Didn’t kneel. Not like he’d been told. He’d always had a problem with authority, unless it was his own. He kept balanced on his toes instead. A sprinter waiting for the crack of the starting pistol. The cloud cover shifted. The skinny guy closed in. Stars shone above him like studs on a black leather jacket. His blue eyes glinted like a Hollywood hero’s. He gripped the Uzi in both hands. His uneven teeth filled the mouth hole of his balaclava. He grinned. ‘Say hi to Jesus for me,’ he told Danny. He was power-tripping now. Showboating for his friends. What Danny had hoped to avoid had now happened. The skinny guy had broken all the rules. He’d left Danny no choice. ‘Wait,’ Danny called out. He clasped his hands together above his head, like he was pleading for his life. ‘Please.’ There was panic in his voice. Desperation. ‘Don’t kill me. I’m begging you. Please. You’ve got to hear me out.’ The skinny guy kept his finger on the trigger and asked him, ‘Why?’ Danny didn’t answer.
