August shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. We’re going to scrap it after we’re done here. This machine will be buried as a tiny metal cube in the middle of thousands of other tiny metal cubes before sunset tomorrow. In a scrapyard owned by us. That’s why Jericho and I are here. We’re disassembling the machine as soon as we’re done.”
“I can think of nobody who deserves this send off more,” Jericho said. “And now, the twins will stop whining about this being on their bucket list.”
“This is going to be so fucking messy,” Noah said, walking to the guardrail and looking down into the abyss of the meat grinder. “Adam is going to be so sad he missed this.”
“I’d record it for him, but Dad would freak,” Asa said, voice tight from exertion as he bent down to secure the ropes. “Okay, done.”
Levi frowned. Micah stood with his feet at the edge of the platform, each arm loosely tied to the guardrails on either side.
“What are those for?” Levi asked.
“Just to keep him there until we’re done with him,” Avi said. “Don’t want him taking all the fun out of it.”
Micah was no longer smiling, his eyes fixated on the bat in Avi’s hand. Just like with Mercer, Avi swung it in a circle, showing off the wicked-looking nails sticking out of it, like needles on a porcupine. Once Avi was close enough, he nodded to Jericho who pushed a large green button on the side of the machine. A loud buzzing sound came from a speaker overhead and then the grinder came to life with a groan and a shudder.
Avi approached Micah with the bat and grinned. “I hear you’re a baseball fan. Me too. I also like using avant garde methods when I practice my swing. Wanna see?” he asked.
“Jus’ get on wi’ it,” Micah slurred, looking over his shoulder at the machine waiting to chew him up and spit him out. Literally. “Before I die o’ boredom.”
“Wow, I can see why Shiloh went all Freddy Krugar on this fucker’s face,” Asa said. “You’ve got a real attitude problem.”
“Oh, well,” Avi said. “I’m getting bored, too.”
He turned and handed the bat to Mal. “He’s all yours.”
Micah grinned as Mal approached, his smile ghoulish from the damage Shiloh caused.
“You two are nothin’ wi’out me,” Micah taunted. “You’ll bof be homeless…orphans.”
Mal blinked at him owlishly as he took a batter’s stance, completely impervious to Micah’s taunts. Asa and Avi were leaning carefully over the guardrail, waiting for their real fun to come when Micah’s body met those blades.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Avi said, wiggling with excitement like the golden retriever he was.
Mal met Micah’s gaze. “This is for Shiloh.” He pulled the bat back. “Say hi to Mom for me.”
Micah’s eyes went wide as the bat hit him square in the chest with a wet crunch. The ropes were no match for the force behind Mal’s swing, which not only took Micah off his feet but launched him so far his body hit the far side of the grinder before sliding down. Levi’s stomach lurched and the others winced as the gears chewed through a good portion of Micah before the machine groaned again, then stopped with a sound like metal on metal.
“Aw, man,” Avi whined.
Levi forced his legs to move, heading to the edge and looking over. He quickly looked away again. Micah’s lower half was gone, but everything above the rib cage remained, with the exception of the lower part of his left arm. He was very dead.
That was all Levi needed to see.
Jericho appeared, arms folded, expression smug as he said to the twins, “I told you this would happen, but you two never listen. Hope you brought a change of clothes because you’re going to help August and me take this thing apart and then you’re gonna get rid of what’s left of him. Got it?”
The twins groaned. “Whatever. It was still pretty fucking cool.”
Levi looked to Jericho. “Can someone please take me and Shiloh home?”
“Lucas and I can do it,” Noah said.
“You can’t go back to your apartment just yet,” Jericho said with an apologetic smile. “Freckles is expecting you, though. You can get showered and cleaned up, then sleep in the guest bedroom.”
“Won’t people wonder why Shiloh is covered in blood?” Levi asked.
“Felix and Zane put him in clean clothes and slapped a ball cap on his head,” Jericho said. “It will be good enough to get you upstairs.”
Levi looked at Nico. “What about you and Mal?”
