Part 5
Ezra stood behind Chris, eyes wide at the confession. Suddenly, both Jakob and Chris pulled their guns. Jakob got the first shot off, which hit Chris's revolver and sent it flying.
A thought passed through Ezra's mind about forgetting about Jakob's gun, and he started to run toward his father, teeth gritted and flicking his derringer out of his sleeve. Jakob saw him coming, and shot in Ezra's direction, sending him spinning, trying to dodge the bullet. Chris used Jakob's distraction to dive for his gun, and before he could reach it, felt the cold steel of Jakob's gun press into the base of his neck. Chris froze.
"Comin' after me is gonna be the last mistake you ever make, boy," Jakob growled. The hammer clicked back, and Chris squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the explosion of the bullet going through him, and the darkness that would follow. Instead, he heard the shot of another gun. Jakob muttered an obscenity before collapsing onto Chris. He hurredly pushed the body off him and saw the bullet had gone clean through the temple. He looked up and saw Ezra holding his derringer, still leveled at Jakob. He was clutching his side with his left hand, where a red stain was growing beneath it with each second.
"Damn..." Chris whispered, and he scrambled to his feet.
Ezra looked at him with a bewildered, almost frightened expression on his face. Chris came over to him and grabbed his shoulders, and gave him a slight shake when he saw Ezra's eyes stare past him, becoming glazed.
"Ezra," Chris said firmly, and repeated until he looked at him. Ezra gave Chris a small smile, and opened his mouth to talk.
"Chris...it's over..." he whispered, and he glanced over Chris's shoulder at Jakob's body.
"Ezra, come on, stay here,"Chris practically begged.
Ezra's eyes went wide, and his face softened. "Gabri..." he breathed, and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head, and his knees buckled. Chris caught him before he fell, and slowly lowered him to the ground. He pressed a hand to Ezra's wound, and looked up, his eyes wild.
"Help me!" he screamed, "I need help!"
Chris let out a sigh of relief when he spotted a a young man emerge from one of the buildings. The man came toward him, and went down on one knee so he could help.
"I'm a doctor," the man said as he glanced at Ezra's bloody side, "Help
me take him in there." He gestured to the building that he had come
from, and Chris gave him a nod. He hooked his arms under Ezra's while
the doctor grabbed his legs, and carried him inside.