Ryan thought about it for a moment. If anyoneknew how to deal with Kenneth it would be Phillip. He didn't knowhow he knew it but he could feel that deep in his bones.“Please.”
“Let's go. You take your truck I'll meet youover at Mark's. Brendon gonna be there?”
“Yup. See you over there.”
***
Half an hour later they were all at ‘FUBAR’.
“Apt name, Mark,” Phillip drawled.
“I know. He ran off on Brendon,” Mark saidgrimly.
“Dude, he decked me and ran off,” Brendonbitched, holding an ice pack to his chin.
“Alright, we know this area. We split up,” Ryansaid.
“Brendon, you can take the van we use to drivepeople home in,” Mark said.
“Hit every bar, every place that even servesbooze,” Patrick added.
“Find out of the way places. He's going to thinkyou'll hit the big clubs. He'll want enough leeway that we won'tinterrupt until it's too late,” Phillip said quietly. “I would evengo to Belton.”
“That far away?” Ryan asked.
“It's about as far as his cravings will let himgo.”
***
They all split up. Ryan was heading towardBelton, hitting every bar he came upon. Not until he was at hiswits end did he actually run into Kenneth. The man was sitting on apark bench. Two bags lay around him. He was babblingincoherently.
“Kenny?” he whispered walking toward the baldman.
“Ryan! What about your date? Did you have sex? Ihope you did,” Kenneth babbled.
“Why don't you come home with me?” Ryan askedsoftly.
“Don't wanna. Don't have a home. Just wanna stayright here.”
He texted the guys and prayed they could make itbefore Kenneth slipped away from him.
“Can I hang?”
“Yeah, you hang. Everyone likes to hang.”Kenneth wasn't making any sense. Ryan wasn't even about to try andmake him. Instead he just stood there quietly, letting the otherman babble on.
It seemed like hours. Hours of Kenneth babbling,and drinking one drink after another. Ryan persuaded Kenneth intoletting him have a drink every once in awhile. Ryan would tip thebottle back and instead of drinking it he let it dribble down hischin.
Patrick strolled up and sat down next to Ryan.“Gonna share, bro?” he asked causally.
Kenneth blinked and handed the bottle overhesitantly. “What are you doing?” Kenneth asked. His eyes weredarting back and forth between the men and the darkness. “They'recoming,” he whispered.
Brendon came a few minutes later. He leanedcausally against a tree. “Not nice to not share after what we wentthrough.”
Kenneth blinked and stepped away from thethree.
He looked like he was going to run. All threetensed. Kenneth didn't get a chance.
“GAWD DAMNIT! I told you four to get back to thebarracks. What has the Military given to me? Four fuck-ups thatcan't fucking do one thing right?” came a deep voice out ofnowhere. “Get the fuck down, all four of you.”
