need answers. You give them to me and all is well. Tell me the wrong ones,” he let the alternative hang in the night air, “and you’ll find out how deep the bay really is.”
“People know I’m missing.”
Dodge Man frowned and pushed himself to his feet. He looked about him, taking in the night, before driving his foot into Vee8’s kidneys. Vee8 yelled out and rolled over in pain.
“Don’t try to intimidate me,” Dodge Man said coolly. “It wastes my time.”
Vee8 nodded, but he’d be fucked if he’d apologize. Hopefully, Donkey had gotten the Charger’s license plate or, better still, caught up with them and was standing next to this prick’s Dodge.
“What’s your name?” Dodge Man asked. “Your real name. The one your parents saw fit to give you and you pissed all over. Vee8. Christ, couldn’t you have been original?”
“Tim Devane.” He ground the words out.
“And where do you live, Tim Devane?”
Vee8 told him.
Dodge Man followed up with a bunch of other questions that included his social security number. None of the questions filled him with hope.
“Why do you need to know all this?”
“Because if you’re lying, I’m going to find you. Now, what you told me earlier—Memorex or bullshit?”
“It was the truth, I swear.”
Dodge Man smirked. “You swear. For a godless piece of shit like you, that really adds weight.”
“Fuck you.”
“Yeah, yeah, sticks and stones. You said you and your crew witnessed Chaudhary kill himself.”
“Yeah.”
“I want their names.”
“You don’t need their names.”
Dodge Man put his heel against the rims and shoved. They shifted an inch toward the water.
“OK, OK, I’ll give you their names.”
“I thought you might.”
With a bitter taste on his tongue, he gave Dodge Man Donkey’s, D.J.’s, and Trey’s names and addresses. Dodge Man wrote the names down on a pad and pocketed the notebook.
“Happy now? Got what you wanted?” Vee8 knew to keep his temper in check, but there was only so much bullshit he was going to swallow.
“Just one more question.”
He knelt by Vee8’s side. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a digital camera. Vee8 recognized the camera and turned cold from the inside out.
Dodge Man fiddled with the camera and showed Vee8 a digital image on the camera’s view screen. Vee8 closed his eyes to block out the image of Donkey, his neck swiveled around at an unnatural angle and his eyes open in a dead stare. He knew it was over for him at that point. Tonight was his last on earth. He wasn’t cool with it, but he wasn’t pissing his pants either.
“Who’s this?” Dodge Man asked. “Donkey? D.J.? Trey?”
“Donkey,” he whispered. “You aren’t going to let me go, are you?”
Dodge Man erased the images on the camera and tossed it overboard. He sniffed before answering. “No. This is where we part company.”
Dodge Man hoisted Vee8 into a sitting position. He was careful to avoid getting within head-butting or kicking range. He sat Vee8 on the edge of the stern next to the rims.
“You ready for this?” Dodge Man asked.
Vee8 didn’t answer. It was easy to play the tough guy when you were on top. He read Dodge Man. He’d pussy out when his time came. He’d go kicking and screaming. Vee8’s only regret was he wouldn’t be there to see it.
“Don’t clam up now.”
“Fuck you.”
“Look, I have something of yours I’d like to give back.” He pulled out Vee8’s switchblade, snapped out the blade, and rammed it into Vee8’s gut.
Vee8 felt an explosion of pain, but didn’t actually feel the blade’s intrusion until Dodge Man jerked it out and tossed it overboard.
“A little ventilation for bodily gases. I don’t want you floating to the surface.”
Vee8 wasn’t going down without a parting shot. He grinned defiantly. “I suppose you want a fucking refund now.”
“Nah, you’ve earned your money.”
Dodge Man lifted the rims and heaved them over the
“People know I’m missing.”
Dodge Man frowned and pushed himself to his feet. He looked about him, taking in the night, before driving his foot into Vee8’s kidneys. Vee8 yelled out and rolled over in pain.
“Don’t try to intimidate me,” Dodge Man said coolly. “It wastes my time.”
Vee8 nodded, but he’d be fucked if he’d apologize. Hopefully, Donkey had gotten the Charger’s license plate or, better still, caught up with them and was standing next to this prick’s Dodge.
“What’s your name?” Dodge Man asked. “Your real name. The one your parents saw fit to give you and you pissed all over. Vee8. Christ, couldn’t you have been original?”
“Tim Devane.” He ground the words out.
“And where do you live, Tim Devane?”
Vee8 told him.
Dodge Man followed up with a bunch of other questions that included his social security number. None of the questions filled him with hope.
“Why do you need to know all this?”
“Because if you’re lying, I’m going to find you. Now, what you told me earlier—Memorex or bullshit?”
“It was the truth, I swear.”
Dodge Man smirked. “You swear. For a godless piece of shit like you, that really adds weight.”
“Fuck you.”
“Yeah, yeah, sticks and stones. You said you and your crew witnessed Chaudhary kill himself.”
“Yeah.”
“I want their names.”
“You don’t need their names.”
Dodge Man put his heel against the rims and shoved. They shifted an inch toward the water.
“OK, OK, I’ll give you their names.”
“I thought you might.”
With a bitter taste on his tongue, he gave Dodge Man Donkey’s, D.J.’s, and Trey’s names and addresses. Dodge Man wrote the names down on a pad and pocketed the notebook.
“Happy now? Got what you wanted?” Vee8 knew to keep his temper in check, but there was only so much bullshit he was going to swallow.
“Just one more question.”
He knelt by Vee8’s side. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a digital camera. Vee8 recognized the camera and turned cold from the inside out.
Dodge Man fiddled with the camera and showed Vee8 a digital image on the camera’s view screen. Vee8 closed his eyes to block out the image of Donkey, his neck swiveled around at an unnatural angle and his eyes open in a dead stare. He knew it was over for him at that point. Tonight was his last on earth. He wasn’t cool with it, but he wasn’t pissing his pants either.
“Who’s this?” Dodge Man asked. “Donkey? D.J.? Trey?”
“Donkey,” he whispered. “You aren’t going to let me go, are you?”
Dodge Man erased the images on the camera and tossed it overboard. He sniffed before answering. “No. This is where we part company.”
Dodge Man hoisted Vee8 into a sitting position. He was careful to avoid getting within head-butting or kicking range. He sat Vee8 on the edge of the stern next to the rims.
“You ready for this?” Dodge Man asked.
Vee8 didn’t answer. It was easy to play the tough guy when you were on top. He read Dodge Man. He’d pussy out when his time came. He’d go kicking and screaming. Vee8’s only regret was he wouldn’t be there to see it.
“Don’t clam up now.”
“Fuck you.”
“Look, I have something of yours I’d like to give back.” He pulled out Vee8’s switchblade, snapped out the blade, and rammed it into Vee8’s gut.
Vee8 felt an explosion of pain, but didn’t actually feel the blade’s intrusion until Dodge Man jerked it out and tossed it overboard.
“A little ventilation for bodily gases. I don’t want you floating to the surface.”
Vee8 wasn’t going down without a parting shot. He grinned defiantly. “I suppose you want a fucking refund now.”
“Nah, you’ve earned your money.”
Dodge Man lifted the rims and heaved them over the
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