PANIC Read Online Free

a few things like that. I just found out about it.”
    He brings up a wooden match to the end of the cigarette, pinched by the older man’s thumb and forefinger. Times like this, the older man thinks of him like a son.
    “Thanks, Luis,” he says, and takes a drag. They pass it back and forth like that a couple of times, filling their lungs with potent smoke. The old man busts into a deep, rattling cough.
    “Anytime, pop.”
    “God damn that’s good,” says the old man, laughing as he coughs.
    The dog is lying down in the dust, enjoying his treat nearly as much as his master enjoys his. It feels like olden times, standing out in the lawn watching the sun go down as they shoot the breeze.
    “They’re cheaper than goats and they breed like crazy, you see? This could be big for us.”
    “So, what, you’re talking about getting rich?”
    “If I wanted to be rich, I’d be ripping people off anyway I could. I’m talking about doing something for my community. We could expand our own market, like a private market, you know? Invite only.”
    “I don’t know about that. It’s the most sensible thing for us to be doing but not right now. It’s still way too dangerous out there.”
    “You’re tellin’ me,” said the man, his voice going up as he held in another puff. He let it out through his teeth like a tough guy; back in his day he probably ran with one of the gangs that broke up at the beginning of it all. If he had, he never let on. Luis didn’t even know how he’d lost his arm.
    “This place used to have a name and now it’s just a reservation for wild people,” the old man mused, philosophically.
    “You’re not like that and I’m not like that. I worry about you, soldier boy.”
    “Don’t worry about me, Pops. I can look after myself.”
    “That ain’t my point and you know it. Sooner we all stick together, sooner we can wall ourselves up just like they did downtown. We can have our own market, our own police, schools, for heaven’s sake. What’s the point of having these babies if they haven’t got schools?”
    Even when he wasn’t getting high he had these flights of fancy.
    “You know I’m with you. Just give me some more time. There’s still so much we need to do.”
    “It’s getting down to the wire, kid.”
    “If we keep our heads down—”
    “That’s a good one; just being here attracts attention. We need you here, big man. We have a future if we can put up a fight. You can help with that. I got my woman here, I’m older than hell,” - here he lifted his stump, disconcerting no matter how many times you saw it - “one friggin arm, I’m useless.”
    Luis pointed through the fence right at the man.
    “But you’re a smart old bastard.”
    “Hell, smart enough. I could be the mayor and you’d be my first appointee. How’s that sound? Chief of damn police.”
    They both laughed, feeling the relaxation.
    “I’m serious, man.”
    “I know.”
    “What the hell else are we gonna do? Kill ourselves?”
    Luis stayed silent, not sure how to take it. The time would come when he’d willingly die protecting the old man and his wife and the people in the neighborhood gamely hanging on, clinging to each other for life. He’d welcome it. The older man handed him back the joint and smiled weakly. Maybe it wasn’t the most encouraging thing to say.
    “You should stay over tonight. Missus is cooking, we’re gonna watch a movie. Nothing else to do when you’re locked down ‘til morning.”
    “It’s not a big deal. Mischief Night’s just like any other night. Every night is Gang Night Out. It’ll pass.”
    He stubbed the cigarette out and took the rest for himself.
    “This shit makes you paranoid, Pops.”
    “Yeah, yeah.”

21:01
    HE LOCKED THE front door first and crossed over to the back door to throw the bolt there, too, still rolling the potent, ashed cigarette around in his mouth by the filter. Except for his first-floor office with the couch he used for a bed, he kept