Heartland Junk (Part II): Sanctuary Read Online Free

asshole. "But on one condition," he added.
                  "Come on, what you mean one condition. You say it like we have any other choice."
                  "Okay then, humor me. Help me out. Now listen..." He explained his idea. I didn't even have to consider.
                  "No fucking way," I said. "That's too dangerous. Not with everyone here."
                  "Then we'll do it in the next house over," Rivet pressed. "Come on, Rayman. Tit for tat. I help you read your books, and you help me."
                  "What happened to just being friends?" I asked.
                  "Yeah, what happened to it?" Rivet said softly. Dammit. The son of a bitch just had to reverse everything . I'm rubber, you're glue.
                  "Fuck. Okay. Fine. Fuck. Where, though? There aren't any. You've been out there."
                  Rivet clapped me on the back. "Not during the day, but they're out there at night. I know you've seen them."
                  Firefly rivers, pink will-o'-the-wisps, streaming in the distance, always heading the same direction. Northward bound. I'd seen them.
                  "Fine," I said. "You win. But we're doing my thing first. This afternoon."
                  Rivet winked, then started down the stairs. I gazed out the window a few more minutes, then followed. Everyone was in the kitchen.
     
     

Chapter 4
     
                  "GET OVER here, Ray," Jennie said, standing up and pulling an empty chair away from the kitchen table. "You need to hear this." They were all sitting around the circular table. Rivet had just plopped down beside Jennie, and across from them, Theo and Abby sat so close they almost touched. The four of them looked like two opposing factions working out the terms of war. Titan sat on his haunches in the center of the table, acting as mediator to the discussions. He leaned over to lick himself periodically.
                  I sat down in the chair Jennie proferred, scooting it over so that I was directly in the middle of the two groups, between Jennie and Abby.
                  "Okay, Theo," Jennie said. "Tell Ray and Rivet what you just told me."
                  Now what?
                  The kid looked up at the gaunt, silent woman, as if asking permission. I was struck by how much Abby had changed. Apparently, she'd washed her face while the three of us were upstairs—or Theo had washed it for her—and despite her malnourished look, she was radiant. I'd overshot her age out on the porch. She couldn't be more than thirty-five, with high cheek bones and smooth skin still rosy from her recent wash. Her eyes were dark and almond shaped, haunted by the shadows cast by her narrow brow line. Her eyebrows dainty and thin, offset by plump lips with a natual pout along their lower curve. Long, beach-sand hair framed her face. Although it was mussed now, I imagined that it must have shone just a week ago.
                  She stared straight ahead, between Jennie and Rivet, as if they weren't even there. She didn't move, but Theo nodded as if she'd given him the okay. He turned to us.
                  "Ms. Abby isn't my mommy," he said. "My mommy's in heaven with Ms. Abby's daughters. She said it was okay for me to tell you that. She said it's important for you to know. They didn't die, but they're in heaven now."
                  I exchanged a look with Jennie and Rivet. Jennie shrugged. Rivet made a little clockwise motion beside his hear with his finger.
                  "Ms. Abby found me after my mommy went to heaven," Theo continued. "I was hiding in a car and they were trying to get in. My mommy was with them. She wanted to eat me," he said bluntly. "Ms. Abby says that's not true, but I know she's just trying to protect me. Ms. Abby threw rocks at them and made