KEEPERS

CHAPTER 2

HARRY'S POV

I was busily applying biker's grease onto two stroller wheels taken off a baby carriage I'd found abandoned on 12th Avenue.

"We need a better name this year," I said. "Somethin' that sticks in peoples heads."

"What was it last year?" Niall asked. "I forget."

"The Sea Hawk," I reminded him. "Like the movie."

"Seaweed woulda been more like it," Louis said.

That was his subtle way of reminding us that we hadn't done so well in the previous race, finishing next to last.

"Let's name it after the Count of Monte Cristo," Liam said.

"Nah," I said, shaking my head. "Let's name it after one of the Musketeers."

"Which one?" Niall asked.

"D' Artagnan," I said immediately.

"To start with, he's not a made Musketeer," Louis said. "He just hangs with them."

"And he's only cool 'cause he's got three other guys with him all the time," Niall said to me. "Just like you. Alone, we're talkin' dead man. Just like you. Besides, we'll be the only ones with a French guy's name on the side of our cart."

"That oughta be good enough to get our ass kicked by somebody," Louis observed.

"Go with the Count," Liam said. "He's my hero."

"Wolf Larsen's my hero," Niall said. "You don't see me bustin' balls about gettin' his name on the cart."

"Wolf Larsen from The Sea Wolf?" I asked. "That's your hero?"

"Yea." Niall said "I think he's a real stand-up guy."

"The guy's a total scumbag." Louis was incredulous. "He treats people like shit."

"Come onnn, he ain't got a choice," Niall insisted. "Look at who he deals with."

"Scumbag or not," Louid said. "Wolf's name would look better on the cart.

"They'll think we name the friggin' cart after our dog," Liam muttered.

"We don't got a dog," Niall said.

"Okay, its settled," I told everybody. "We name the cart Wolf. I think it'll bring us luck."

"We're gonna need more than luck to beat Mathew's crew," Liam said.

"We may lose this race," Louis said. "But we ain't gonna lose it to Mathew."

"He's always there at the end, Lou," I said.

"We always look to block him at the end," Louis said. "That's our mistake."

"He stays away till then," Niall said. "He's no dope. He knows what to do."

"Maybe," Louis said. "But this time we go and get him outta the race early. With him out, nobody comes near beatin' us."

"How early?" I asked.

"Right after Tony Lungs drops the flag," Louis said. "Near the hill."

"How?"

"Don't worry," Louis said. "I got a plan."

"I always worry when you say that," I said.

"Relax," Niall said, putting the final paint strokes on the wood. "What could happen?"