could possibly do—but I just couldn’t help it. I’d never seen a skinny little man wearing a ratty red suit in the middle of Dartmoor before.
How could I not stare at that?
Red Suit was smiling now—smiling at me. His closecropped hair was almost as red as his suit. His teeth were sharp, and his eyes were wrong. I didn’t know how they were wrong, but they were. Everything about him was wrong.
He stopped in front of us and put his hands in his pockets. The others stopped behind him.
“All right?” he said, staring at me.
I didn’t answer. I knew if I said anything my voice would come out all shaky, so I just kept my mouth shut and waited for Cole to do his stuff. I didn’t have to wait very long.
“You want something?” he said to Red Suit.
Red looked at him, still smiling. “I’m sorry?”
“You heard me.”
Red’s smile began to tighten. “Just saying hello.” He shrugged. “Saw you talking to Vince just now—”
“Is that it?”
Red looked confused.
Cole stepped toward him. “Is that all you want?”
“What do you—?”
“You’re in the way.”
The smile dropped from Red’s face and his eyes went cold. Behind him, the big guy started blinking like a madman and shuffling forward. Cole ignored him and moved closer to Red, staring hard into his eyes.
“You’re in the way,” he said again, very quietly. “If you don’t do something about it right now, you’re going to get hurt.”
Before Red could say anything, the big guy pushed past him and reached out for Cole. Cole hardly moved. He just dropped his shoulder and slammed his fist into the big guy’s throat. The big guy staggered back, his mad eyes bulging, and then Cole hit him again—a short right hook to the head—and he dropped to the ground like a sack. As he went down, choking and moaning and gasping for breath, Cole turned back to Red.
Red was already raising his hands and backing away, his shocked eyes flicking between the big guy and Cole. “Shit, man,” he said, shaking his head, “you didn’t have to do that.”
“I don’t have to do anything,” Cole muttered, flicking a look at the two metalheads. They were just standing there, staring at the big guy on the ground. His face was turning a weird shade of blue. The metalheads looked up at Cole, saw him watching them, and moved out of the way.
“Come on, Rube,” Cole said quietly, putting his hand on my shoulder.
As he led me past them, Red Suit and the metalheads shuffled backward to give us more room. Cole didn’t look at them. I don’t think he was even aware of them anymore. I was, though. As we headed off down the hill, I could feel their eyes burning into the back of my neck.
“You promised you wouldn’t do anything stupid,” I said to Cole.
“I didn’t.”
“You could have killed him.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t, did I?”
“Christ, Cole. Why do you always have to—?”
I was interrupted by a sudden shout ringing out from behind us. “Hey! HEY! You listening, breed?” It was Red. We both ignored him and kept on walking. “I’ll see you later,” he called out. “You hear me? Both of you—I’ll see you later…”
I looked at Cole. “He called you breed .”
“What makes you think he meant me?”
“He said he’ll see us both later.”
“I expect he will.”
As we moved on down the hill, I realized that we had another audience now. Over by the rutted track that led across to the gypsy camp, three figures were watching us quietly: a stocky old man with a broken nose, a wide-eyed little girl of about twelve, and an older girl with a baby inher arms. Two dogs were sitting beside the girl with the baby—a lurcher and a three-legged Jack Russell. The girl was about the same age as Cole. Pale green eyes, raven hair, silent and still and beautiful. I looked at Cole. He was staring intently at her, and I could feel something moving inside him. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it didn’t feel right to feel it, so I quickly
How could I not stare at that?
Red Suit was smiling now—smiling at me. His closecropped hair was almost as red as his suit. His teeth were sharp, and his eyes were wrong. I didn’t know how they were wrong, but they were. Everything about him was wrong.
He stopped in front of us and put his hands in his pockets. The others stopped behind him.
“All right?” he said, staring at me.
I didn’t answer. I knew if I said anything my voice would come out all shaky, so I just kept my mouth shut and waited for Cole to do his stuff. I didn’t have to wait very long.
“You want something?” he said to Red Suit.
Red looked at him, still smiling. “I’m sorry?”
“You heard me.”
Red’s smile began to tighten. “Just saying hello.” He shrugged. “Saw you talking to Vince just now—”
“Is that it?”
Red looked confused.
Cole stepped toward him. “Is that all you want?”
“What do you—?”
“You’re in the way.”
The smile dropped from Red’s face and his eyes went cold. Behind him, the big guy started blinking like a madman and shuffling forward. Cole ignored him and moved closer to Red, staring hard into his eyes.
“You’re in the way,” he said again, very quietly. “If you don’t do something about it right now, you’re going to get hurt.”
Before Red could say anything, the big guy pushed past him and reached out for Cole. Cole hardly moved. He just dropped his shoulder and slammed his fist into the big guy’s throat. The big guy staggered back, his mad eyes bulging, and then Cole hit him again—a short right hook to the head—and he dropped to the ground like a sack. As he went down, choking and moaning and gasping for breath, Cole turned back to Red.
Red was already raising his hands and backing away, his shocked eyes flicking between the big guy and Cole. “Shit, man,” he said, shaking his head, “you didn’t have to do that.”
“I don’t have to do anything,” Cole muttered, flicking a look at the two metalheads. They were just standing there, staring at the big guy on the ground. His face was turning a weird shade of blue. The metalheads looked up at Cole, saw him watching them, and moved out of the way.
“Come on, Rube,” Cole said quietly, putting his hand on my shoulder.
As he led me past them, Red Suit and the metalheads shuffled backward to give us more room. Cole didn’t look at them. I don’t think he was even aware of them anymore. I was, though. As we headed off down the hill, I could feel their eyes burning into the back of my neck.
“You promised you wouldn’t do anything stupid,” I said to Cole.
“I didn’t.”
“You could have killed him.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t, did I?”
“Christ, Cole. Why do you always have to—?”
I was interrupted by a sudden shout ringing out from behind us. “Hey! HEY! You listening, breed?” It was Red. We both ignored him and kept on walking. “I’ll see you later,” he called out. “You hear me? Both of you—I’ll see you later…”
I looked at Cole. “He called you breed .”
“What makes you think he meant me?”
“He said he’ll see us both later.”
“I expect he will.”
As we moved on down the hill, I realized that we had another audience now. Over by the rutted track that led across to the gypsy camp, three figures were watching us quietly: a stocky old man with a broken nose, a wide-eyed little girl of about twelve, and an older girl with a baby inher arms. Two dogs were sitting beside the girl with the baby—a lurcher and a three-legged Jack Russell. The girl was about the same age as Cole. Pale green eyes, raven hair, silent and still and beautiful. I looked at Cole. He was staring intently at her, and I could feel something moving inside him. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it didn’t feel right to feel it, so I quickly
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