down, you could understand everything they said even if maybe you missed a word here and there.
She returned to Beretta and the rest, putting on her best meek face. They stood in the small area around the office. The concrete was strangely damp. There were plastic lawn chairs arranged in a circle, like men had been conspiring there earlier. Above them, a lamp swung like someone had hit it. They were all quiet, and Ace was pacing and fuming.
“You’re his old lady, is that right?”
Helen looked up at Beretta. She assumed that was the thing to do.
Beretta waved his hand. “Answer the man.”
“That’s right,” she said.
“Fuck you.” Ace shook his head. “Fuck both of you.”
“I’d like to say again that having a nurse around is fine by me,” said Locke. “I know my vote doesn’t count, just putting it out there.”
“Tell her what happens,” said Tank, his voice gravelly and deep. “Tell her what happens, and then let’s move on. We’ve got a war to win.”
Ace knelt down in front of Helen. He patted the nearby plastic lawn chair and she sat down. She had to at least act obedient for the time being.
“Okay, listen. I don’t give a fuck if you like this or not, but here’s how it is. You and I both know that this old lady thing is bullshit. But Tank is right. I got too much shit to take care of to deal with Beretta going mutinous.” He chuckled. “Or, more mutinous than he already is. So, things you need to know. First of all, your mouth? Keep it the fuck shut. No one here wants to hear you. You'll be seen and not heard, all right?”
He was the man with the gun, so he made the rules. She nodded.
“Good. Second, then. You turn your back on us? You turn us in? You sell us out? That can go only a few ways. None of them go good for you. You already know what’ll happen if we catch you. But that’s not what you’re thinking. You’re thinking of what happens if all of them wipe out all of us .
“Best case scenario, you're thinking? You get away and you tell the cops. I bet you know the cops are crooked here. So they tell the Copperheads, who then come and murder us all. Then you think you’re safe. But you’re not. Because we got friends all over this state. They’ll come here. They’ll look for the truth. And the first thing they’ll do once they learn it is to take you out. Not to mention,” he spat to one side, “Copperheads’ll probably kill you as soon as look at you. They don’t like snitches on anybody’s side.”
“I’m no snitch,” she said. “I just want...”
... to live my life.
But she couldn’t say that. Couldn’t betray the game with Beretta already.
“...I just want to make Beretta happy.”
Ace harrumphed and stood up. “You better work on your lies, then. Doesn't take an x-ray to see through that bullshit.”
Chapter 9
––––––––
I t felt good to ride again. By mid-morning, the five of them—Tank, Locke, Ace, Beretta, and Helen—were out on the road and headed toward the new lab where Gallows had set himself up. The air outside was cool, though it would warm up later. Clouds gathered in the distance and it looked maybe like rain.
After the night’s rest, Beretta still felt sore in his side. Helen had told him he’d be healing for weeks. He wasn’t sure if they had that long. Taking their time wasn't an advantage the Wrecking Crew had.
They took three bikes and a van, with Locke driving the van and leaving his bike behind at the warehouse. They thought that Gallows might want to transport something back to town, and so wanted to be prepared. Beretta—always planning—had stuffed the van with all of Helen's medical supplies.
He had just pissed off Rattler and the Copperheads something mighty, after all, and so didn't want to be caught out in the open without some way to patch himself or the others up.
Beretta rode with Helen's arms wrapped tight around his torso. This close touching revved his engine more than pressing the
She returned to Beretta and the rest, putting on her best meek face. They stood in the small area around the office. The concrete was strangely damp. There were plastic lawn chairs arranged in a circle, like men had been conspiring there earlier. Above them, a lamp swung like someone had hit it. They were all quiet, and Ace was pacing and fuming.
“You’re his old lady, is that right?”
Helen looked up at Beretta. She assumed that was the thing to do.
Beretta waved his hand. “Answer the man.”
“That’s right,” she said.
“Fuck you.” Ace shook his head. “Fuck both of you.”
“I’d like to say again that having a nurse around is fine by me,” said Locke. “I know my vote doesn’t count, just putting it out there.”
“Tell her what happens,” said Tank, his voice gravelly and deep. “Tell her what happens, and then let’s move on. We’ve got a war to win.”
Ace knelt down in front of Helen. He patted the nearby plastic lawn chair and she sat down. She had to at least act obedient for the time being.
“Okay, listen. I don’t give a fuck if you like this or not, but here’s how it is. You and I both know that this old lady thing is bullshit. But Tank is right. I got too much shit to take care of to deal with Beretta going mutinous.” He chuckled. “Or, more mutinous than he already is. So, things you need to know. First of all, your mouth? Keep it the fuck shut. No one here wants to hear you. You'll be seen and not heard, all right?”
He was the man with the gun, so he made the rules. She nodded.
“Good. Second, then. You turn your back on us? You turn us in? You sell us out? That can go only a few ways. None of them go good for you. You already know what’ll happen if we catch you. But that’s not what you’re thinking. You’re thinking of what happens if all of them wipe out all of us .
“Best case scenario, you're thinking? You get away and you tell the cops. I bet you know the cops are crooked here. So they tell the Copperheads, who then come and murder us all. Then you think you’re safe. But you’re not. Because we got friends all over this state. They’ll come here. They’ll look for the truth. And the first thing they’ll do once they learn it is to take you out. Not to mention,” he spat to one side, “Copperheads’ll probably kill you as soon as look at you. They don’t like snitches on anybody’s side.”
“I’m no snitch,” she said. “I just want...”
... to live my life.
But she couldn’t say that. Couldn’t betray the game with Beretta already.
“...I just want to make Beretta happy.”
Ace harrumphed and stood up. “You better work on your lies, then. Doesn't take an x-ray to see through that bullshit.”
Chapter 9
––––––––
I t felt good to ride again. By mid-morning, the five of them—Tank, Locke, Ace, Beretta, and Helen—were out on the road and headed toward the new lab where Gallows had set himself up. The air outside was cool, though it would warm up later. Clouds gathered in the distance and it looked maybe like rain.
After the night’s rest, Beretta still felt sore in his side. Helen had told him he’d be healing for weeks. He wasn’t sure if they had that long. Taking their time wasn't an advantage the Wrecking Crew had.
They took three bikes and a van, with Locke driving the van and leaving his bike behind at the warehouse. They thought that Gallows might want to transport something back to town, and so wanted to be prepared. Beretta—always planning—had stuffed the van with all of Helen's medical supplies.
He had just pissed off Rattler and the Copperheads something mighty, after all, and so didn't want to be caught out in the open without some way to patch himself or the others up.
Beretta rode with Helen's arms wrapped tight around his torso. This close touching revved his engine more than pressing the
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