Free When the Chips Are Down by Anne Rasico Page B

said. 
    “Over my extremely dead body,” Zane snapped. 
    “T hat can be arranged,” Derek yelled, and with that he charged towards Zane, swinging the handle of the flashlight at his head.  Zane caught the flashlight with his right hand while sending a left hook into Derek’s nose. 
     
    The flashlight fell to the ground.  Derek swung his fist into Zane’s jaw.  The impact caused him to bite his lip. “Get him, baby!” Krystelle exclaimed.  Zane could feel his mouth fill with blood as he kept swinging his fists, narrowly missing Derek.  Derek jumped back, scanning the ground for his flashlight.  Trent saw his chance, rushed over, and dealt him a surprise blow to the left temple.  Derek stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. 
     
    Krystelle ran over to Trent and began cursing him and slapping him in the face.  Trent stepped back and tried to shield the blows with his arm.  Brooklyn grabbed Krystelle’s hair, pulling her backwards and wrapped her arm around Krystelle’s neck in a sleeper hold maneuver. 
     
    She pressed against Krystelle’s jugular veins until she stopped struggling, and her body went limp.  She dropped her to the ground breathlessly. 
    “I didn’t know you knew how to do a sleeper hold,” Trent said, impressed. 
    “It’s not difficult,” Brooklyn shrugged. 
    “Are you ok ay, man?” Trent asked Zane. 
    “I’m fine,” Zane said, wiping the blood from his mouth with his shirt.” That’s why they told us not to do drugs in school.” 
     
    Zane grabbed the flashlight from the ground and shined it into Derek’s face.  “Wake up!” he shouted, placing his foot on Derek’s torso and shaking him.  Derek’s limp body flopped from side to side under Zane’s foot.  Zane and Trent looked at one another and shrugged. 
    “Hey, WAKE UP, LOSER!” Trent shouted , clapping his hands.  Derek opened his eyes and looked around the room, bewildered and disoriented. 
     
    “Ohhhh my head,” he groaned. 
    “You’ve been evicted . GET THE HELL OUT!  NOW!” Zane barked.  Derek’s eyes widened with fear as he scurried up from the floor and took off running out the door.  “Baby, wait!” Krystelle cried, who had now awakened. 
    “That means you too, skank.  Get lost,” Brooklyn ordered, kicking her in the side of the leg.  Krystelle picked herself up off of the floor and followed after Derek.
     
    Trent and Zane lifted a large crate and moved it in front of the side door to secure it while Brooklyn stood holding the flashlight for them. “I guess we’ve got the place to ourselves now,” Trent smiled. 
    “I wonder what they stole from the convenient store,” Brooklyn said, shining the flashlight in the direction where Derek dropped his things.  She spied a case of bottled water and several large plastic bags.  The three ran towards them like scavengers.
     
    “Roasted hot dogs,” Trent cried triumphantly. 
    “Give me one,” Brooklyn said . 
    “Hey , there are free coupons for Burger Town!” Zane exclaimed. 
    “I think that’s nearby , too.  We’ll get lunch from there tomorrow,” Trent replied. 
    “We’ve got cookies, cupcakes, and donuts as well.  Crack must give you the munchies,” Brooklyn said.
     
    After they had feasted on Derek and Krystelle’s ill-gotten gains, Zane was ready to get back to work.  “It’s time to see if Rachelle has anything I can use on her computer,” he announced, pulling out his laptop.  He slid a box over to the window and set his laptop on it.  Brooklyn and Trent sat on the bed as Brooklyn continued munching on their cakes and donuts. 
    “We should save some of those for tomorrow,” Trent said. 
    “I’m starving,” Brooklyn protested.
     
    “Did you find anything?” Trent asked Zane after a while. 
    “Rachelle has a program on her computer called TRAKS that stores personal information.  The system seems flawed, so once I have her password, I shou ld be able to gain access to it. No one