--I don't know. I don't remember too good. Fernando or Ramon, I think.

--You tore my favorite shirt.

--That was Paul, OK? It was Paul. I told him to stop and he just. f.u.c.k! Andy, your eye?

--What?

--Can you see out of it?

Andy blinks.

--Which one?

--The left one, your left eye. It's like, it looks like it's full of blood, like there's blood inside of it.

--Oh.

He closes his right eye.

--Yeah, I can see out of it.

--Good. OK.

--George?

--Yeah, bro?

--My stomach feels funny.

He tilts, eyes open, until he's lying on his side, shivering, and then still.

[image]

Paul stops running.

He looks around to see where he is. Somewhere on Locust. Turning, he can see the swimming pools at May Nissen Park a few blocks away. He's covered in sweat. Even with the sun down it's still like eighty. He gets out a Marlboro and lights it. He starts to walk, heading toward the pools.

Too bad they close at dark. Be nice to jump in the water and cool off. If they didn't have those security lights he could just hop the fence. Could do it anyway. Get over the fence and do a couple quick laps and get out. Still be plenty of time to meet up with the guys. They were lagging so hard, didn't see any of them behind him when he took off. f.u.c.king laggers. Gonna give them all kinds of s.h.i.t when they catch up. Trouble starts, you gotta jet right away.

He crosses Rincon and walks up to the fence and stands there looking at the pools on the other side.

Lamea.s.s Andy f.u.c.king up inside the house. Getting George in there with him. Well, George'll get them both out. Hector must have split around the other side of the house. Probably got his bike. Man, getting his bike back is gonna be a b.i.t.c.h. Maybe go back there right now and take a grab at it. No, that's lame. Guys'll be catching up soon. Gonna have to deal with those bikes together.

He hooks his fingers in the chainlink, closes his eyes.

And sees again his best friend's legs, cut and bleeding, being pulled through the window. And hears the screams.

He opens his eyes.

--f.u.c.k me.

[image]

--Where are they?

--There's one right there, man.

--Yeah, I see him. What's wrong with him?

--He's the puta b.i.t.c.h that f.u.c.ked up my car.

--OK. So what's wrong with him?

--I hit him a couple times.

Geezer tilts his head to get a better look at Hector's face.

--Kid's got, what, cuts on his face? What're those?

--Cuts.

--From what?

--Piece of chain.

Geezer looks where Fernando is pointing. Uses the grabber to pick up the b.l.o.o.d.y chain from the floor.

--You hit him a couple times with this?

--Once, just once.

--Kid's been hit a lot of a f.u.c.k more than once. Kid's missing teeth. He's been...word? When you get attacked by a wild animal, a bear, what it does to you?

--Como?

--What's the word for that?

--I don't f.u.c.king know, man.

Ramon shifts on his crutch.

--Maul. You get mauled by a bear.

Geezer drops the chain.

--That's it, kid's been mauled.

He looks at Fernando.

--You hit him once and mauled him like this? Remind me never to let you hit me.

Ramon pokes Hector with the rubber tip of his crutch.

--I mauled him.

Geezer pulls at the brim of his black and yellow Caterpillar hat.

--What'd he do?

--Screamed a little. Cried a lot.

--No, what'd he do that you mauled him?

Ramon pivots on his crutch and hobbles to the couch.

--Nothing. Just wanted to see what that chain'd do to his face.

Geezer watches him lower himself to the couch and stretch out his gun shot leg.

He points at Hector.

--Well, guess we know now what happens you whip some kid's face with a piece of chain. He gets all f.u.c.ked up. Might want to call a medical journal or some s.h.i.t, make a report, get yourself nominated for the f.u.c.king Pulitzer.

Ramon smiles.

--n.o.bel.

--What?

--n.o.bel Prize. Pulitzer, they only give that for writing stuff.

--Well, when they start giving a n.o.bel Prize for f.u.c.king kids up with chains you'll be a pioneer in the field, won't you?

Ramon stares.

Geezer pushes up the brim of his hat, looks at Fernando.

--'Nando, your little brother vying for top psycho in the room honors? He trying to freak me out, put me off my game?

Fernando puts a hand on his brother's shoulder.

--He's cool, Geezer. Just likes to show off a little.

--Got some macho in him, eh?

--Sure, like all of us, right?

Geezer smiles.

--Never met a Mexican worth a d.a.m.n who didn't have some macho to him.

--Sure, that's just how we are.

He looks at Ramon.

--Right, little brother?

Ramon leans back.

--Sure, ese, just me and my macho showing off.

Geezer nods at Fernando, chins waggling.

--Good enough. Where's the other ones?

Fernando points at the hallway.

--Bathroom.

--El bano, eh?

--Right. The bathroom.

--Show me.

Fernando walks around Geezer and down the hall, ignoring the slit-eyed wink Ramon throws him from the couch.

Geezer follows him into the master bedroom, waving the grabber at Timo on the floor.

--Jesus, everybody in this place take a beating?

Timo stays on his back, pinching his nostrils gently, trying to stop the blood that keeps dripping from his swollen nose.

--I dinn't tate no beadin' froh nodbody.

Fernando puts his hand on the bathroom doork.n.o.b.

--He fell down.

Geezer laughs.

--Fell down on a pile of fists it looks like.

Timo looks away.

--I fell ond duh grounb libe ebberbody dubs.

--Sure, sure thing, amigo. Whatever you say.