Excerpt of Included!

DOWN RIVERHis hands left my wrists and I felt them fumbling at his waist. When I feltsomething hard between us I realized the mistake I’d made. I rolled off of himas the gun hammered away, two enormous concussions that split the dark andblinded me. I kept rolling, off the trail and into the dampness under the trees.I found a wide trunk and put my back to it. I waited for the old man to comeand finish the job. But the shot never came. There were voices and lights,badges glinting, and shotgun barrels as smooth as glass. Grantham was standingover me, his light in my face. I tried to stand, then something crashed intomy head and I was on my back.“Put this cocksucker in handcuffs,” Grantham said to one of the deputies.The deputy grabbed me, flipped me onto my stomach, and slammed hisknee into the center of my back.“Where’s the gun?” Grantham demanded.“It was Zebulon Faith,” I said. “His gun.”Grantham looked around, shone his light down the trail. “All I see out hereis you,” he said.I was shaking my head. “He set the fire and ran. He shot at me when I triedto stop him.”Grantham glanced at the river, at the slow roll of water that looked likesucking black tar, then upslope, to the oily glow of the burning shed. He shookhis head and spat in the dirt.“What a mess,” he said, then walked away.71