Read Holding Their Own: The Salt War for Free Online

pulling his belongings out, a quiet crowd gathering to watch.
    As they neared the bottom, Nick noticed one of the deputies try a slight of hand, something bright and red hidden in the man’s palm. A moment later, the enforcer raised that same hand, holding a tomato high in the air for everyone to see.
    “That’s not mine,” Nick said calmly. “You already had that in your palm.”
    “Bullshit!” barked the deputy. “You stole this from the market. We had a complaint.”
    “Really? Seriously? You’re going to plant a vegetable on me and then claim I’m some sort of shoplifter? That’s all you got?” Nick responded, his tone making it clear he wasn’t taking the charge seriously.
    “So this is what your so-called Alliance is all about,” boomed Mr. Gospel’s voice as the crowd parted to let the local leader approach the scene of the crime. “You come in here all high and mighty, telling everyone that you stand for the rule of law, democracy, and a better way of life. Now we know that’s bullshit… you’ve just proven you’re nothing more than a petty thief.”
    Nick understood the man was preaching to the gathered public. Two could play at that game. “That’s rich, my friend, especially coming from a power-hungry dictator who’s frightened of losing his subjects,” Nick replied. “You’re trying to frame me in order to keep your people from moving to a better place.”
    “Arrest this criminal,” Standowski ordered, unwilling to be drawn into a debate.
    Nick sensed the two deputies approach him from behind, the closest throwing his arm toward the big man’s neck, an attempt to grasp his throat and then pull Nick over onto his back. It was a standard law enforcement tactic and very effective against the average suspect. But Nick wasn’t average.
    Catching the flying arm with both hands, Nick ducked under and twisted in the same motion. Before anyone else could react, he had the deputy’s arm behind the man’s back and was reaching for the holstered Glock on the lawman’s belt.
    The other rearward enforcer tried to step in and assist his comrade, and that was a mistake. Nick torqued on his prisoner, spinning the now howling deputy into his mate, knocking him to the pavement. By then, the Glock was free of its holster.
    Still maintaining his grip on the first guy’s arm, Nick crouched low, using the enforcer’s body as a shield. Both of the forward deputies were pulling their weapons when Nick shot the first man in the leg; the second took a 9mm slug to his Kevlar-protected chest.
    Absolute bedlam erupted through the surrounding crowd. Women were screaming, men yelling warnings and the entire populace was trying to run somewhere… anywhere to get away from the roar of gunfire.
    Nick pistol whipped his shield, slamming the barrel hard into the back of the man’s neck. The fourth deputy had finally managed to palm his weapon, but it was too late. Like a football punter, Nick took one big step and landed his size 14 boot squarely on the enforcer’s temple.
    In less than five seconds, all four of Gospel’s henchmen were disabled. The former union boss stood speechless, fear filling his eyes, watching Nick point the captured weapon at his head.
    “I’m going to give you one warning, Standowski… and only one. Don’t start a fucking war you can’t win. This was a minor league play against a professional, and there are thousands and thousands more just like me in the Alliance. If you ever pull such bullshit again, I’ll personally kill you … and do it slowly.”
    For the first time since Nick had been around Mr. Gospel, the local leader didn’t have any good news to share. In fact, he was speechless.
    Nick glanced once more at his attackers moaning on the ground and shook his head. “Shame you ordered these men to do your dirty work, and all because you are a coward. Hard telling how many of your people are going to die if things get really rough,” he stated, and then began jogging for