her. My real name is Deborah Delaney. My sister is Joan Delaney, the cop who’s been patrolling Funland the past few weeks.”
Cowboy lifted a hand to the bandaged side of his head.
“Yeah,” Shiner said. “She’s the one who saved your ear for you.”
“I’ll be hog-tied.”
“Your sister’s a cop?” Tanya blurted.
“I knew you wouldn’t let me troll if I told you about her. But I’m not trolling anymore. I came here to warn you. Joan’s coming here tonight, dressed like a bum. She and her partner. They’ll be coming to bust you guys. I let the air out of their tires, but I don’t think that’ll stop them. For all I know, they might get here any second. You’re my friends. You, especially, Jeremy, but the rest of you too. I don’t want Joan to arrest any of you. And I don’t want her getting hurt trying. So, please, call it off. At least for tonight. Call it off and get out of here before it’s too late.”
She stood there, breathing heavily, her head turning slowly as she looked at each of them.
Tanya stepped toward her.
Shiner stiffened. She raised her hands again.
Karen, on her knees, muttered, “Nail her.”
“Shut up,” Tanya said. She held out a hand to Shiner. “Thanks for the warning, Debbie. You’re all right. Even if your sister is a cop.”
Shiner took the offered hand. Tanya drew the girl closer, released her hand, and put her arms around her.
They hugged each other.
Jeremy couldn’t believe his eyes.
He half-expected Tanya to knee her in the guts.
They parted, and Tanya turned to Jeremy. “Go with her if you want. Nobody’ll hold it against you—against either of you.”
“I can’t,” he said.
Not after what we’ve done, he thought. Not with my face like this.
It’s way too late.
“I’ll stick with you,” he told Tanya.
“Good man. All right, trollers! You heard what Debbie said. Cops are on the way. We’ve gotta make it quick. Randy, you stand watch. You see anyone coming, blow your whistle like crazy and run for it. Let’s do it!”
She squeezed Shiner’s arm, then hurried toward the cuffed girl. The others went to join in.
Shiner stepped up to Jeremy.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Me too. What the hell, I guess I’d be after Tanya too if I was a guy. Still friends?”
“Sure. If you want me for a friend,” he added in a trembling voice.
“I do.”
“Great. And thanks for…warning us.”
“Hey, what’re friends for?”
He wanted to embrace her, but he kept his arms at his sides. He knew that he could never hold her again.
He had removed himself from the part of the world where teenage boys and girls dated, hugged and kissed, made out in innocent questing passion. That was the world where he and Shiner might have dwelled. But it was lost now forever.
“Go for it, hoss!”
Some others cheered.
Jeremy looked away from Shiner and watched Samson lift the handcuffed girl. He hoisted her off the boardwalk by the front of her shirt and the crotch of her jeans, swung her up, and raised her over his head as if she were a living barbell. He led the way. The others followed, except for Randy.
“I guess you don’t want to miss out,” Shiner said.
Jeremy shook his head.
“Let’s go, then.”
“Aren’t you leaving?”
“I told you before. I’m not leaving without you. You stay, I stay. Somebody’s got to look out for you.”
They hurried to catch up with the group.
The procession moved quickly down the moonlit boardwalk. Tanya, taking the lead, rushed to the gate of the fence that surrounded the Ferris wheel. She opened it for Samson, and climbed the wooden platform.
At the top, Samson lowered the girl. He held her standing while Tanya stepped behind her. Jeremy heard a quiet click and realized that Tanya was unlocking one of the cuffs.
“How’re you gonna get the thing running?” Samson asked.
“I’ve got Nate’s key.”
“Hot damn,” Cowboy said.
“Let go of her.” Samson released his grip on the girl’s shirtfront. As she sagged backward, Tanya braced her up, reached around her, ripped open the shirt, and yanked it off.
“All right,” Samson said.
“Get her pants.”
Samson tugged the jeans down her legs. Tanya, arms around the girl’s chest, hoisted her up. Samson pulled the jeans off her feet and tossed them aside.
“Who wants some fun?”
“What about the cops?” Samson asked.
“Forget the cops. Who wants to fuck her?”
“I don’t know,” Samson said. He caressed the girl’s breasts. “I wouldn’t mind, but she’s a troll, you know? Wouldn’t want to catch something.”