Edgar hesitated, reluctant to give in, but he could see Jesse meant business. He released the boy, who dashed off, and Jesse grabbed Edgar by the neck and hustled him out to the parking lot before there was any trouble.

Back at their motel, Jesse alternated between punching and threatening him.

“I say when it’s time for you to feed, and I do the hunting,” he said.

“I know,” Edgar said.

“You don’t have the brains to do for yourself. You’ll get us both killed.”

“I know.”

Edgar’s never again shown an inclination to satisfy his bloodlust on his own, and Jesse’s been hoping that what happened was a one-time thing. But what if it wasn’t?

He sprints down the concourse, calling for his brother into every restroom and pausing at every concession stand to make sure he’s not there trying to wheedle a hot dog. When he gets to the end, he turns around to make another pass, his heart kicking at his ribs, and his mouth so dry, it’s work to swallow. He wonders if Edgar’s in the parking lot, looking for the car, wonders if he remembers they swapped the Ford for a Grand Prix last night.

He comes to a door he missed before and pushes it open to reveal a stairwell.

“Edgar!” he shouts.

An echo, then silence.

“Don’t be scared, buddy. I’m not mad at you.”

He hears a shuffle and a faint “I ain’t scared.” Edgar peers over the rail of a landing two stories up.

“What’s going on?” Jesse says.

“I seen a rover.”

“You sure?”

“He glowed black.”

He’s talking about the dark aura surrounding rovers that only other rovers can see.

“What did you do?”

“What you always say to: took cover.”

Because there are berserkers out there, rovers who wouldn’t hesitate, who would in fact relish the opportunity, to dust another rover with an eye toward cutting down on the competition for prey. It’s for this reason Jesse avoids others who’ve turned and why he’s tried to instill a fear of strangers in Edgar.

“You did good,” he says. “Let’s get our asses out of here.”

As Edgar starts down the stairs a commotion rattles the walls. Cheering, stomping. A home run.

“What about my hot dog?” Edgar says.

“I’ll get you one on the way out,” Jesse says.

“Can I pay for it myself?”

Jesse fishes a dollar out of his pocket and hands it to his brother.

“A dollar’ll buy two,” Edgar says.

“So get two,” Jesse says. He pulls open the door and leads Edgar through the crowd. If he really did see a rover, the rover likely saw him, so the quicker they leave the stadium, the better.