The Mad and the Bad

15

The 9mm bullet entered below Bibi’s ribs, burst his liver, and exited through a buttock. The little gangster fell backwards screaming. He tumbled from the rock and landed on his back in the heather. Julie jumped after him and ended up on all fours on top of him. Bibi was shaking and wailing. The girl ran stumbling to the car. She could not see clearly, and she was dizzy. She was amazed when she realized that Peter was fast asleep. She swept the boy into her arms and carried him away, still sleeping.

Meanwhile, once their initial shock had passed, the two brothers charged through the brush like bulls. They emerged not far from the car and saw Bibi lying on the ground and Julie disappearing into the greenery.

“She shot him!” cried Coco.

“Stay with him.”

Nénesse scrambled in pursuit of Julie. He could no longer see the young woman. Branches slashed at his eyes. He could hear her up ahead battling her way forward. She was not more than twenty-five meters away. As he ran, Nénesse drew his revolver, a Spanish Ruby. This was a reflex: He knew he must not shoot the girl. What mattered was to capture both her and the boy.

Just then he spotted them. Julie was running, the boy in her arms. She was tripping and bumping into trees. Where the woods were thick her silhouette was unclear. Then it disappeared. Nénesse upped his pace. It reappeared. She had stopped. She could not escape him now. Nénesse sneered, then he got the feeling that a metal rod was being thrust into his thorax, heard the report of a pistol shot, fell onto all fours, and lost hold of his pistol.

“This is stupid!” he exclaimed.

Nénesse was in shock. He felt himself. There was a hole in his flank. He was lying on his side. He heard his brother’s voice.

“There you are, for Christ’s sake! What the fuck are you doing? I’ve been calling you for ten minutes! Where’s the girl?”

“Help me up,” said Nénesse. “That little bitch put a slug in my chest!”