“You’d best see a doctor first, but we’re stuck on patrol for at least another hour. You can tag along until we’re done.”
I’m not going to any doctor, but I still need the ride, so I climb inside the jeep. It hurts more when I sit, but I push through the pain and try to keep still. The younger guard hands me a bottle of water and a half-eaten sandwich.
“I should probably ask you questions,” the older guard says from the driver’s seat. “But if you don’t want to share, I’m fine not knowing.”
“I’d rather forget about it.”
“Okey-dokey.”
“Shouldn’t we file a report or something?” the younger one asks.
“You think I’ve nothing better to do?”
“Hector wants things handled properly, Tim.”
“He wasn’t in this car last time I checked.”
“They say he knows everything,” he says quietly.
Tim snorts, but I can tell he’s not sure if it’s true or not.
They begin to drive, and their patrol route unfortunately crosses through the same area I escaped from. I sit low in my seat, watching the warehouses and anxiously waiting to be gone from this part of town. The longer it takes, the more likely I am to ride all through the night, which still sounds better than staying in this rotten city for one more day.
“What’s that all about?” Tim asks and slows the car.
I turn to look, and my heart drops.
“Yo, Clint! What’s the racket?”
Oh God.The second the car slows to a halt, I pull at the door handle, but it’s locked.
Tim turns around. “What’s wrong with you?”
“They’re the ones who attacked me!”
“You mean Clint? Hmm.”
I turn my head at the sound of approaching footsteps, my eyes landing on Clint’s glare. Bobby is standing next to him.
This isn’t happening.
“I see you found what’s mine,” Clint says, running a hand through his gray hair.
“This kid claims you attacked him.”
“Like I said—he’s mine. Last night he put one of my men in the hospital.”
“Which man?”
Clint hesitates. “Dale.”
“Dale? I heard he lost both his hands! Melted right off. You’re telling me this kid did it? Bullshit.”
“I saw what I saw, Tim, and I’d like to get back what’s mine if that’s alright with you. I’ve got some novas here to smooth the transaction.”
“No! Take me out of here!”
“Settle down back there! I hear you, Clint, but I can’t let you kill the kid. We have proper laws around here these days, if you can believe it.”
