promised her? It's crap. Johnny may be a sociopath, but he's not stupid. He knows he can make a lot of money with a pretty teenage boy.'
Needles's stomach was in knots. 'What about the digital recording? Why not just take her?'
Brandy gave a sad laugh. 'Digital… that's cute. He used to leave cassettes. Listen… the recordings are one of Johnny's methods of courting a girl. For some weird reason he thinks they're clever — like that stupid hat. I think they're sick. I've heard him locked in his den recording them, and it makes we want to puke. He only makes tapes for the special girls — and they're the first to kick off when they reject him. I know this because I was friends with girls who got tapes right before they got iced. He wants to have her, Needles. And if she doesn't like it… she's dead.'
'But why the sudden compassion?' Needles asked, still struggling to digest it all. 'Where were you when the other girls were in trouble?'
Compassion? Brandy thought. Who said anything about compassion?
'The others were never a real threat,' she said proudly. 'But Johnny has never lusted for any woman the way he lusts for Ashley Quinn — not even me. I saw her picture. I know she's gorgeous — probably smart, too. I don't need a woman like that strutting about in my territory. I'm his woman, okay? I've been his woman for ten years. And I will be his woman, until the day he fucking dies.'
Needles grabbed another handful of fries and put the pedal down. He knew what he had to do.
Chapter 47
Aaron and Willy dragged their bikes through the secret entrance to the outside, preparing for the ride across town to Sally's Diner.
Aaron stopped and took out his cell phone.
'What's up?' Willy asked.
'Do you remember Michael? The guy with the cool loft?'
Willy nodded.
'Yeah — well, he'd want to help us.'
'You're right,' Willy agreed. 'He would.'
Aaron gave him a puzzled look. Then he dug Michael's number out of his shoe, keyed in the number, and pressed CALL.
– Michael was out roaming the city in desperate search of Aaron. His cell phone rang several times, but he couldn't answer it — his phone was back in his loft, in the pocket of his jacket where he had left it.
'He's not picking up,' Aaron said sadly, pocketing his phone. They swung their loaded rifles around to their backs and climbed on the bikes.
Just then a pair of headlights swept around the far end of the cannery, temporarily blinding them. The boys froze like a pair of frightened deer, straddling their bikes, not knowing what to do.
It was Needles, alone behind the wheel of the white van. He pulled up and skidded to a stop next to them.
He recognized Aaron and lowered his window. 'What the hell are you — ' He saw the rifles, and answered his own question. 'Oh, you can't be serious…'
He stepped out of the van, leaving the engine running. 'Get in,' he said. 'We're going with you.' He walked over to unlock the big roll-up door
The boys looked at each other, surprised.
'Did you say ' we?'' Aaron asked.
'Beeks will want to come with us,' Needles said.
Aaron inhaled rapidly as from a knife in the gut. ' Beeks is in there? ' he gasped, covering his wound with his hand.
'I think he's down in the practice range,' Needles said. 'You boys load up your bikes while I look for him. I'll just be a second.'
He rolled the door up just enough to duck under it then disappeared into the cannery.
Willy's face had popped a sweat. 'What should we do?' he whispered.
Aaron heard ominous groaning sounds coming from the direction of the boiler house. 'Come on,' he said, and they dropped their bikes and ran inside the warehouse after Needles.
He was lighting a lantern.
'Needles,' Aaron said, coughing hard. 'You don't understand. We gotta leave! '
' Listen,' Needles said. 'Beeks is the toughest son-of-a-bitch I've ever met. If there's a fight tonight, I want him there. You got that?' He checked his watch. 'Souther said 6:30… it's 6:15. We have time. Wait here, and don't move till I get back.'
He picked up the lantern and started toward the back of the warehouse.
Aaron coughed hard again, but this time it really hurt. ' Needles! ' he cried desperately, clenching his teeth in pain. He gestured feebly in the direction of the boiler house.
'The boiler… it's…' He trailed off.
Needles stopped, turned and looked back, his face suddenly ashen, then said in a low, knowing voice, 'What did you do…?'
Aaron stood with his arms limp at his sides, the weight of tears behind his eyes. How could he possibly admit what he'd done? How could he ever own up to something like that? It was supposed to have been a harmless prank. Nothing more. Just the death of an old building that was ready to die anyway.
'I–I rigged the boiler…' he said at last. 'It's going to explode.'
' What? ' Needles gasped, jerking his head in the direction of the boiler house. ' Have you lost your mind? Can't you undo it?'
'It's too late, Needles. I can hear — '
' Damn it! ' Needles said, his attention returning to Beeks. 'You two go on without me.' He set the lantern on the floor and took off running, disappearing into the darkness of the cannery.
Aaron was numb. He stared at the empty space that had been Needles.
Willy heard the boiler. He put his hand on Aaron's shoulder. 'You know we can't go after him, Aaron…'
'I know.'
'We gotta jet…'
'I know.'
'Can you ride?'
Aaron just stood there staring after Needles, the light from the lantern showing on his face. His fatigue was intense. He hadn't really slept in three days… and now this. He had nothing left. He was ready to lie down right there on the cannery floor and die.
Willy took him gently by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. 'Aaron, listen to me. Your mother needs us, okay? Can you ride?'
Aaron looked at him oddly for a long moment; then his eyes sharpened and he slowly gathered himself and answered the question.
'I can ride.'
Chapter 48
Needles arrived at the practice range out of breath. The hatch was open, and that light was shining up from
