I'll be damned if I'm going to let this moron kill me…
The gun was inches away from Lassiter's head now.
It was still quaking in the short man's grasp.
I have to have almost eight inches on this guy…
I can take him…
Even with a busted knee, I can take him…
He could see the apprehension in the man's eyes, the tension running taut throughout his body.
He's not going to shoot…
He can't…
Suddenly, his instinct kicked in.
Almost without thinking, Lassiter grabbed up for the gun, his hand closing around the barrel as his uninjured leg shot out, sweeping behind the man and knocking him to the ground.
For a moment, they were both lying flat on their backs, the man still stunned and Lassiter trying to struggle through the pain and get to his feet first.
Finally, he managed to stand up, balancing on his throbbing knee and slowly backing up, the gun leveled at the man, who still hadn't moved.
"You're damn lucky I don't have my cuffs…" he muttered, starting to turn around.
He never saw the tree branch coming at his head, never heard the second man approaching from behind.
It caught him in the chin, tearing through his flesh and sending him sprawling back to the ground, blind and disoriented.
Above him, he could hear the second voice.
"You idiot!" It snapped.
There was the sound of a gun being cocked, but Lassiter didn't hear the shot.
There weren't any sight or sounds at all anymore...
There was just the searing hot pain ripping through his other knee, and then there was nothing.
Nothing…