Page 111 of Jace 4Ever
Nodding, I grabbed his hand and he helped me to my feet. It took me a second to find my balance, and we headed down the tracks, deeper into the subterranean world.
“Name’s Tony.”
“Jace.”
He looked me up and down. “You look awful nice for someone who’s looking to get lost down here.”
“I ran. I didn’t have a chance to grab anything.”
“Most folks at least have a bag.”
“They were shooting at me. I didn’t have a choice. I had to go. I had to leave everything…”
He nodded. “I get it. Well, we have some spare things down here. Not much, mind you. But enough to get you started. We’ll get you hid first by finding you something that will blend in with the rest of us. If you’re running, they don’t look at homeless people—”
“I know, I’ve been down here before. Years ago.”
Tony looked at me again. “Have you?”
“I was a kid.”
“Then let’s just get you hidden. You know the rules and you know how this works. You’re miles ahead of some others who’ve wandered down.”
We walked in silence, the only real sound the crunch of the gravel below our feet. It didn’t take us long to reach the recessed doorway that led into a different part of the tunnel system.
I couldn’t believe I was here, again. That I was going to lose everything, again. That when I thought I had it all under control, it was being ripped away again.
Tony caught me by my elbow before I fell.
“You need something to eat, kid. Your adrenaline rush wore off.”
“I don’t think I can eat right now.” I leaned against the wall and ran a hand through my hair.
He looked me up and down. “You don’t belong down here. I’m gonna help you, of course. But you really don’t belong down here at all.”
“I’m from here,” I whispered. “I lived down here. I hid down here.”
Tony sighed. “You’re not much younger than me. And I can tell you there are very few people who belong down here. You are not one of them. You are definitely someone who deserves every good thing they get in life.”
“How can you say that? You don’t even know who I am...”
“I do know who you are, Jace. I do. I might live down here, but I’m not ignorant of the world up there. We watch the Oscars on a borrowed Wi-Fi network. And the gossip rags love you two.” He laughed when I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “And more than that, I think you’re a good person. You get to be able to read people quickly and know who is an enemy and who is a friend when your life can depend on it.”
“I know.” I scrubbed a hand down my face. “I learned all that the hard way down here.”
“Let’s get you fed,” he said and started walking on. “It’s not gourmet, but it’s not garbage either.”
“I’ve eaten that too...”
Tony nodded. “We all have.”
