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What chance would any kid have with Caine as father and Diana as hed softly And could not later recall the exact hter turned into bitter tears

Edilio stood completely still in the hallway outside of Roscoe’s room

He could barely breathe

What could he say? What could you say to a boy as going to die? The terrible truth was that he could do nothing for Roscoe It was good that Roscoe was calling to God because only God could save him Edilio could not

And what Edilio had to do next would destroy Roscoe’s last hope

Edilio looked at the plywood Three half sheets, each four by four feet A hammer and nails Two-by-fours

It had to be done It had to be Roscoe--the things inside hied the first sheet across the dark hallway and propped it against the door

"I hear someone out there!" Roscoe yelled

"It’s me, Roscoe It’s Edilio," he said

"Edilio! Please, can you help rabbed the hah the plywood into the doorI can do, brother I have toYou’re going to hear so"

"What?"

Edilio slammed the hammer into the nail He had to be careful; it was dark, and operating by feel alone was a bad way to ha time

"Roscoe, I have to do this,to lock me in here and let me die?"

Edilio hesitated "Yes"

"No way No way No!"

"And I have to do the sa to the , man"

"Edilio, no No, man You don’t want to do this"

"No, I don’t want to do this," Edilio said

Roscoe fell silent as Edilio nailed the reainst the plywood and nailed it into place The other end he nailed into the floor withnails that took forever to hammer in

Outside in the fresh air, Edilio steeled hiainst the building and with some difficulty wrestled a sheet of plywood up the ladder He was going to fall and kill hiht, and it would be justice, wouldn’t it?

Roscoe was there at theHis face was ghostly in the pale?" Roscoe pleaded

"Sas," Edilio said "He tried but he couldn’t I can’t let them hurt more people"