FOURTEEN

Katie was lying on her bed, reading the latest Marjorie Liu novel when her phone rang. Who could it be that late in the evening, she wondered. She checked the display. She didn’t recognize the number.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi, it’s me. Hank.” He sounded stressed.

“Hi. Where are you calling from?”

“Yeah… I’m sorry about that. The police station.”

“What?” Katie sat up straight. “Why?”

“I got involved with a weapons deal.”

“A weapons deal? How?”

“I sort of tried to buy a gun.”

“You what? You idiot!”

“I’m sorry. Could you cover for me with your mom and dad? I don’t want them to think badly of me.”

“Don’t you think this will come out sooner or later? Do you have a lawyer?”

“I get one appointed to me,” Hank said. “Katie… I’m scared. There’s some pretty nasty looking guys here.”

“I’m coming over to sort this out for you,” Katie said.

“Sort it out?”

“I don’t know how, but I’m coming over.”

“If you are, please bring my ID. I didn’t have it with me and they want to see it.”

“Okay. We’ll get you out of this. Don’t do anything more stupid, okay.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Then he was gone. Katie shook her head. How could Hank have been that stupid. She understood why he’d tried to buy a gun, of course. It sounded like he’d been serious about wanting to avenge his father’s death. Maybe getting arrested wasn’t that bad a deal then. Trying to face off against The Raider would probably have gotten him killed.

She went over to Hank’s guest room. She searched his clothes and found his ID in a jeans pocket. She snuck out the window so her mom and dad wouldn’t know about her going over to the police station that later in the evening.

She got her scooter, walking with it until she was far away enough from her home that her parents wouldn’t hear her starting it. She started it, speeding towards the police station. She wasn’t sure how she would try to get Hank out of trouble, just that she would have to try and do something.