Gunfight on Highway 87...

An excerpt from my novel in progress, The Girl With the Flat Tire:

The headlights from Travis’ pickup struck Brookner as he threw the deputy on the asphalt. Travis braked to a stop when he saw Brookner pick up Schafer's revolver and point it at them.

"Get down," Travis said, shoving Anna toward the floorboard. He reached for the .30-30 as Brookner fired. The bullet struck the rearview mirror casing, nearly ripping it off. Travis opened the cab door, stepped out and swung the rifle to his shoulder.

"Look at you," Brookner sneered, "John Wayne." He fired twice with the revolver.

Travis ducked behind the truck door. One of Brookner's bullets punched through the door six inches from Travis' head. He glanced at Anna. She was keeping her head down like he told her to.

As Brookner slid behind the wheel in the patrol car, Travis took quick aim with the rifle. His shot blasted out the back window but before he could take another shot, Brookner had the car in reverse and was gunning it toward them.

Travis realized he didn't have time to move the truck before impact and reached for Anna.

"Out of the truck, now!"

Grasping his hand, she allowed him to pull her out a second before the rear bumper of the Dodge hit the truck. They fell together on the shoulder. The Dodge's engine whined as Brookner forced the pickup backward for thirty feet. One of the headlights to the patrol car had been knocked out when he had rammed into it with his car, so only a narrow strip of the highway was lit.

Anna was sprawled on top of Travis in the gravel. "Are you okay?" he asked.

She rolled off him and sat up. "That crazy idiot—he's going to wreck every car in this town!"