pull it right out its socket. Jolene, right above them, opened the window, and did as Seth said and called the nine one one on her cellphone.

Argus and Seth got to their feet. Seth was bleeding. He'd managed to scratch himself on old wooden nails several places. Sylvia had followed Mikael to the back and, once again congratulating herself on her foresight, pulled out the first aid kit she'd brought from the car along with her flashlight. She was cleaning and bandaging Seth when they first heard the sirens.

Fulsom kept trying to talk, although Brian kept pushing his face in the dirt.

"Shut the fuck up, you son of a bitch", Brian said. "I don't like people shooting my friends"

"It's going to get you", Fulsom was ranting, "maybe not this time, but someday it will."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Mikael asked. "No, don't tell me. I don't want to know."

"It's his birthday", Jolene exclaimed. "You're supposed to get presents when it's your birthday." She was always a stickler for tradition.