Chapter 1

Ruby blood dripped from his arm. He took a dirty towel from the heap, put pressure to stop its flow but the thin fabric blotted and crimson seeped through the dirty cotton.

“Fuck. What are you doing?”

Joshua raised his head, looked at Sullivan and whispered, “I cut it here on the corner and I can’t stop it.”

“Shit, man. You can’t leave blood,” Sullivan hissed. “Dammit. It’s got your DNA. I knew I shouldn’t have taken you with me.”

Joshua gritted his teeth. He didn’t like making Sullivan angry. He volunteered to break in, steel the rims, pawn any stuff so he could get closer to him—so that Sullivan would pay more attention to him, maybe even like him.

Now Sullivan ignored him as he continued to rummage through the toolbox, throwing what could be sold in a large, greasy duffel bag he brought.

Joshua hung his head, and the pain brought his focus back to his arm. He eyed the table’s sharp metal corner that jutted outward and caused the gash.

Joshua heard the sound at the same time Sullivan heard it. Joshua hunkered down, hiding in the shadow of the car, parked in the garage, accidentally loosening his grip on the rims he stacked. As they rolled away from him, Joshua’s heart beat faster.

The homeowners weren’t expected for another hour.

He lunged to the side, toward the corner that sliced him, then took the towel from his arm to wipe the corner.

“Fucking dipshit, what now? You’re just spreading more blood around,” Sullivan whispered, his tone short, impatient. He too was scrunched on his haunches; light brown hair covered his right eye. Sullivan brushed it from his own face and glared at Joshua. “Stay cool,” he said.

For a moment, Joshua wished it was Josh’s hand that moved Sully’s hair. Until a few days ago, when Sully stood up to a bully for him, Joshua didn’t know that Sullivan even knew he existed.

Sullivan took off the outer shirt he wore then wiped the corner where blood from the dirty towel wound up. “That stupid towel is all blood now. We need to get out here quick.”

“I’m sorry, Sully.”

“Don’t call me that.” Sullivan took his outer shirt and stuffed it in the duffel bag as he pressed his finger to his mouth and signaled Joshua to remain quiet.

Joshua watched as Sullivan took off the V-neck shirt he still wore, took the bloody towel Joshua held, then wrapped the shirt around the arm like a tourniquet. Joshua gulped. Sullivan’s shirtless lean torso distracted him and as he moved to lean on the car, his head hit the car door handle

“Ow!”

“Dude, what the fuck are you doing?” Sullivan hissed as he shook his head. “We can’t get out of here if you’re making so much noise.”

A door opened, then slammed, followed by a jingle of keys. They couldn’t discern what they were saying but they could hear a man’s and a woman’s voice. The voices trailed off, then Joshua heard a door near the kitchen entrance, next to garage being opened and closed.

“Come on, let’s go.” Sullivan grabbed the bag he put down and motioned for Joshua to follow him as they headed toward the side door facing a fence. They hunkered down close for several minutes. Bullfrog sounds in the distance, as well as crickets from the swamp seemed to hum along with the air conditioner. “All right, I don’t hear anyone. Let’s go.”

Sullivan slowly twisted the doorknob open and looked out. The streetlamp offered some light. Joshua couldn’t hear anything in the cul-de-sac. Sullivan stood to a half crouch before straightening as he walked out. Joshua saw Sullivan look around before he waved Joshua to follow him.

Holding the rims in one hand, he followed Sullivan, who dropped the bag.

Measly gains for all the work they did, casing this house, entering it when they realized the garage was unlocked. Joshua now wished he was anywhere but here.

Sullivan broke out in a run, tripping the outside lights’ motion sensors while Joshua ran in a jog, gripping the rims. Joshua’s heart beat hard, fast, and several yards down the road not far from Sullivan’s car, Joshua heard a male voice.

“Stop! I’ve already called the police!”

Joshua turned to see a large, severely overweight man chasing him a few yards away. Because of the lighting, he couldn’t make out the man’s face but Joshua had no doubt it was the homeowner. Joshua stopped, turned, and threw the rims at him to slow him down.

“Shit! What are you doing, man?” Sullivan yelled. “We could have gotten some money out of them. Now we got nothing!”

Joshua ran, trying to catch up to Sullivan’s long legged stride as he darted behind the unfinished homes in the new subdivision. “I’m not going to jail for you!”

A warning shot rang out. Joshua stopped in his tracks, and half-turned to see the man breathing hard, several feet away, pointing the gun at him, his hand shaking. “The next one’s for you, fucking thief! You better stop!”

Joshua backed up. When he saw the flash, he knew what caused the split-second sound that followed.