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looked back to his group, grinned, then turned to Adam as he took a step down.
    “Ay, are you one of dem Darwin players?”
    Before the stranger had finished the question, he’d drawn a pistol from his coat and had it aimed between Adam’s unblinking eyes. It was an old-fashioned gun, the kind that shot lead. It took everything inside Adam not to turn or flinch. He knew they’d see it as weakness.
    Gun on Adam, the leader said, “Ooh, we got ourselves a reward, folks!”
    Adam cleared his throat as he stood, one fist balled, the other tight on the hammer. He’d rather die like a man than run like a dog. That didn’t mean he needed to charge heedlessly into his own death, though. He could use his words and maybe convince the men above to spare him.
    Maybe they weren’t looking for blood.
    Maybe he had a chance.
    Adam opened his mouth to speak, then saw how much the stranger’s smile reminded him of Tommy, and all hope was lost. So instead he spun around and leapt to the landing below. He ignored the shock as it tore through his body, turned the corner, ran down another six stairs, then jumped the remainder. At the next landing, he ducked into the corridor and ran down the long hallway without looking back.
    He kept running, racing down the hall as footsteps echoed behind him. He had no idea if the door at the end was locked, or what he would do if it were. He didn’t really have a choice, though. He could hear his pursuers rounding the corner behind him when he reached the door, and he grabbed the handle and gave it a twist.
    No luck.
    But as he frantically searched for something to smash the lock with, he noticed a hallway to his left that he hadn’t seen before.
    He ran harder. He had only seconds. When they rounded the corner this time they’d send a bullet into his back.
    The doors on either side of the hall were all closed, and he couldn’t take a chance to try any of them. He only had the window ahead.
    Just 40 feet from the window, Adam had already made up his mind to jump. Death would be quick, his pain would be over as soon as it started. A leap from above would certainly be better than whatever was running behind him. He wouldn’t see Ana again or taste his revenge against Keller, but at least his rotten life would finally be over. Maybe he’d be reunited with his mother and father if something really followed death.
    If . . .
    Heavy breath harmonized with laughs of victory behind him as his pursuers realized they had Adam cornered. He pictured the leader raising his gun and tried not to imagine lead ripping into his flesh.
    Now just 10 feet from the window, he steeled himself to do what he must. Maybe his bold decision would be rewarded by a soft fall. God knew there was enough trash littering every corner of The Outback. Maybe he’d get lucky this time.
    Maybe.
    A few feet from the window, though, Adam’s feet found something wet and sticky.
    With his second fall in only minutes, he slipped in what smelled like blood and fell flat on his face. On the ground, Adam was shocked to realize he still had his hammer. He tightened his grip, got to his knees, and held it up in the air, turning to face his attackers.
    “What are you gonna do with that?” one of the men chortled. “Build a wall?”
    The leader laughed loudly, waited for the chorus of echoes behind him, then took a step forward, raising his gun. “Think it can stop a—”
    The man’s head burst into crimson gore. The first shot was followed by many, until his attackers were painting the wooden floor with their bodies and Adam heard a series of clicks.
    He flinched. Adam had been prepared for death and now feared facing something worse. The two men standing before him were garbed in City 6 blue. One was a giant of a man with a thick brown beard and long curly hair.
    And the other was . . . the dark-skinned, green-eyed man from his youth.
    Colton reached down and held out his hand. Adam hesitated, so his father’s old friend reached