Dog Days of Summer (Damned of the 2/19th Book Four) - Finished

100 Feet From Safety

275 Orange Street

Centralia, Washington

United States of America

9 August, 1986

0055 Hours

        I yanked open the door to the truck and Briana jumped. I threw myself behind the steering wheel, slamming the door, and hit the ignition.

        "My God, Annie, is that blood?" Briana asked, reaching out toward my arm.

        "It's nothing." I told her, pullng my arm away and trying the ignition again. The truck's starter ground for a moment then fired up, the engine loud through the glasspak mufflers.

        "Yeah, call him Annie, because the little boy you knew is who's sitting beside you." Westlin sneered as I pulled out the alley, hung a left, and headed down the street.

        "Quiet, vile spirit." Briana said, waving her hand. "Begone, and bother Annie no more."

        I slammed on the brakes. "Don't talk to her like that, Briana." I told her, turning to face her. "Westlin has more right to me than you'd think." I sighed and eased off the clutch again, feathering the accellerator so the engine didn't stall. "It's my fault she's dead anyway."

        "Annie." Briana said softly, reaching for me. I brushed aside her arm, digging in my pocket for my smokes. The pack was crushed, but I managed to fish out one that was only bent, steering with my knees. I lit it with my ChemCorps Zippo, the streetlight catching the inscription "Special Weapons Class of 84" under the ChemCorps seal. I tucked the lighter again and pushed in the clutch so I could stop at the stop light.

        Rage filled me and I slammed my fist against the metal dashboard, cursing myself. I'd let myself get sloppy and now, if they were smart, the Doutree boys would go to ground. As soon as Lonnie and Tadgh had been worthless I should have cut their throats and left them on Niamh's kitchen floor for the dogs to eat. Now they were both alive, I got almost no information out of them, and they'd be warning their allies as soon as they could.

        "You know, Dobbs would kick your ass if she heard you talking like you did to your cousin."  Westlin told me, flashing me a smile. That broke my rage, leaving it to crumble and leave the taste of ashes in my mouth.

        "You know me." I told her. "It was just a way to get under his skin, make him sloppy."

        She nodded slowly. "All right, true. It's just startling to hear you say that kind of stuff."

        Briana looked at Westlin and then at me, her face suddenly nervous.

        "He's always been ashamed of it, took it out on us younger kids all the time. He tried really hard to 'prove' he was straight, and that just made stuff worse." I told her. "Then he tangled with Aine, she outed him about the whole thing, liking men, not being able to get it up for women, having a bad case of baby-dick, and if anything, he got meaner."

        Westlin raised her eyebrow. "I'm surprised you've got the attitude toward gay people that you have, in that case."

        "Tiernan's influence." Briana said. "He's always accepted the gays, says they fight, bleed, and die like any other man on the battlefield."

        "I wasn't talking to you, witch." Westlin snapped, sticking her tongue out at Briana. "The only reason you're here is because of your tits and any holes you might have that might be useful."