But instead of stabbing her, he shoved her toward the front door and came after her, pushing her when she didn’t move fast enough to suit him. She almost made a grab for her rifle. The jab of his blade low in her back dissuaded her. Lou blinked in the sudden glare of the sun and paused. He pushed her again, toward the corner. She thought he might want her to mount her horse, but then he pushed her toward the woods. “I’ll do what you want. There’s no need to keep shoving me,” Lou said, even thought she knew it was a waste of breath. She glanced at him and saw that he had taken Zach’s rope from its peg on the wall and brought it along. The Outcast pushed her again. He was mad at himself and taking it out on her. He didn’t need her alive, but she was still breathing. It was the first weakness he had shown since the day that changed his world. He could remedy that by plunging his knife between her shoulder blades, but he thought of her belly, and couldn’t. Lou would dearly love to know what his intentions were.
