BooksBarbecue
Back Die Next Save as PDF
Chapters (97)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
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  24. SIX MONTHS LATER
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  93. SIX MORE MONTHS LATER
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  96. Discover More
  97. About the Author

Zack goes into his own Gmail and quickly keystrokes in the email address. His fingers dance on the diePhone keyboard: Dude, it’s me Zack. I accidentally swapped phones with a guy, too much to explain here, but that’s why I missed you at GreenGirl, sorry. Text me at 2120739909. Do NOT text my old phone. He had wanted to keep their texts off the diePhone. But he can’t worry about that anymore. It’s more important now just to reach Steve, who must figure something has come up for Zack and is presumably trying Zack’s cell phone and not getting an answer because Joey is probably ignoring the texts. Although if Steve is continually texting Zack’s phone, Joey may eventually text him back to suggest a rendezvous. Jesus. Hopefully Zack will reach Steve first.

Joey is still following Steve. Deciding what to do to Steve. Where, when, and how badly to hurt him. What exactly to hurt him with. Enjoying the fantasies, the vivid possible scenarios, starting to piece them together into a convenient, expedient reality.

Deciding whether to take a picture of the resulting reality and send it to his own phone for Zack to see. Let Zack see what his pal Steve is up to.

Maybe taped and tied up in his apartment—to lure Zack there, to get the phone back that way—as the only way for Zack to save the life of his innocent, terrified friend.

Or maybe send a photo of Steve dead. Bullet to the head. Let Zack see how it’s just one more to Joey—just one more photo on his phone. And I’ll keep going, Zack, don’t you see? It’s nothing to me. Emily is next on the list, until you get that phone back to me.

But Joey recognizes the problem. As soon as he suggested the meeting at Aldo’s and as soon as he heard the hesitation in Zack’s voice, he recognized it.

Zack is smart enough to realize by now that having Joey’s phone makes him Joey’s target but having Joey’s phone is also keeping him alive. It’s undoubtedly occurred to Zack that if he shows up at Aldo’s, or at a kidnapped Steve’s apartment, but hides the phone somewhere beforehand, then Joey can’t kill him because he needs his phone back before he does. Because Joey can’t risk it being in any other hands.

Joey sees Steve checking his phone, no doubt looking for a call or a text from Zack.

He sees Steve suddenly sit down on a bench, shake his head, smile—and still smiling, texting something.

Fuck. Maybe Zack, this smart-aleck kid, has figured out how to reach Steve from Joey’s phone without having Steve’s number. Maybe through Facebook or Instagram or one of those sites they all have.