Tommy did as instructed, but neither he nor any of the other Badgers emerged from the cell.

“Co … Col . . .” Curtis choked again on his own breath.

“What is it?”

“The b-bite … I have to know about the bite. Will it turn me into … into one of . . .”

“You’re gonna be fine, Curtis. I’m gonna get you out of here. I just need you to—”

The sheriff collapsed. The pistol came free of his grasp and skidded past Cole’s feet. Cole moved to him and dug two fingers into the clotted wound at his neck. There was no pulse.

He stood and extended a hand toward Tommy Larkin. “Keys.”

Tommy met his gaze, then tossed him the ring.

Cole rushed to the door at the end of the corridor, employed the appropriate key, and stepped inside the adjacent block.

“Well, well, well! Lookie what we have here, boys!” Booker turned to his friends, who were sleeping on the cell floor behind him. “Hey, Manny, Elray … wake the fuck up! Our chariot’s arrived. I was beginning to think you’d pussied out, Logan.”

Cole fumbled with the keys and turned the lock on the cell. Before opening the door, he fixed his eyes on Booker. “This ends today, asshole.”

Booker smiled. “Fine with me. How ’bout we do it right here.”

Cole reached through the bars, took Booker by the back of the neck, and yanked.

“Get the fugg uff me!” Booker barked around a mouthful of steel.

His friends had awoken and come to their feet, but kept their distance.

Cole warned them to stay back.

Manny held up his hands. “You don’t have to worry about us, Logan. Do as you will. Me and Elray have had it with Booker and all this ’roid shit. In fact, we’re done with the whole damn team. Every one of them’s gone Mexi-fuckin’-loco, and I’m washin’ my hands of all of it.”

“Shud the fuggup, Manny!”

Cole tightened his grip on Booker’s neck. Through gnashed teeth he said, “We’ll settle the rest of this on the field. If you got the balls, you’ll get your team to Killington High as fast as you can. I think you’ll find quite a crowd there awaiting your slaughter.”

Booker pressed his fists against Cole’s chest and broke free. He raked his tongue over a bloody lip and spat red at Cole’s feet. “Do you even know what kind of team you’re about to face, Logan?”

“Yeah, I do,” Cole said. “Do you?”

“Let’s just go, Booker.” Tommy Larkin stood at the dividing door, the rest of the Badgers crowded behind him. “We’re in the clear, man. Let’s just get the fuck outta here, get to the field.”