Page 172 of Wrench

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No. Wednesday night was when we got into it with the Freeways. Archer got shot and¡­¡±

¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯ve been out of it for about thirty hours. A few times we got you to drink

some water, but you were never really¡­ awake. Just enough to get a bit down.¡±

I was so fucking rattled.

¡°What the hell happened?¡±

In the darkness, I could feel her stiffen. ¡°We don¡¯t really know¡­ They found you,

umm. stabbed. Outside, unconscious. They think you were outside for at least an hour

before they found you¡­¡±

In an instant, the grimy, ghoulish face of Slink flashed before my eyes. I clenched my

jaw. ¡°Right. I remember now.¡±

Shame and anger filled me. I couldn¡¯t believe I let that slimy rat get a cheap shot on

me. What were the guys going to say? They¡¯d think I was a weak, pathetic, bitch-whipped

¡ª

¡°Good,¡± she said, interrupting my thoughts. ¡°I think some of your friends would like to

hear what happened.¡±

¡°Wait.¡± Anxiety swelled in my punctured chest. ¡°Seriously, what are you doing here?

Why¡¯d you come here? D-did Tank see you? How¡¯d you hear what happened?¡±

It sounded so good to hear her try to break the tension with her laugh.

¡°Relax,¡± she said. ¡°They know I¡¯m here. They were the ones who called me, actually¡­¡±

¡°Called you? Why?¡±

¡°To help you.¡±

I gawked at her.

¡°Th-they called you? And you came?¡±

¡°Of course, I came,¡± she said, cupping my cheek in her hand. Normally such nurturing

tendencies from a woman would annoy me. But Samantha¡¯s touch felt better than any

painkiller that had been invented. ¡°What was I supposed to do?¡±

¡°Tell them to fuck off,¡± I said in a near stern voice. ¡°Did they force you to come?

Because if they did, I swear to God, I¡¯ll¡ª¡±

¡°No, please just relax. You¡¯re going to hurt yourself.¡±

¡°Samantha, everything you said earlier. You were right. I¡¯m bad. Dangerous¡ª¡±

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