SMALL TOWN BIG CATCH 24

for the next week del was busy with the carpenters working on enlarging the house. sharon and mike stayed busy shopping for things to go in the addition. when he could del would take a horse and go ride through his cows. he was liveing the dream he had always wanted, thanks to a old batchalor he had befriended and respected. some times he felt he needed to pinch himself to see if it wasnt a dream. jerry had made a habit of being there every night for supper. and sharon was liveing it up. mike had drawen closer to jerry over time. del looked at the three of them and saw a budding little family group. that made him happy. del wanted to relax a bit and enjoy life. but jerry was still strung tight as a fiddle string. he admitted he didnt know why, just a feeling he had. del thought jerry came to supper every night to check on sharon and mike. del had stopped shoing horses for the public. he shod his own and took care of them as if they were his own children. he had been shopping for a replacement for the one that he had lost. he had one pictured in his mind just how he wanted to be. but had yet to find him. every morning when he stepped out on the porch on his way to the barn he looked to the sky and said a little thank you prayer. he wasnt very religious but he knew enough to know where all these good things he was experianceing came from. he no longer carrid a firearm. he was relaxed. he didnt constantly search the sky line while rideing. he took his time and looked at his cows. it was a healing process.at night he slept the sleep of the just.

SMALL TOWN BIG CATCH 23

jerry was keeping the survey truck in sight. other traffic had disapeared. blocked up ahead and being held back behind. it wasnt long uuntil he saw the pick up trucks brake lights flicker. then a few moments later the tires on the truck locked and started skidding, smoke rolling from under them. the truck skidded side ways and stopped. jerry pulled to withing 50 feet and stopped. he sat still waitting to see what nafzigger ould do. the passenger door on the truck flew open and mike jumped from the cab and started sprinting into the desert. when he had jumped out nafziggers arm had reached for the kid but come up short. jerry steped from his car and stood behind the open door with the mic from his radio in his hand. over the loud speaker he called for nafzigger to throw down his arm and surrender. jerry wanted the big man alive. he could see two patrol cars the other side of the pickup truck. deputys standing behind them rifles resting on the hoods of the cars. finally nafzigger held his weapon up outside the cab and dropped it. then got out of the truck hands held high. jerry instructed him to lie face down on the ground. jerry put the mic back into the car and he staarted walking toward nafzigger. nafziggers pistol was right in front of his right hand. he reached for it, but two rifles behind him fired. blood spurted from two holes in his back. he wasnt dead. jerry got to the pistol and heaved it away and yelled for some one to call a ambulance.this big man had absorbed the lead like it was a thumb tack. a hour later a helicopter had nafzigger straped to a gurney and was lifting off. jerry had mike in the car and was headed back home. but for some reason jerry wasnt satisfyed. he couldnt tell you why he just wasnt. back at the home place mike fell into his mommas arms and snuggled there while she cried tears of relief and joy. del and jerry stood to one side smilling. del turned to jerry " well i guess thats the end of that dirt pirate" " not so fast. i never saw anyone take lead like that. he s not done. lets hope trial and jail keep him away a long time" jerry was over serious.