Page 178 of Wrench
drugs.
¡°Yeah,¡± Tank said. ¡°When I let Wrench live up here, I didn¡¯t know much about him
other than a gut feeling he was a guy I wanted on my side. So, when he started going on
benders and messin¡¯ around with the Freeways, well¡ I¡¯m sure you can imagine how I
felt.¡±
¡°He was with the Freeways?¡± I asked in shock.
¡°They tried to get him,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°And it was close. Poor Isaac was just so
vulnerable and broken back then. Abandoned by his mother, abused by foster parents his
whole life. Not sure he¡¯d ever smiled before, back then. Broke our hearts¡¡±
¡°And the Freeways took advantage of him,¡± Tank said. ¡°Feeding on the weak, dragging
him into their crooked lives. I wanted to get rid of him. Kick him out, tell him he could go
stay in their dungeon if he wanted to disrespect and betray me. But there was something
about Isaac¡ªer¡ªWrench. That told me he was worth standing by. Worth trying to help
him. I couldn¡¯t let him fall into their greasy hands. He was a good kid, he just never had
good people around.¡±
At some point, I had started watching Isaac¡¯s bandaged chest gently rise while I
listened to Tank.
¡°So, we helped him. Wasn¡¯t easy. The kid was still a shithead in the beginning. But,
well, a decade later he¡¯s still here.¡±
¡°Wow¡ I¡¡± I started. ¡°I had no idea¡¡±
¡°We¡¯re private people,¡± Tank said. ¡°Don¡¯t ever tell Wrench we told you all that, by the
way. Don¡¯t feel like dealing with that bullshit.¡±
¡°But you needed to know,¡± Evelyn said. ¡°You needed to know that¡ that Isaac is a
great man. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going through your head all alone with him up here.
Maybe you¡¯re just waiting for him to heal and then you¡¯re gone. But we needed you to
know that whatever happens between you and Isaac, you have the Rebels¡¯ support.¡±
Shortly after Evelyn and Tank went back downstairs, I was lying alone with Isaac.
Inside I felt a pleasant warmth grow and I pursed my lips, but it didn¡¯t stop my smile
from showing. Somehow, the mattress felt softer and the blankets fuzzier. A hum of
laughter sounded from downstairs and Buddy came skipping into the room with his tail
