Rat Face, Part 4:
Lex. No. This can't be happening, Rat Face thought. After all this time--Lex. The man who saved him from the Camps. The man who raised him.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Wando said.
Rat Face held a hard stare. A stare that meant business. The stare that meant he was in control. But he was slipping, losing it. His face wanted to do things that it wasn't allowed do in front of Wando. He bit his cheek. Bit it hard. Drew blood.
"I ain't seen ghosts," he said. "And I can't kill Lex."
"He broke the rules."
"But--"
"You know the rules, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Say it."
"I know the rules."
"Good. And I told you what needs to be done."
"What'd he do?"
"He betrayed the principles of the Organization."
"How long do I got?"
"24 hours."
"You gotta lead?"
"I figured you'd know where he is."
"I haven't seen 'em in months." Rat Face wasn't about to tell Wando about it--how Rat Face fucked up. How Rat Face always fucked up. No, as far as he was concerned, Wando was dead & buried. She was . . . how could she make him kill Lex?
Wando handed Rat Face a manila envelope. Rat Face opened it. "Trash Town?"
"Last we heard."
"Why Trash Town?" Rat Face said.
"It doesn't matter," Wando said. "By this time tomorrow he won't be anywhere."
On his way out the door, Wando called after him. "And Rat Face," she said. "Quit picking on little girls."
He nodded, smiled falsely, and went out the door.
Big Boy escorted him down the stairs to the exit. At the black door Big Boy said, "Don't be stupid, Rat Face."
"You either, Big Boy."
Big Boy grabbed Rat Face's shoulder. "I mean it," he said, dropping his already low voice. "I see your brain chirping."
Rat Face snorted. "It ain't chirping one cheep."
"Just be careful."
Rat nodded. Big Boy unlatched the door. The alley stink wafted in. Rat stepped out into the night.
As he came to the street, the neversleeping city howled in his ears. His head was spinning. He wasn't ready for this. He needed to clear his head. No, he needed to get drunk. Yeah, he needed to get really drunk. Lucklily he knew just the place.
Lex. No. This can't be happening, Rat Face thought. After all this time--Lex. The man who saved him from the Camps. The man who raised him.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Wando said.
Rat Face held a hard stare. A stare that meant business. The stare that meant he was in control. But he was slipping, losing it. His face wanted to do things that it wasn't allowed do in front of Wando. He bit his cheek. Bit it hard. Drew blood.
"I ain't seen ghosts," he said. "And I can't kill Lex."
"He broke the rules."
"But--"
"You know the rules, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Say it."
"I know the rules."
"Good. And I told you what needs to be done."
"What'd he do?"
"He betrayed the principles of the Organization."
"How long do I got?"
"24 hours."
"You gotta lead?"
"I figured you'd know where he is."
"I haven't seen 'em in months." Rat Face wasn't about to tell Wando about it--how Rat Face fucked up. How Rat Face always fucked up. No, as far as he was concerned, Wando was dead & buried. She was . . . how could she make him kill Lex?
Wando handed Rat Face a manila envelope. Rat Face opened it. "Trash Town?"
"Last we heard."
"Why Trash Town?" Rat Face said.
"It doesn't matter," Wando said. "By this time tomorrow he won't be anywhere."
On his way out the door, Wando called after him. "And Rat Face," she said. "Quit picking on little girls."
He nodded, smiled falsely, and went out the door.
Big Boy escorted him down the stairs to the exit. At the black door Big Boy said, "Don't be stupid, Rat Face."
"You either, Big Boy."
Big Boy grabbed Rat Face's shoulder. "I mean it," he said, dropping his already low voice. "I see your brain chirping."
Rat Face snorted. "It ain't chirping one cheep."
"Just be careful."
Rat nodded. Big Boy unlatched the door. The alley stink wafted in. Rat stepped out into the night.
As he came to the street, the neversleeping city howled in his ears. His head was spinning. He wasn't ready for this. He needed to clear his head. No, he needed to get drunk. Yeah, he needed to get really drunk. Lucklily he knew just the place.
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