Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 67490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“They found him,” Coffey practically beamed. “Or,Autry found him.”
“Really?” I asked in surprise.
“He left the apartment complex that he was cornered in… and get this. He went to the circus.”
We all burst out laughing.
If there was one place that I wouldn’t have gone, it was there.
“Are you telling me that out of all the places he could’ve gone… he went there.” I shook my head. “And Autry got him.”
“Autry not only got him, but Autry might’ve accidentally hurt him more than Ande did.” Coffey’s eyes gleamed. “And since we don’t know who would have gotten their licks in first—the military or civilian justice—Autry made sure that he was damaged either way.…Autry made sure that he’ll be damaged. For a long time.”
Turns out, Coffey’s words might’ve been very tame for what had actually occurred.
Watching the film of the encounter after all the police left—with an entire room full of family—we all sat in stunned silence as Autry gave an in-person reenactment of everything that had happened.
“So it goes like this…” Autry started. “I was walking the halls, doing my nightly check like always. Since we’d just gotten in, you know? So I’m going through everything, and I left the back door cracked because you know how I can’t fucking stand the ladies’ locker room. It is so strong smelling that I feel like I’m going to suffocate. So there I am, checking the trashes to make sure they were emptied, when there’s a loud bang. I turn around and see this little rat scuttle inside. I go to confront him, and he’s hiding in the stupid feather things that the ladies wear around their necks when they’re serving shit. I grab him out, and that’s when I notice who he is. But before I can react, he tries to strangle me with one of those boas. So I react accordingly.”
By ‘react accordingly’ he really meant that he beat the absolute snot out of Abraham.
Abraham gave as good as he got, which allowed Autry to take it a bit further than the police probably would’ve liked before he called it in.
After doing a checkup, Quaid informed us that Abraham had a broken femur—on both sides—two broken arms, and a laceration on his neck that caused a lot of blood loss.
To make matters worse, he suffered a lot of oxygen deprivation during that time… and the doctors weren’t certain what kind of brain function he’d have.
If there was any luck in the world… it would be low.
But one could only hope.
CHAPTER 28
Adulthood is straight up the worst ‘hood’ I’ve lived in.
-Keene to Ande
KEENE
It was time to elaborate on a few things.
I’d do that today.
“Hey, you want to go to a graduation with me?” I asked. “It’s a couple hours away, though.”
She frowned. “Whose graduation?”
I thought about telling her then, but I felt like I might need to have her locked up in a car where she couldn’t escape.
“I’ll tell you everything on the way.”
Her eyes lit at my words. “Everything? Even the stuff you so conveniently polished over?”
The meaning was clear. She wanted to know everything there was to know about all the things that I purposefully left vague not to scare her too badly. To underplay how scary my life really was at times.
“So whose graduation is this?” she asked as she pointed at the gas station.
I pulled in, even though I didn’t need gas, and got out.
She followed behind, and I held the door open for her as she barreled inside.
Then she proceeded to buy one of everything.
Reese. Snickers. Hershey. Nuts. Chips.
You name it, she bought it.
By the time we left, we had more drinks than we could consume, food enough for twenty, and a stomachache pending.
It was when we were finally out of Dallas, and heading toward Sunnyvale, that I started to tell her the fine details.
“So you just what… go save them? Then what?” she asked.
“Depending on if they need any extra care, Winston works with them on that. We check in. Let them know they’re not alone.” I jerked my head toward the sign that read ‘Sunnyvale 3 miles.’ “That’s why we’re going to this. One of the first kids I rescued graduates today.”
“Wow,” she breathed. “That’s kind of beautiful, Keene.”
“It’s penance,” I admitted. “I’d do it anyway, because the world needs help. But this way… I feel like I’m making up for the disgusting human being who ‘raised’ us.”
“And your sisters know?” she asked.
I winced. “I should probably tell them. Crimson has to lie to them… and I know that’s not fun. Especially after all we went through over the years.”
“Then tell them,” she encouraged. “They’re not going to overreact.”
“No,” I agreed.
“They probably already know,” she offered. “I mean, you only think you’re good at keeping secrets. But what makes you think they didn’t notice you gone, and then ask Folsom to spy on you?”