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Even all that, from its size to its fearsome armament, was not the worst thing about it. It was Nix who spoke the word that made it all beyond horrifying.
She spoke its name.
“Charlie …”
75
OUTSIDE THE HOTEL …
Lilah found a shed filled with old sporting equipment. Deflated balls, old fishing rods, Frisbees. She stared at the junk … and smiled.
Yes, she thought, this is perfect.
Inside the hotel …
“Tom!” Chong called from the hallway. He had just come back from escorting all the captive children into another room.
“I told you to stay with the kids,” barked Tom.
“Um … the kids are fine. Really.” Chong wore a quirky and bemused smile. “But … there’s something else. You’d better come.”
Tom turned from the guard. The man had collapsed into a weeping, cringing pile, and looking at him disgusted Tom. He jabbed the guard with a toe. “Stay!”
The man nodded and held his hands up, palms out.
Tom crossed to the door and stepped out into the hall. His hand flashed toward his sword, and a war cry almost tore itself from his throat. Then he froze in total shock.
The hall was full of people. All of them were heavily armed. Tom’s mouth hung open. One of the people reached out a hand and gently pushed on Tom’s chin to close his mouth.
“You’re going to catch flies with that,” said Sally Two-Knives with a wicked grin.
Tom looked around, seeing faces that could not be here. “I don’t—I mean—”
“You owe me two ration dollars,” said Fluffy McTeague to Basher. “I told you he wouldn’t know what to say.”
Farther down the hall, J-Dog and Dr. Skillz were removing the dog collars from the kids. They looked up and grinned.
“Kahuna!” said J-Dog.
“Yo, brah!” said Dr. Skillz.
“How are you here?” exclaimed Tom.
Sally and Solomon filled him in on the discussion they’d had in the woods. “We started gathering everyone up,” said Solomon, shaking Tom’s hand. “You’re a popular guy, brother. Everybody’s either looking to warn you or looking to trade you to White Bear for serious cash money.”
“I saw the bounty sheet. Not just me … they want my brother and his friends. Dead or alive.”
“Worth more alive,” said Hector Mexico. “Dead? Eh, not so much.”
“We don’t want you to leave, boss. End of an era,” said Basher. “No way we were going to let White Bear write the last chapter of Fast Tommy’s story.”
Tom frowned. “So … this is a rescue party?”
“Par-teeee!” chanted J-Dog and Dr. Skillz.
“But this isn’t even your fight.”
Solomon Jones answered that. “It’s always been our fight, Tom. And with you gone—dead or gone east—then it’s going to be our war.”
