She crosses her arms over her chest. "That's not enough. Todd isn't as much of a threat as anyone from the Firm."
"I know, Kota."
"You told Phantom?"
"I told him."
"And?"
Banshee's jaw works. "He wants Todd handled clean. Wants them at the gate."
Dakota looks at her mother. Marlena's face doesn't change.
Bex's hand stays on Banshee's. "Get on the porch, baby. Eyes north."
He bends and presses his mouth against her forehead, stays there a moment with his hand at the back of her neck, then straightens. His eyes go across Grace, me, the kids on the floor.
He goes. The door clicks shut behind him. Dakota slides the deadbolt.
The kitchen is silent except for the small wet sounds Cal makes against Marlena's collarbone and the click of a plastic horse hitting the floorboards because Waylon dropped it.
I look at Marlena. My voice comes out small. "Marlena."
She turns from the north window. Her face is the face of a woman who has been through this exact morning more than once in her time at this ranch.
"It's gonna be okay, sweetheart." She doesn't quite meet my eyes when she says it.
The dogs at the kennel start going.
The wrong dogs. The northeast kennel—the ones on the back fence line.
Marlena's hand finds the kitchen drawer next to the stove. She pulls a sidearm out of it that I didn't know was there, checks the chamber. Her hand is steady.
I've never seen her hold a gun before.
She's done this before.
The radio crackles. Banshee from the porch, "Three at the back fence. Comin' over. Phantom— Lubbock. Lubbock. Three operators at the back fence."
The code word.
Rogue's voice through the radio—distorted, far, the south gate behind him— "Comin' back. Hold?—"
Phantom's voice, "Banshee, fall back inside. Lock down. Do not engage?—"
Banshee's voice, "Too late, Prez."
Gunshots outside.
Two. Then three more. Then a longer string that doesn't stop for a count I lose track of.
Then silence.
Then a heavy sound against the bunkhouse front door from the porch.
Bex makes a sound at the back of her throat I'll hear in my dreams for the rest of my life.
Marlena hollers at Grace, "Grace get the kids. Now."