“I… I had to. She was going to find us and turn us in.”
The man behind me curses. There’s somethingfamiliar about it.
“Your brain’s fried, you know that?”
“I’m sorry, Skunk. Really.”
“You should be. I told you to take care of the other two while I was gone. Instead, you went and made it worse.”
“I didn’t mean to.” Worm gets to his feet, wringing his hands. “Did I really make it worse?”
“Yes!” the other man snarls. “I swear, you’re the dumbest—I mean, what were you even thinking?”
I shoot a quick glance at the girls. Amelia’s eyes look over my head at the arguing men as she mouthsalmost.
Slowly, I start unraveling my wrists from the pack straps.
“What are we supposed to do with them?”
“Maybe they could take care of us?” Worm offers hopefully.
“Maybe they could take care of us,” Skunk mocks in a falsetto.
Then, in a much deeper voice, one that makes my skin tighten on my bones and sends a fresh surge of adrenaline into my veins, he growls, “Where’d you get that gun?”
“She had it.”
I force my face into the most pitiful expression I can muster. It doesn’t take much work.
“Who, her? Hey, new girl.”
I turn my head slowly until I’m looking over my shoulder. The last shred of hope I’d been holding onto vanishes instantly.
“You!”
The hand strikes out faster than my addled brain can follow. I yelp as I’m yanked to my feet, my shoulderfeeling like it just tore from its socket as gravity and the weight of my pack jerk it in the other direction. I manage to catch it before it drops and reveals that my hands aren’t bound anymore, though the fingers digging deep into my muscles makes it hard to hold on.
“You know her?” Worm’s voice is pure disbelief.
“That’s the chick who screwed me up at the pharmacy. If it wasn’t for her, I’d have got the stuff to give to Dave for him to cook us up a batch.” He glares at me in a way that makes my breath catch as he says, “She’s the reason why you’re feeling so bad right now, man. And why you’re tearing yourself to shreds. That’s gross. Stop it.”
Reaching out, he smacks Worm’s hand as he digs at a sore on his arm.
“What’s she doing out here?”
“That’s a very good question.”
The man called Skunk snatches my gun from Worm’s hand. He racks the slide. The round that was already chambered ejects. But I know that the moment he released it, another moved to take its place, which makes it that much harder for me to maintain my courage as he shoves the barrel against my forehead.
“And you better have a very good answer,” he threatens me.
I straighten my spine. Lift my chin. Force the fear from my eyes as I meet his gaze.
“Is that a raccoon?”
“Ricky!” Worm’s head whips around as he looks for the animal.
Skunk’s focus shifts for only an instant, but it’s all I need. I swing my arms, hitting his gun hand with the full weight of my pack. The weapon fires, splinters spraying from a hole near the ceiling as I yell to the girls, “Run!”
