not lyin’ down ever. Not for you. Not for anyone.” I ended it. “I’m hungry, Steve.”
Sometimes I think they’re the best words I’ve ever said.
“I’m hungry.”
And after that, I shut the door. I didn’t slam it.
You don’t shoot a dog when it’s already dead.
WHEN DOGS CRY
I saw a dog cry once.
It was one of those nights when the wind tries to tear the ground along with it, and a storm stirs itself amongst the sky. Lightning roared and thunder cracked above me.
The street was empty but for the dog, first walking the dangerous, desolate city floor, silently clicking over it with his paws and claws. He looked hungry, and desperate, until he simply stood there, and began.
He reached deep, and his fur stood on end, climbing ferociously up. From his heart, from everything in his instinct, he began to howl.
He howled above the howling thunder. He howled above the howling lightning, and beyond the howling wind.
With his head claiming the endless sky, he howled hunger and I felt it rise through me.
Iunger.
My pride.
And I smiled.
Even now, I smile, and I feel it in my eyes, because hunger’s a powerful thing.
CHAPTER 13
The phone was ringing. Wednesday night. Just past seven o’clock.
“Hello?”
“Ruben Wolfe?”
“No, it’s Cameron here.”
“Tell you what,” the voice went on, laced with friendly malice. “Could you get him for me?”
“Yeah, who’s callin’?”
“No one.”
“No one?”
“Listen, mate. Just get y’ brother on the phone or we’ll beat the crap out of you as well.”
I was taken aback. I pulled the phone away, then returned it to my ear. “I’ll get him. Hang on a minute.”
Rube was in our room with Julia the Scrubber. I knocked on the door and went in.
“What?” said Rube. He wasn’t happy to
see me, and neither was Julia. She adjusted her clothing.
I took another step into the room. “Someone on the phone.”
“For me?” Rube asked.
I nodded.
“Well who is it?”
“Do I look like y’ bloody secretary? Just get up and answer the phone.”
He looked strangely at me, got up grudgingly, and walked out, which left me in the room with Julia the Scrubber, alone.
Julia the Scrubber: “Hi Cam.”
Me: “Hi Julia.”
Julia the Scrubber, smiling and moving closer: “Rube’s been tellin’ me you’re not too much in love with me.”
Me, inching away: “Well I guess he can tell you whatever he wants.”
Julia the Scrubber, sensing my complete lack of interest: “Is it true?”
Me: “Well, I don’t know, to be honest. It isn’t really any of my business what Rube does … but I know for sure that whoever’s on that phone wants to kill him, and I’ve got some idea cause of you.”
Julia the Scrubber, laughing: “Rube’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.”
Me: “That’s true, but he’s also my brother, and there’s no way I’d let him bleed alone.”
Julia the Scrubber: “How very noble of you.”
Rube came back in, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, Cam. There’s no one on the phone.”
“I’m tellin’ you,” I said, pulling Rube out into the hallway. Once we got there, I whispered at him. “There was a guy there, Rube, and he sounded like he wanted to kill you. So when the phone rings again, get up and answer it.”
The phone did ring again and this time Rube came running out of the room and got it. Again, they hung up on him. By the third time, Rube barked into the phone. “How ‘bout you start talkin’? If you want Ruben Wolfe, you’ve got him. So talk!”
There was no response from the other end, and the phone didn’t ring again that night, but after Julia left, I could see that Rube was a little pensive. He was about as worried as Ruben Wolfe gets, because he knew without doubt now, like I did, that something was coming. In our room, he looked at me. In the exchanging of our eyes, he was telling me a fight was looming.
He sat on his bed.
“I guess that bad feeling you had was right,” he began. “About Julia. It’s definitely that last bloke she had.” It wasn’t like Rube to be scared, because we both knew he could take care of himself. He was one of the most liked but most feared people in our neighborhood. The only trouble now was that nothing was certain. It was a feeling, that’s all, and I could sense Rube was feeling it as well. I could smell it.
“Did you ask what’s-her-name about him?”
“Julia?”
“Yeah.”
“She reckons he isn’t the brightest spark, and that he’s got way too much time