“Quill,” he repeats, licking his lip. “Tragen told me about, uhm, your little altercation with… with Campbell…”
“Right.” I wave my gun around, and his eyes bulge as he follows the movement. “Did he say what it was about?”
“Uh…” He dabs at his forehead with his hand. “About a girl, I think.”
“Uh huh. What girl?”
He clears his throat nervously. “He didn’t say anything about that. I don’t think he knows.”
I hesitate a moment, then let the gun fall to my side. I’m not sure I should believe that he doesn’t know about Piper, but why would he only give me half the story? This tracks with Campbell hanging up on Tragen before he could get Piper’s name out. Tragen doesn’t know. Hecan’tknow, because I have no fucking clue what I’d do if Piper Day ever got on his radar.
Probably fucking burn him and all of Devil Tower along with him.
Good thing I don’t have to do that, because I’m not sure how I’d even start. I walk around Dad, intending to open the door and head out. Then I pause.
“Keys.”
“Huh?”
His confusion turns to anger as I reach out a hand at him.
“I’m taking the car. Keys.”
“It’smycar,” he hisses. “Are you out of your fucking mind, Quill?”
“Keys,” I insist, waving my gun around at him again. “Give me the fucking car keys.”
I don’t know why my bike isn’t cutting it right now, except maybe I don’t want anyone seeing me with Piper.
Which means I guess I’m planning to find Piper.
Dad’s face goes through all of the colors, from red to blue to green, before settling on light grey. He fumbles in his pockets, throws the keys at me, and grunts, “Now fuck off.”
I’m drunk with power as I slide into his Maserati, turning the key in the ignition. Fuck, I should have started threatening Dad with a gun a long time ago. It makes life so much easier.
I drive toward Piper’s house, so laser-focused on finding her and—well, I’m not sure what’ll come after that—that I don’t even notice Liam and Dane until I’m practically running them over.
“Holy shit!” laughs out Liam. “Hey, man!”
He’s wearing a white paper plate that he’s cut out so itresembles the masks soldiers wear when they’re carrying out contracts, with two slits for eyes and a very long, curved blood-red mouth. So is Dane, and the latter is dangling a third paper plate mask in front of me.
“What the fuck?” I mutter, as they walk toward me.
“We’ve been looking for you,” declares Liam. “Sick, man, you’ve got your dad’s car! Let’s go!”
Before I even have time to react, he invites himself into the front seat. Dane enters more slowly, watching me for any sign that I’m not okay with this.
I’mnotokay with it, but my thoughts have been so focused on Piper that it takes a while for me to understand what’s going on. By the time my brain has caught up to the situation, my foot has already pressed down on the pedal, and we’re speeding down the road.
“Shit, tonight’s gonna be good!” laughs Liam. “Let’s go set some trash cans on fire! Or toilet paper a house!”
He waves a huge bag stuffed with toilet paper rolls at me, then tosses me the third paper plate mask.
“Huh?”
“It’s Halloween, bro!” he cries out. “The night is young! Where are we going?”
“To Piper’s.”