Page 272 of Ranger's Wildflower

Not for the door.

For her.

I fire.

One shot.

Clean.

He drops.

Hard.

Weapon hitting the floor.

Silence crashes down.

Final this time.

I move in fast.

Kick the weapon away.

Drop him fully.

Trigger locks him down.

Beast secures.

Done.

Tessa stands still.

Watching.

Breathing.

Alive.

I step in front of her.

“You okay?”

She looks at me.

Really looks.

And this time—

There’s no fear.

“Yeah,” she whispers.

Sirens rise in the distance.

Finally—

Justice.