Stand-Off My eyes lock against his. We stand there on the sandy road for a few moments, waiting. The heat is causing the air around to shimmer so I have to be careful so as to not miss my chance. His body tenses but I make sure to do nothing but focus my mind. Any second now. His eyes dart to the holster on my hip and I take my chance. I throw myself sideways onto the ground just as I hear a gunshot and see the sand explode a couple of feet behind of where I was standing. I waste no time springing upwards and in a split-second I remove my gun and fire six times, emptying the cartridge, in his direction, coming to stop resting on one knee. At least four of them make contact and he falls to the ground, creating a small dust cloud as he lands. I let myself fall back from my crouched position down onto the sand and let out a sigh of relief. Looking up, the cloudless sky seems bluer than it's ever been.