She threw her water bottle.
It struck Brody across the back of the head.
He stumbled forward.
“What the—?”
Six heads turned.
For one second, the entire parking lot became silent.
Then Brett charged.
He raised the chair above his head.
Casey stepped inside his swing.
Her shoulder slammed into his ribs.
The air exploded from his lungs.
The chair hit the pavement and cracked down the middle.
Cody grabbed Casey's arm.
She twisted free.
The bicycle chain snapped across his shins.
He crashed sideways into the gravel.
Two down.
Four standing.
Brody turned toward her.
The pipe wrench came swinging.
Casey ducked.
The wrench passed so close to her ear that she felt the air move.
She looped the chain around Brody's wrist.
Pulled.
The wrench fell.
Brody stared at his empty hand.
Then something happened behind Casey.
The old man was standing.
The Man Who Wasn't Helpless
The old man came off the pavement like a spring releasing from a trap.
His bad knee screamed.
He ignored it.
He swept one of the attackers off his feet with a single practiced movement.
The young man hit the pavement hard.
Jesse stopped.
For the first time that night, the confidence disappeared from his face.
He looked into the old man's eyes.
Whatever he saw there made him step backward.
The old man moved beside Casey.
One heavy hand settled on her shoulder.
He placed himself between her and the remaining attackers.
His voice was calm.
Almost frighteningly calm.
“Walk away while you still can.”
Brody looked at him.
Then at Casey.
Then at the others.
Something inside him finally recognized what his anger had refused to see.
They had picked the wrong people.
He turned and ran.
The others followed.
A Chevy engine roared.
Tires screamed against the asphalt.
Within seconds, they were gone.
The entire fight had lasted eight seconds.
Casey stood still.
One breath.
Two.
Then her knees gave out.
She dropped onto the curb.
The bicycle chain was still tangled around her shaking fingers.
Her left forearm had already turned purple.
The old man crouched beside her.
His knees cracked.