Page 8 (1/2)

More flashing

Seriously, as--Understanding dawned, and he groith barely suppressed rage The white fla, he grabbed the device and crushed it intoover hi all he could see "That’s okay, Agent Mean I’d already emailed myself a copy"

"Fucklips

That grin brightened "I can’t You’re Ava’s"

He was … Ava’s? Wait What?

"So," Noelle said, grinning sloickedly "Do you want to knohere you rong now, or should I wait and tell you later?"

Seven

EIGHT-YEAR-OLD HECTOR BECKHAM GRIPPED the bars of his cage and peered over at his ten-year-old brother, Dean Dean lay in his own cage, not asleep but not ht Bones protruded sharply on his bruised and dirty face,him look like a skeleton with hair

Hector probably looked just as bad Why wouldn’t he? All the other boys and girls around hies and utterly helpless

There were twenty-six cages in total, some lined side by side, soes once used to contain dogs But then, that’s what they were Dogs

A week before every fight, they were all locked inside their new "hoood and feral when they were released They were purposely starved, even though that left thes

Plus, what better way to reward them for a job well done? Turn your friend’s face into pulp, and earn a sandwich

Yeah, Hector had made friends with most of the kids in here After all, so this for over a year and they were the only ones who understood his pain--the only ones he could ever talk to about what happened Coain, he’d forget he liked theet they liked him

Until it was over and all any of them would want to do was cry

What are you, a sissy? his dad’s voice suddenly screamed inside his head

How many times had Hector heard that particular question? Too many to count Not that he kne to count He’d never been to school, had never learned to read

Well, he wouldn’t cry tonight Or tomorrow He was better than that And, well, he just didn’t have the strength

He hadn’t been fed today, and the only thing he’d gotten yesterday was a single scoop of slop He’d hated the bitter taste but he’d licked the bowl clean--because they were never given a spoon Now his sto Burning so bad

"Hector," Dean whispered

Hector es had been placed one in front of the other "Yeah," he whispered back out of habit

The Zoo Keeper--the httime check, so they didn’t have to be quiet Besides, kids were irl was praying for soes, and Hector didn’t have the heart to tell her that no one ever would

"Dad told ht this round," Dean said

A sharp intake of breath The ss filled his nose Froo to the bathroo at his cheeks

"He says I have to"

"No!" That’s the one thing they’d never allowed themselves to do Kill another kid A kid in the saotten when he was lucky, forced to fight for every scrap of food when he wasn’t

Dean’s golden eyes--eyes so like his oere grim "You knohat’ll happen if I disobey hi they ever experienced inside the ring "At least you won’t feel guilty or hate yourself" Hectoranother kid, but Dean shut down He’d cut himself, and wouldn’t speak for weeks Not even to Hector

If Dean delivered that final blow … he would never recover Hector knew that, too

He and Dean had tried running away together, but their dad had caught the that followed, Dean had thrown hiotten his ar An arm Dean had had to treat hile, six ?" he asked

Silence

"Just… don’t kill him, Dean Please I don’t want you to suffer about it later"

Again, silence

"I’ll do it, okay? I’ll do the killing Whoever I fight, I’ll kill him, I promise You just … don’t Okay?"

Silence

Hector tried reaching his brother another way He worked his are door and shook Rattle, rattle "Listen tohad to be better than this Living on the street would be better than this "This time, he won’t find us I won’t let him"

"I just wanted you to know," Dean finally said, his voice low and e his brother hoonderful things would be when they were on their own, but Dean never said another word Then the sun was glea barn filled with dirty cages, listless kids, and human waste

Outside, Hector heard what seemed to be a thousand cars drive up, and even hter drifted to his ears

There was an arena set up in the surrounding field The bleachers were always overflowing Beer and popcorn would be sold Just the thought of that popcorn hts, cheering and booing That always set Hector’s already raw nerves on edge Why didn’t they help? Why didn’t they realize the cruelty of what they were doing? Watching? Why didn’t they care?