Torn

lights flashed through the windows, casting strange shadows and giving the walls eerie, alternating colors. Looking outside, they again saw the three police cars at the front entrance to Tunnel Vision. Quite a presence for the small local force, but Devin guessed they were probably curious about the song, too.

Then again, it was way too few police to handle the crowd that was already on the street. It looked like it was the mess Bates had described—People were flooding out, walking in the middle of the avenue. They looked dazed and tired, but at least they were leaving and no one seemed hurt.

Devin didn’t know what to think. Cheryl was clearly upset. One Word Ben looked ashen.

Cody was ecstatic.

“This is great! Amazing! We’ll hit all the local papers. Maybe the story will even go national. We could have a record contract by the end of the week!”

“And if people die in a stampede?” Devin said in disgust as he flipped open his cell. “Don’t you ever quit?”

Cody’s Les Paul, still strapped to him, wobbled as he pivoted toward Devin. “Will you cut it out? Can’t you just enjoy something for a change?”

“Which part am I supposed to enjoy? The riot? The fight with the Slits? Karston’s murder at my house? You know, some of those people think I killed Karston.”

There was an anger in his voice that threatened to rise into rage.

Cody shrugged. “Well, our fight with the Slits was pretty cool, wasn’t it? You felt good after that, didn’t you? It’s like your ass is always half empty!”

“Do you mean my glass?”

“Whatever.”

Devin exhaled and punched “1” on his speed dial, trying to crush the phone with his thumb as if it were Cody’s face. Bates was on the case, but their parents had all agreed to sit together at the show, and Devin promised to call if there were any change in plans. This counted as a change in plans.

His mother’s pained voice filled the speaker, rising above the shouts behind her. “Where are you? Are you all right? Everyone’s worried sick!”

Devin imagined his band-mates could hear every word.

“We’re fine, Mom. Mr. Bates took us to the furniture store next door. You all okay?”

“Oh, thank God!” she said. “We’re good. We’re still inside. The police are taking everyone out in groups. They’re very distracted. It doesn’t look as if they’ve handled this sort of thing before and there doesn’t seem to be enough of them. We have to talk about this. I don’t know if I want you leading this kind of life.”

Devin rolled his eyes. “Signal’s breaking up, Mom. Can’t really hear you. Pick us up in the parking lot in back of the store.”

“Honey, our car may be blocked. Sit tight and we’ll be there just as soon as we can.”

“Okay.” Devin snapped the phone closed and looked at the others. “It might be a while.”

“Told you we should have driven ourselves,” Cody said.

“What do you mean we? When did you get a car?” Devin shot back.

“Whatever.”

One Word Ben moved toward a wall switch. “Lights?”

“No!” Cheryl said. “The crowd will see us. It might start more trouble.”

For the first time, Devin noticed she was shaking. He came up and gave her a hug. “This is all pretty freaky, huh?” she said.

“We’ll get past it,” Devin said. He pressed his lips against her forehead.

She stiffened. Cody seemed annoyed by the display of affection.

What’s that about?

“I’m going to go take a leak,” Cody said.

He started walking toward the rear of the huge store, shifting his guitar so it was slung over his back.

“Just make sure you use the bathroom,” Devin called after him.

“Ha ha,” Cody answered, his voice already seeming far off.

One Word Ben wandered among the cribs, idly swatting the stuffed moons and teddy bears dangling from the mobiles. Their long shadows swirled across the room, forming bizarre twisted shapes on the walls and ceiling.

Devin turned back to Cheryl, feeling bad about how scared she seemed. Torn. It was all Torn’s fault. Maybe she was realizing that now; maybe she’d finally had enough of Torn.

“We can quit, you know,” he said softly. “We’d still be together, even without the group.”

She furrowed her brow at him like he was crazy. “No,” she said. “I don’t want to quit. I’ve been practicing drums for years. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve wanted to be famous and play in a band. This is my dream.”

Her words felt like a cold glass of water dumped on his head. All at once he realized Cheryl’s commitment was never just to him; it was to herself, to her drumming. He felt like a total ass.

She looked at him, confused, as if she were seeing him for the first time, too. “I thought it was yours, too. I thought that was something we shared. You do want it, don’t you? I mean, you’re so talented. You couldn’t just want to throw that away, could you?”

It was the conversation with Cody all over again. He shrugged, feeling himself on the fence yet again. “Yeah, I guess, but…”

A loud scraping from above echoed through the large open space, making all three heads turn upward toward the darkness. Unlike the muffled shouts and movement on the street outside, this sounded closer, more intimate.

Familiar.

10

It skittered across the width of the roof, seemed to stumble into a metal vent, then moved steadily, rapidly toward the back.

“Let’s go wait in the parking lot,” Devin said. “Now.”

He started pulling Cheryl toward the side door. One Word Ben was way ahead of them.

Cheryl resisted. “What about Cody?” she said, worried.

He wanted to say, What about him?, but instead he called out across the quiet space. “Cody! Let’s get going!”

A muffled slamming sound rumbled through the darkness. It could have been the door of a bathroom stall closing. Then there was nothing.

Oh, damn.

“Later,” One Word Ben said as he vanished through the door.

Devin’s heart thudded its way into his throat. Could it still be the Slits? Cornering them for a final vengeance?

“Cody?” he called, louder.

The slamming came again, followed by a series of thuds. Devin walked toward the middle of the display room, Cheryl beside him.

“Go wait outside,” he told her.

“No,” she said, annoyed.

Past long rows of brightly colored bureaus and changing tables, he saw the gray men’s room door. It was slamming against its frame, rattling as if a fight were going on behind it.

“Cody!” he cried.

A sound came out, low and rough. It could’ve been Cody calling for help, or it could’ve been something else entirely. Devin quickened his pace, Cheryl behind him.

There was a chemical fire extinguisher and an axe behind a glass door on the wall between the two restrooms. Devin grabbed the extinguisher. He was surprised to see Cheryl grab the axe.

“No,” he said. “Call the cops. They’re right outside.”