Read Online Burn by Sean Doolittle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sean Doolittle
Tags: Mystery
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fireplace. Andrew identified the source by the sound of the pull chain, the low-wattage corona suddenly rimming the boundaries of his peripheral view.
He tensed, mind suddenly roaring. He tried to imagine the layout of the space behind him. He prepared to move.
“Torch, ” a familiar voice said. “I was starting to think you weren't ever coming home.”
10
A mean Baltimore night, cold and wet.
Torch stood outside a warehouse down by the docks. A razor wind raked his back, spun salt and spring frost through his hair. He stared at the grimy door for almost twenty minutes before he finally took a breath and grabbed the handle. Rusty wheels wailed in their tracks as he slid the big door open and stepped on through.
He heard the hammer clicks a half-second before he felt cool metal pressed in three places against the back of his skull.
“Blink, ” somebody behind him said. “Wiggle something.”
The place smelled like oil, dust, wet steel. A single fire burning in a trash barrel provided the only light inside. Slowly, Torch raised his hands where he stood.
First came silence. Then a laugh.
“Man, we figured you was stupid. But this settles it.”
Without turning his head, Torch spoke to the gun under his left ear. “How you doing, Louis?”
“Better'n you, I guess.”
Torch said, “Guess so.”
Something popped inside the trash barrel and pinged against the can's metal hide. Flames lapped above the rim, trailing acrid smoke toward the high open windows above. As Torch's eyes adjusted to the dimness, he could see the rest of the crew hanging in the shadows, slouched against shelving and crates.
The tallest of them straightened and detached from the others.
“Look who's here, ” Eyebrow Larry said, stepping out of the flickering gloom and into the light of the fire.
They called him Eyebrow because he had only one left. Torch had burned off the other himself with a Zippo, and it never had grown back.
It was hard to believe they'd once been like brothers, but it was true. He and Larry had watched each other's backs and rambled together for years. All that remained of those days now was the legendary pale twist of scar above Larry's left eye.
“Thanks for meeting me.”
“Get to the point, Torchie. This is getting boring fast.”
Torch dropped his hands. “I'm out. For good. That's not what I came to tell you, I just figured you'd be interested to know.”
“I'm interested to know where you scored whatever you were smoking when you decided it'd be a good idea to come down here just to say hey.”
Torch heard chuckles from the boys with the guns behind him.
“ 'cause I gotta tell you, Torch.” Larry crossed hisarms. “You got me a little concerned for your mental shit right about now.”
“Save it. I'm only here because I never told you I was sorry for burning off your eyebrow that time.” He shrugged. “That whole thing … that just got out of hand.”
The snickers started again behind him, this time spreading to the peanut gallery like an oil fire. Larry just shook his head.
“Retiring, ” he said. “You don't say.”
“I do.”
“Mama Mingo know that yet?”
“I assume she'll put it together eventually.”
Larry nodded along. Torch waited patiently.
“So, what? Gonna move to Florida? Open up a bait shop? Screw cocktail waitresses?”
“Something like that.”
“And you just woke up and decided this, I guess.”
“It's been a while coming, ” Torch said.
“Burnout's a bitch, huh?”
More snickers from the shadows.
“I'm just getting out. That's all.”
To this, Larry offered the thinnest of grins. “Hate to be the one to say it, Torch. But you ought to know better than that by now.”
“That's not my name anymore. The rest is my problem.”
“Bold words coming from a guy who just crossed his own name off the protected species list.”
“This doesn't have anything to do with that.”
“You don't think?”
A long moment passed.
“Look. I just wanted to
He tensed, mind suddenly roaring. He tried to imagine the layout of the space behind him. He prepared to move.
“Torch, ” a familiar voice said. “I was starting to think you weren't ever coming home.”
10
A mean Baltimore night, cold and wet.
Torch stood outside a warehouse down by the docks. A razor wind raked his back, spun salt and spring frost through his hair. He stared at the grimy door for almost twenty minutes before he finally took a breath and grabbed the handle. Rusty wheels wailed in their tracks as he slid the big door open and stepped on through.
He heard the hammer clicks a half-second before he felt cool metal pressed in three places against the back of his skull.
“Blink, ” somebody behind him said. “Wiggle something.”
The place smelled like oil, dust, wet steel. A single fire burning in a trash barrel provided the only light inside. Slowly, Torch raised his hands where he stood.
First came silence. Then a laugh.
“Man, we figured you was stupid. But this settles it.”
Without turning his head, Torch spoke to the gun under his left ear. “How you doing, Louis?”
“Better'n you, I guess.”
Torch said, “Guess so.”
Something popped inside the trash barrel and pinged against the can's metal hide. Flames lapped above the rim, trailing acrid smoke toward the high open windows above. As Torch's eyes adjusted to the dimness, he could see the rest of the crew hanging in the shadows, slouched against shelving and crates.
The tallest of them straightened and detached from the others.
“Look who's here, ” Eyebrow Larry said, stepping out of the flickering gloom and into the light of the fire.
They called him Eyebrow because he had only one left. Torch had burned off the other himself with a Zippo, and it never had grown back.
It was hard to believe they'd once been like brothers, but it was true. He and Larry had watched each other's backs and rambled together for years. All that remained of those days now was the legendary pale twist of scar above Larry's left eye.
“Thanks for meeting me.”
“Get to the point, Torchie. This is getting boring fast.”
Torch dropped his hands. “I'm out. For good. That's not what I came to tell you, I just figured you'd be interested to know.”
“I'm interested to know where you scored whatever you were smoking when you decided it'd be a good idea to come down here just to say hey.”
Torch heard chuckles from the boys with the guns behind him.
“ 'cause I gotta tell you, Torch.” Larry crossed hisarms. “You got me a little concerned for your mental shit right about now.”
“Save it. I'm only here because I never told you I was sorry for burning off your eyebrow that time.” He shrugged. “That whole thing … that just got out of hand.”
The snickers started again behind him, this time spreading to the peanut gallery like an oil fire. Larry just shook his head.
“Retiring, ” he said. “You don't say.”
“I do.”
“Mama Mingo know that yet?”
“I assume she'll put it together eventually.”
Larry nodded along. Torch waited patiently.
“So, what? Gonna move to Florida? Open up a bait shop? Screw cocktail waitresses?”
“Something like that.”
“And you just woke up and decided this, I guess.”
“It's been a while coming, ” Torch said.
“Burnout's a bitch, huh?”
More snickers from the shadows.
“I'm just getting out. That's all.”
To this, Larry offered the thinnest of grins. “Hate to be the one to say it, Torch. But you ought to know better than that by now.”
“That's not my name anymore. The rest is my problem.”
“Bold words coming from a guy who just crossed his own name off the protected species list.”
“This doesn't have anything to do with that.”
“You don't think?”
A long moment passed.
“Look. I just wanted to
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