their foreheads.
“ This one right here?” Logan asked.
“ Yes,” nodded Janet Ramirez while caressing the head of her six-year-old daughter, Marissa.
Logan wriggled his lips left to right and turned around. “They really nailed most of you in this area, didn’t they?”
“ Every other one is empty. Marissa can’t even go out and play. Tweakers go around the neighborhood stealing the copper from homes. One of them growled at Marissa like a dog when she rode her bicycle by one of the houses.”
Logan sat on the chair next to the couch. “What about the police?”
“ The city’s bankrupt. They funded the entire budget on year-to-year growth based on property tax revenue. There are only a dozen officers patrolling the entire city, and they don’t have enough funds to hire sheriffs either.”
“ Where’s Mr. Ramirez?”
Janet ’s leg began to shake. Marissa solemnly peered up at her mom. Janet couldn’t hold back the pain and began wailing. She fought through the tears and the uncontrollable anger. “He left us. He left everyone.”
Logan tried to console Janet by lightly massaging her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I hope he’ll come around and do the right thing by supporting Marissa, eventually.”
Janet flashed Logan an empty set of eyes, ones that were completely devoid of hope. She shook her head slightly . “He’s no longer with us, Mr. Drake.”
“ Oh, I see,” said Logan, his cheeks blushed with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“ It has been the most horrible year of our lives. We’ve lost everything. I need to stay strong for Marissa, though.”
“ Do you have a place to stay? Family? Friends?”
“ We’re moving to Boise next week, as soon as we can finish scavenging what’s left of our belongings. My cousin is letting us stay until I can find another job up there. We’re staying at a motel in the meantime.”
“ Give me a sec.” Logan stood up and walked to his desk. He opened up his checkbook and quickly scribbled a number he thought generous and signed it at the bottom. He walked toward Janet and handed her the check.
“ No, no, no. I can’t take this. You just listening to us is enough,” said Janet, pushing Logan’s hand away.
“ I don’t care, seriously. I get paid thousands of dollars for doing what many wish they could do for a living. I’m extremely fortunate,” Logan added. “This is gonna pay for one more week at the motel, pay for your trip up to Boise, make sure your car is well-maintained, and also help pay for a new wardrobe for you and Marissa—it’s a bit colder up there.”
Janet stood up and hugged Logan. Marissa ’s tired eyes brightened as she continued to grip her mother’s arm.
Logan stepped back and said, “Thank you for everything you’ve told me. I’ll instant message you or email you when the website is up.”
“ Thank you, Mr. Drake.” Janet gently grabbed Marissa by the hand and walked toward the door. “You’re a special person.”
Logan ’s face reddened. He sincerely appreciated Janet’s kind words.
As he opened the door, Keelen, with Cindy at her side, stood at Logan’s doorstep, ready for her first day of work. “Oh, hello,” she said.
“ Hey,” Logan said. He placed his hand on Janet’s shoulder and introduced them to Cindy and Keelen. “This is Janet and her daughter, Marissa.”
“ Nice to meet you.” Keelen smiled.
Janet and Marissa both nodded and smiled and walked toward the elevator.
Logan waved at them one last time before turning his attention toward Cindy. “How you been? Still working at Trance?”
“ You bet your ass,” Cindy replied. She walked into Logan’s apartment and marveled, “Goodness gracious, where do you get all this blood?”
Logan scratched the back of hi s head. “It’s donated by fans…all through legal means, of course.”
“ Shouldn’t all this go to blood banks?” asked Cindy.
Keelen sneered at Cindy ’s inquisitiveness. “Stop asking
“ This one right here?” Logan asked.
“ Yes,” nodded Janet Ramirez while caressing the head of her six-year-old daughter, Marissa.
Logan wriggled his lips left to right and turned around. “They really nailed most of you in this area, didn’t they?”
“ Every other one is empty. Marissa can’t even go out and play. Tweakers go around the neighborhood stealing the copper from homes. One of them growled at Marissa like a dog when she rode her bicycle by one of the houses.”
Logan sat on the chair next to the couch. “What about the police?”
“ The city’s bankrupt. They funded the entire budget on year-to-year growth based on property tax revenue. There are only a dozen officers patrolling the entire city, and they don’t have enough funds to hire sheriffs either.”
“ Where’s Mr. Ramirez?”
Janet ’s leg began to shake. Marissa solemnly peered up at her mom. Janet couldn’t hold back the pain and began wailing. She fought through the tears and the uncontrollable anger. “He left us. He left everyone.”
Logan tried to console Janet by lightly massaging her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I hope he’ll come around and do the right thing by supporting Marissa, eventually.”
Janet flashed Logan an empty set of eyes, ones that were completely devoid of hope. She shook her head slightly . “He’s no longer with us, Mr. Drake.”
“ Oh, I see,” said Logan, his cheeks blushed with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“ It has been the most horrible year of our lives. We’ve lost everything. I need to stay strong for Marissa, though.”
“ Do you have a place to stay? Family? Friends?”
“ We’re moving to Boise next week, as soon as we can finish scavenging what’s left of our belongings. My cousin is letting us stay until I can find another job up there. We’re staying at a motel in the meantime.”
“ Give me a sec.” Logan stood up and walked to his desk. He opened up his checkbook and quickly scribbled a number he thought generous and signed it at the bottom. He walked toward Janet and handed her the check.
“ No, no, no. I can’t take this. You just listening to us is enough,” said Janet, pushing Logan’s hand away.
“ I don’t care, seriously. I get paid thousands of dollars for doing what many wish they could do for a living. I’m extremely fortunate,” Logan added. “This is gonna pay for one more week at the motel, pay for your trip up to Boise, make sure your car is well-maintained, and also help pay for a new wardrobe for you and Marissa—it’s a bit colder up there.”
Janet stood up and hugged Logan. Marissa ’s tired eyes brightened as she continued to grip her mother’s arm.
Logan stepped back and said, “Thank you for everything you’ve told me. I’ll instant message you or email you when the website is up.”
“ Thank you, Mr. Drake.” Janet gently grabbed Marissa by the hand and walked toward the door. “You’re a special person.”
Logan ’s face reddened. He sincerely appreciated Janet’s kind words.
As he opened the door, Keelen, with Cindy at her side, stood at Logan’s doorstep, ready for her first day of work. “Oh, hello,” she said.
“ Hey,” Logan said. He placed his hand on Janet’s shoulder and introduced them to Cindy and Keelen. “This is Janet and her daughter, Marissa.”
“ Nice to meet you.” Keelen smiled.
Janet and Marissa both nodded and smiled and walked toward the elevator.
Logan waved at them one last time before turning his attention toward Cindy. “How you been? Still working at Trance?”
“ You bet your ass,” Cindy replied. She walked into Logan’s apartment and marveled, “Goodness gracious, where do you get all this blood?”
Logan scratched the back of hi s head. “It’s donated by fans…all through legal means, of course.”
“ Shouldn’t all this go to blood banks?” asked Cindy.
Keelen sneered at Cindy ’s inquisitiveness. “Stop asking
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