Alpha of ashes

a

n't g

artment. Not

, one of those places where the vending machine doesn

nk. Needed air.

played on rep

edg

oo

ck Ridge without get

ch. There was alway

't know wha

-

until dawn, barely blinking, h

ld be look

d've ca

old him wha

me still did

omple

proof of what they did to m

w and sta

s, the confessions, the prom

ve all be

-

I made m

xted

ere i

onded in

54th. Bring bolt c

cou

thing was

-

lf of them overgrown with weeds and bad memories. Elin was al

id, tossing me t

lways making me d

ed. "Old

e lock in

r creak

es, a filing cabi

ates with the Black Ridge in

lowly, "this isn'

mitted. "It'

ap

ot

d con

ritten notes in a languag

mach t

ou been sitting

ou were

enched. "So

dn't d

ned to you," she said. "But

hy

ooked

back. And I knew you'd be the onl

-

mi

motel room b

inst

bo

, even through city filth

cked

ans

et mys

been

gged from a recent shower. A tea

he wa

ai

one b

storage lot on 54th. Secu

lready

in my

at the edge

e was doing - but I k

l

ara was

be hel

-

e lot ten mi

s she stepped

ed, eyes

prise.

...

owed me?"

acked

bitterly.

st her, int

cr

Ridge

this?"

l me," s

ave you

o either she's trying to use me, or

pped

e you gonna

tared

choed. "Should I bur

d to s

get to read it first. You don'

ying to pro

it. Help me

sita

he sa

w," she

N

not all of it.

n't s

she wa

hispers. But I looked the other way. To

teppe

s w

s sh

m do it to m

n't let it happen. I

e th

cracked on

broke w

-

a

know wh

. Kiss h

one of tho

k toward the

d the

been craving for fo

Heavy. Bound in leat

without turning aroun

o stand b

ut not t

said. "Whatev

rst time since

t belie