Crossroads by Chandler McGrew

and a beat-up station-wagon, he sat staring at barred windows that reminded Kira of the police station, but the way Bullet glared at them you’d have thought they were protecting something wonderful. The sign over the big oak doors read Eltonbury National Bank. The hair on the back of Kira’s neck stood on end.
    "What’s the matter?" said Bullet, catching her eye.
    She shook her head. "Why are we stopping?"
    "I need to make a withdrawal," said Bullet, reaching under his seat and producing a big black revolver that he stuffed into his pants. He dropped his hand behind the seat and jerked out a dirty corduroy jacket, pulling it on and closing a couple of snaps to cover the gun.
    Kira reached for the door handle, but Bullet was faster, whipping the gun back out and shoving it into Jen’s ribs. The way it was pointed, it looked like it might kill both her and Kira. She waited for the shot, barely able to control her shaking.
    "You two are coming in with me," he said, quietly.
    "No," whispered Kira.
    "Make up your minds. You come in and do what I say, or I bust a cap on your friend here, right now. Don’t make a fuck to me."
    Kira could see by the wild look in his eye that he meant it. She knew in that instant that he had killed before with the gun, that it meant less to him than killing meant to one of the Grigs. He really was connected to the Empty-eyed-man someway, whether he knew it or not, whether he was spawned by demons or not.
    "We’re gonna walk in there all cozy like, but if either of you tries running off you better believe I can shoot a gnat off a horse’s ass with this thing."
    He aimed the gun in Kira’s face.
    "Okay," she said.
    He shoved the pistol into his pants again and pulled the jacket back over it.
    "Get out on my side, both of you," he said, backing out of the truck.
    When they were all out he nudged Kira toward the bank, and Jen ambled along beside her, unconcerned as always.
    "I thought you were supposed to protect me," Kira whispered to Jen, giving her a wide-eyed look, that said now would be a real good time.
    "You make the decisions," said Jen, following her through the heavy swinging doors into the cool interior.
    Only one of the teller windows across the wide expanse of gray marble floor was occupied, and a woman in a tight blue dress stood waiting behind an old man who leaned on the counter chatting with the teller. Bullet shoved Jen and Kira in front of him, placing Kira directly behind the woman in line. The woman looked over her shoulder, smiled at Kira, frowned at Bullet, then turned away again. Without warning Jen sidled over beside the old man, leaning her elbow on the counter and acting as though she were a part of the conversation, but Kira could tell that neither the old man nor the teller saw her.
    "What’s she doing?" whispered Bullet, bumping into Kira’s back so that she felt the pistol in his pants.
    Kira shook her head. She really had no idea.
    Bullet leaned down close to her ear. "Get her back here, now!"
    Kira wanted to tell him that that wasn’t likely to happen unless Jen felt like it, but she knew there was no use arguing with him. She was caught between two large stones that were moving closer and closer together.
    What he really didn’t understand was that it was impossible for her to argue with Jen at all under the circumstances because she was sure now that not even the lady in blue had any clue that Jen even existed. What were the three of them going to think when she started talking to Jen? But Bullet nudged her again, and she reluctantly trudged over to Jen’s side.
    Jen looked at her as Kira took a up a position slightly behind the old man. The teller glanced at her curiously, and that drew the old man’s attention.
    "I’ll just be a minute, Sweetheart," said the old man.
    Kira nodded, smiling weakly.
    She gave Jen a look and jerked her head back toward Bullet. Jen ignored her, turning back to watch the old man. Kira glanced over her shoulder. Bullet had one