Free Demon Accords 05.5: Executable by John Conroe

screech brought his head back up as Machete’s rental suddenly pulled a fast U-turn in the middle of the street and roared back up to the school bus loop.  Slamming to a stop, Machete paused and adjusted his aviator glasses before stepping out of the car and heading into the school.
    West focused on the front door through the monocular, but couldn’t see any sign of the AIR agent inside.  After considering for a moment, he started his own car and eased up to the curb, his new position better for pursuit.  The cellphone conversation he had overheard had indicated surveillance only.  It looked like Machete had a case of the overeager new agent complex.  This could prove interesting.

Chapter 10- Declan
     
    By lunchtime, the school was buzzing with the story that Kevin Otts had dropped a barbell on his head doing overhead squats in the weight room and Trey wrenched his fingers getting him up.  Otts had gone to the doctor’s to see if he had a concussion, which would leave the Castlebury Fighting Knights down one of its biggest players for our Homecoming game.
    Candace and Jonah were talking about it when I sat down across from them.  I didn’t comment , but just started eating my lunch while listening.  A minute later, Sarah sat down, a heavy tray of food held one-handed while she carried her book bag in the other.  The book bag looked completely full.  Neither load appeared to bother her.
    “Did you hear about your boyfriend and his butt buddy?” Jonah greeted her.
    She looked confused and turned to me with eyebrows raised.  I laughed and translated. “He’s talking about Trey and Kevin.”
    “He’s not my boyfriend.  He’s an ass,” she said, bewildered.
    “Tree is being sarcastic because we know you don’t like Trey,” Candace explained with a wave in Jonah’s direction.
    “Tree?” she asked.
    “That’s what we call Stretch Patel here.  As in Tall as a Tree,” I said around a mouthful of sandwich.
    “Oh, a nickname,” she said, light dawning in her eyes.
    “Yes, like your mother’s for you,” I agreed which earned me a set of narrowed eyes.  I laughed and held up both hands in mock surrender.  Although after seeing her handle both football players, maybe it wasn’t mock.
    Pitching my voice low, I told Candace and Jonah the real story of what happened to Johnson and Otts.
    “So then, what’s your mom’s nickname for you?  Killer?  Charlene Norris?” Jonah asked.  Candace laughed and after observing our reactions, Sarah smiled a little.
    “You said you used to be friends with Trey?” she suddenly asked, turning to me.
    “When we were in elementary and middle school, we were pretty close,” I said.
    “Try inseparable,” Jonah piped in.
    “Anyway, we were goofing around in Burlington one day, waiting for his dad to get done with a meeting and take us home. I think it was fifth grade. We got bored in the office and went down to the edge of Lake Champlain, to the park area.  It was late on a weekday afternoon, and no one was around except some guy with an arm cast walking a small dog.  We ignored him till the dog got loose and ran over to us.  We held the little pup till the guy got to us.  He was all grateful and asked if we could help him get his dog to his van ‘cause his arm was making it hard.  So we did, but when we got to the van, he tricked us and shoved us both inside.  He had rope and duct tape and chains in the van.  It was pretty bad.”
    “What happe ned?”
    “ I hurt the guy, badly, and we got away.  Found a cop on Church Street, and they got the guy.  Mr. Johnson was scared but glad we were okay.  But the guy died, and there was a whole lot of trouble.  Trey’s father got the story mostly covered up, keeping our names out of the paper, but after that, he forbade Trey from hanging out with me, which Trey didn’t really want to do, anyway.”
    “Wait . You saved his son’s life and both of them didn’t want you around him?” Sarah asked.