Chapter 35

“I braced myself as they closed in around me. I know, it was a stupid thing to do. But at the time, I was more afraid of what would happen to the girls than what they’d do to me, and I knew that damned old car. It takes five minutes to get it started. I actually managed to kick one of them between the legs, but I realized that I wouldn’t be able to fight the other three off.

“But I didn’t need to. Out of nowhere, a woman starts shouting, calling each of them by name. She’s got this huge, booming voice and she sounds really angry, you know? She’s yelling at them, threatening to call their wives and their mothers, and marching down the alley, her arms swinging. She pushed her way into the center of the circle. Her eyes were wild. I don’t remember quite what she said, but before I knew it, they were gone.