Chapters (95)
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Also by David Swinson
- Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.
The coffee table, which was in front of the sofa, is now in the middle of the living room. I’m sitting in the wooden chair facing the both of them. My pack is on the floor beside the chair.
I hit them in their closed eyes with the blinding Streamlight. Back and forth, back and forth…Older reacts to it first, comes to, quickly realizes his predicament. Maybe he’s been in this position before. He opens his eyes, then closes them right away. He still struggles, but he only succeeds in knocking his brother so he falls on his side with his head resting on a cushion.
“I’m impressed,” I begin. “Neither of you two shit your pants. Especially you, big brother. I double-tapped you with the stun gun.”
“Hmmph, hmm, hmmph, hmm…”
I turn the Streamlight off.
“I ain’t gonna take that off your mouth right now, so stop that shit or I’ll give you some more voltage, but this time right in the ball sack. Got it?”
Nods several times.
“So for now, nodding up and down for yes and side to side for no will do.”
No reaction.
“Is that good? Yes or no?”
Nods for yes.
“Hope your brother’s okay. He is your brother, right?”
Nods.
The bottle of Jameson is almost empty. I take a nip.
“You got any more of this lying around?”
Shakes for no.
“I’m pretty fucked up anyway, so it’s probably best I don’t drink any more.”
It’s like he’s almost gonna nod but decides against it.
“That’s your grandma you keep up in the smelly room upstairs?”
Nod.
“What the fuck you keep her like that for? She needs to have nurse care, probably daily.”
No reaction.
“You can shrug your shoulders if you don’t know something.”
He shrugs his shoulders.
“That’s bullshit.”
I stand up and smack him hard on the side of the face.
He does nothin’ but blurt out a grunt and some snot with it.
“What kinda grandson are you? Don’t answer that. I already know. I’ve seen your kind before. Sick little shits.”
I look at his brother just lying there.
“I’m worried about your brother. He have a glass jaw or somethin’?”
A bit of fear in his eyes, but he shrugs.
“Look at his chest. Does it look like he’s breathing?”
Older looks down, takes a couple of seconds, then turns to me again and nods.
“That’s good. I don’t want it to have to come to that.”