...He handed a knife to his partners as if they were performing an operation and they took it in turns.
... Pascal cut Flake’s arm off at the elbow and Soda removed several ounces of flesh from what was left. Bruton severed Flake’s entire left arm. He screamed so loud he broke his vocal chords.
... Then they poured themselves a drink and sat down.
... They waited and revived them.
... It was almost dusk when they began the final stage.
... Norris was trying to speak again but Bruton kicked him so hard a cup of blood flew out of his mouth.
... “This is it, ready?” he said.
... And he turned to his men.
... They knew the score.
... Soda walked forward first.
... He laid his gun against Norris’s side and shot a hole of such clean beauty through it the others stood and admired it for a while.
... Al was next.
... He held Flake’s face and shot him through the side of the neck.

...Blood pumped from the wound and Flake moved his mouth in some grim mockery of speech.
... Soda stuck his gun against Norris’s arm pit and blew a hole through, dislodging a piece of Norris’s bone.
... It landed on the other side of the room.
... Then Bruton placed his gun against Flake’s head and looked him in the eyes.
... The moment seemed interminable and he watched and waited as the last of Flake’s self-respect died there before him.
... Then he stuck the gun into his mouth and blew half of his head off.
... Flake had one side of his head intact with the other a mess of brain and mangled bone.
... They stood and waited for him to die.
... It was dark in the room when he did but they needed no light to conduct the rest of their business.
... Moonlight streamed through the window as they turned their attention to Norris.
... They opened fire on him, blowing holes into what remained of his legs.
... They stopped and let the cloud of smoke drift towards the ceiling.
... Then Bruton placed his gun against the side of his head.
... He pushed it in hard, so that the nozzle was embedded in his skin.

......Norris looked at him and turned away.
... There was a moment’s pause and they listened to the creaking of the house.
... Then he pulled the trigger.
... The blast was monumental.
... Norris fell onto his side.
... The house smelt of gun oil and smoke. And they stood watching the blood pool.
... “They was nothing but scum,” Al said.
... “Right, and we sure did show ‘em what a gun is made for,” Bruton said.
... They left them lying there like that.
... They drove away across the barren landscape.