“You sound like I’ll be the only one talking. You’re coming in with me, aren’t you?”

She didn’t answer.

“Well, aren’t you?”

“Cole, I’ll help you as much as I can to fix this thing. But this one you’re going to have to do on your own.”

“What the hell for?”

“Please don’t ask me that.”

“Savannah, you’re his daughter for godsake. What’s the matter, are you afraid of him?”

“Cole, please . . .”

“What is it with you two? Why doesn’t anybody know this story?”

“Because it’s nobody’s business!”

“At the moment it sure as hell is my business!”

“Look, you want me to drive you, or not?”

Cole blew out an exasperated breath. “Yeah. Sure. Whatever.”

They didn’t speak until she pulled onto the high school grounds fifteen minutes later. Hickham’s truck was parked under the lights in its usual spot outside the clubhouse, adjacent to the gym. Savannah pulled in a few spaces away.

“I’ll wait for you if you want,” she said as Cole got out of the car.

“Do whatever you want.” He shut the door and stepped away.

Savannah lowered the passenger window. “Hey, Logan.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Make sure you tell him how good the team looked at the Butlers’, how well they were playing.”

“Yeah. No kidding. That’s sort of the plan, you know.”

“And one other thing … make sure to tell him that none of them were hurt.”

“Why? What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Just do it. Just make sure he knows that none of them got hurt while they were playing, despite all their injuries. Will you remember that?”

“Sure. What’s it to you?”

“It’s nothing to me. But my dad will want to know.”

Cole turned and headed inside.

“Ow! Fuck, Manny!”

“Hold still!”

“It hurts!”

“It don’t hurt, you big nancy. You want me to do this, or don’t you?” Manny depressed the plunger. When the full contents of the syringe had entered Booker’s left buttock, he yanked out the needle.

“Ow!” Booker whacked Manny in the head with the heel of his palm. “Why’d you have to be so rough?”

“Bro, chill. I think you’re raging.”

“Damn straight I’m raging … and it’s about time, too.” Booker started punching the air like a prizefighter, his eyes red with hate.

Manny signaled for Elray to stay clear of him, then said, “Booker, I think Stubby really fucked-up good on this one.”

“Are you kidding? That douche bag is a genius! Just look at me.”

“Yeah, that’s my point. Stubby said he mixed the batches. You never mix the batches. I can already tell this shit is stronger than normal.”

Booker ignored him and continued to jab the air like a wild man.