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"No, Kowi, don’t tell me to relax Because I’ these two innocent guys … kids … out into the streets that you know very well are full of cannibals" Paci was fu fro out
"It’s not like that …," Kowi started to explain but Paci cut hi otherwise doesn’t change the facts, ht like it to" Paci looked at me "You see, Bryn This is what happens when you have dictators in charge The power goes to their heads and they can’t see any farther than the ends of their own fucking noses"
"Paci, you’re outta line," warned Trip, lowering the gun to his side "You’d better just shut the hell up now and go home"
"Fuck you, Trip You too, Jere like me that he’d moved over to stand by his chief "You don’t tellinnocents to be slaughtered, I’asped "You can’twith the cascade of shit that was flowing down over all of us, ready to drown us in awfulness
Paci turned on me "You don’t speak for me either, Bryn In case you haven’t noticed, I do what I want, when I want"
My heart felt like it was breaking into several pieces I was so confused I didn’t knohat to do or say
"So side of the bed," mocked Coli froer It didn’t matter that Paci had just slapped me down too; he was my friend, and as far as I could see, one of the few people in this miserable sho had a real heart and wasn’t afraid to share it I leapt at her, intending to go right through her boyfriend since he was in ed me I didn’t want to hurt hiut and then kneed hirab for his abdomen
He slid to the floor of the hut ata fistful of Coli’s hair and pulling her to ht head lock withthe pain in ize, you miserable bitch!"
"Screw … you!" yelled Coli froet a hold ofoff her air for a few seconds "I’ll give you a friggin stroke, Coli I don’t give a shit if Trip shoots me I snap your neck on the way down if he does, I proer and sadness that had overwhelmed me with this horrible situation These people who I’d respected and thrown my lot in with had let me down in a monumental way My home had dissolved into thin air, and I’d been totally unprepared for it
"Last chance, ho-bag Apologize to Paci or becoround "Do it, Coli You rong"
"What?! She shrieked "But, Kowi?! …"
"Do it!" he yelled, lifting his face It was beet red with pain and anger "Just fucking do it, Coli"
"Fine," she said, pushing on o"
I released her and ju, tangled hair back out of her face and fixed first me and then Paci with a stare so full of hatred, I was almost surprised it hadn’t been physically painful for us
"Paci," she said in a low, eerily controlled voice, "I’ even lower and taking on a slight growl "Bryn, I’ut you like a fucking fish"
I took a step towards her and matched her, tone for tone, threat for threat "You co else I decide looks like a weapon, and I will end you, you crazy whacknut bitch"
We stared at each other for a few tense seconds before Paci intervened He stepped up behindme back away froh Eventually she turned away and stalked off, leaving the rest of us in her angry wake
Fohi ca, "Don’t ever turn your back on that viper, Bryn I’ hilanced over at Peter to see hi down his face He held Buster high up in his ar his nose in his fur Even Buster seemed to appreciate how serious thisto lick anyone and his eyes looked sad, ain
"Bryn … can we talk about this?" said Kowi
"Sure," I said, crossingyour decision?"
"No I just want to explainat Jaether, they looked connected at the hip I could picture theroup of kids, left on their own and rejected It ful and painful to see I couldn’t let this happen They’d be killed
"Go ahead But nothing you say willtheut with one hand and resting his other on his thigh "We can’t afford two more mouths to feed"
"Bull I know you have livestock and crops"
"Yes, but they’re enough for us and a few ainst the was confusing me more
"They aren’t injured kids we rescued They aren’t one of our tribe"