Chapter 82
Wednesday, July 3rd
Alexander and Bethina were back the next morning. They played a truncated game of "dungeon", then Alexander dragged them outside for hide-and-seek. One of the outbuildings was a garage. The door was open and light spilled out into the night. After a round of the game, Patrick went to investigate.
The huge blue car was jacked up and Christian was crouched next to it, slotting a tire into place. "Hello."
"Hey." Patrick leaned against a work bench and tugged out his last cigarette. "Who do I see for more of these?"
"If you don't care about the brand, there's a carton in the drawer."
Patrick followed the man's pointing finger to find not only cigarettes, but a greasy bottle of booze. He held it up with a cry of triumph and had the cap off before good sense kicked in. "Oh, uh, can I.?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
Patrick gulped the burning liquid and closed his eyes. "Fuck, that's better. Is there more where that came from?"