“Anybody hit?!” Nocks yelled as he roughly twisted the knob on the stereo. The smell of days-old trash wafted in through the broken window as they rolled through a dark alley. Distant sirens echoed behind them, probably heading towards the club.

“Am good,” Dough said as he patted himself down. “Chipped a nail when I threw the bitch.”

“Pussy.” Shine rolled his window down and spat a bloody glob out the back passenger side. “Am good. Forgot to close my mouth when I took my shots. Teeth fuckin’ bleeding and shit.”

Moan chuckled as he shifted around between Shine and Known. “Am good. Known a lil’ shook but he looks good too. You good, right?”

Known nodded weakly, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Am good.”

“Aight. We got a few hours ‘fore we gotta ditch this bitch. Before that, we’ll go pick up something clean from the Dealership.”

Nocks’ vision pulsed as he spoke. His breathing filled his ears as he gripped the steering wheel of the stolen ride. Leaning forward, he felt a twinge in his back. That old, familiar ache he always got during a job.

“Who got they phone?” he asked.

“I only got a burner,” Shine answered.

“Same,” Dough said.

“Left mine at the spot.”

A hand reached through the small opening between the door and the seat and handed Nocks a phone. It was open, on speaker, and dialing the Handler.

“Hello?” The voice that answered was raspy, tired.

“We got did, they sent a squad. Knew about the seer.” Nocks motioned for Dough to turn the music down as he held the phone up.

“A whole squad?” The Handler sounded unsurprised.

“A whole squad,” Nocks echoed. “At least ten of ‘em.”

“Copy. Did you all make it out?”

“Minor scratches. Nothin’ major, that we know of. We all took shots. Ditched the guns and found a ride.”

“Good. I’ll meet you all at the Dealership.” The line died.

Nocks brought the car to a stop and slid it into park. Without a word, he flipped the phone over, took off the battery casing, pulled out the battery and the sim card before dashing the empty phone against the nearest wall.

Moan and Dough quickly dismantled their burners, snapping the things in half once the tiny sims were pulled.

“Look,” Dough began. “Yaw know what the cards said. But yaw didn’t see what those dumbasses brought wit’ them. Before we split up, I need yaw to--”

Before he could finish his sentence, Known collapsed. A pool of blood quickly spread beneath the young man, staining his sweat-stained button-up.

“Fuck, cuh got hit,” Nocks said as he knelt over his cousin. “Stupid, shoulda said something.”

“Am good cuhs, I swear,” he replied. “I just needa get stitched up or some shit. Ain’t more than a graze.”

“We’ll see about that,” Moan said as he squatted next to his comrade. “Lift your shirt. I knew you were acting hella weird.”

Known turned, groaning as he pulled the drenched shirt up. He hissed as the fabric passed over the puckering wound.

“Damned islanders, always tryna hide shit,” Moan muttered as he gently pressed at the shattered skin. A deep, bloody gash ran along his abdomen. Raw, puckered muscle gaped up at the men.

“Fuck man, that’s more than a fucking scratch!” Moan quickly tore off his own shirt, balling it up and holding it against the wound. “One of yaw take off your shirts so I can use it as a tourniquet. Get his shirt off. Be quick, we gotta get moving.”

Shine was already out of his shirt and ripping it along the seams. He quickly tore the expensive cloth into long strips.

Nocks held Known up, supporting him while turning his gaze away from Moan’s steadily reddening button-up. Despite his long history of violence, he still couldn’t handle the sight of blood and gore.

“Hurry up and tie him up,” Nocks spat. “We gotta get moving. Shoulda said something earlier, stupid ass.”

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Dough paced back and forth, shuffling his deck.

“Put those away. We ain’t got time for your readings and shit.”

“Naw,” Known groaned. “Let him. We needa see what the cards say. I’ll be fine, just wrap me up tight and let’s get to the ‘Ship.”

“I already did one drawing. Another ain’t gonna change shit but muddle the reading.” Dough stowed the cards in his breast pocket and pulled a vial out of his right pocket.

“Bitch, I need you clear-headed. No time for that shit!” Nocks held out a hand and motioned for the container. “Give it to me or I’ma beat your ass.”

“Whoa,” Dough scoffed, shakily handing his stash over. “No need to get violent, big guy.”

“Shut up and keep an eye out.”

“Somebody gotta take him to the Doc. He needs to get closed up.” Moan’s lips were pursed in a severe line as he spoke, pulling on the ends of the strips of cloth as he secured them. “So, I’ll go. We’ll boost a ride and head to see Doc then we’ll meet up with yaw at the ‘Ship.”

Nocks clicked his tongue behind his teeth as the situation became more and more convoluted. “Grab us some pieces from Doc too. We might need them shits. Yaw take this one, we’ll grab another.”

Nocks pulled Known up onto his feet, the younger man groaning with the quick movement. Steadying him with a supporting hand, the man held him around the waist.

“Dough, go grab us a whip.”

---

Nocks clapped his younger cousin on the back, not too hard but enough to convey his concern.

“Aight lil cuh, get patched up and I’ll see you at the ‘Ship. You too Moan, take care of him. And remember the pieces.”

He helped gingerly slide the younger man into the front seat of the stolen car, patting away some errant shards of glass that were left behind during its acquisition. After a quick dap, the car rumbled away with Moan holding two fingers out the broken driver’s side window. Nocks returned the gesture using three fingers, his middle, pointer, and thumb.

“Shitty ass night, bro,” Shine said as he leaned against the grimy wall of one of the buildings that made up the dusky alley.

“Foreal. Kalapu’s prolly gonna have us hit One right back too.” Nocks massaged his sore neck. He’d slept wrong and was now dealing with an odd crick. “What was Dough tryna say though?”

“Prolly something about what had happened at the club. When we were tryna leave out the ‘mergency exit.”

“Did you see anything? You were the only other one besides him who made it down the hall.”

“I didn’t see shit. Before I got around the corner Dough was tellin’ me to back up.”

Nocks continued massaging his neck, rough hands working and kneading away at the muscle. As he pushed with his thumb he felt a sharp twinge as something poked him. Turning, he jumped away as he laid eyes on what had touched him.

“What the fuck?!” he yelled as he backpedaled.

Out of the shadow, where the dim streetlight was unable to illuminate, a shadowy figure floated. Its long arms were obscured by an oddly flowing cloak. In the middle of its chest, or where its chest should have been, floated a large, fleshy eye. It was headless, a large torso with spindly arms and legs.

The ache in Nocks’ neck throbbed as he looked at the thing. It became an intense beat as he felt the pain move up and twist the muscles in the area.

The two men turned and ran. They beelined towards a flickering streetlight on the nearest street. Something in Nocks’ gut said for them to head for light. Just as they reached the curb, a car came to a screeching halt in front of them.

“Hop in!” Dough yelled.

The lights in the car were on.

“Hurry up! Don’t turn off the lights!”

Nocks threw himself in the backseat after Shine, pulling the door closed behind him with his foot.

“Go, go!” Nocks dabbed at the spot where he’d felt the prick as the adrenaline raced through his body. He could feel the tiny hairs standing erect on his arms and back as he brushed against the area. A searing pain sent a white hot flash rumbling through his vision. He sucked air through his teeth as Dough swerved dangerously around a corner.

“Slow down, hoe!”

“I got it, I got it!” Dough replied as he pulled onto an empty side street and roughly parked the vehicle. The engine grumbled lightly as the slender man turned around.

“Did it touch you?”

“I don’t know,” Nocks answered. “I felt something prick my neck. Fuck was that?!”

“Calm down, foo,” Dough said. “It’s a wight.”

“A white? Fuck you talkin’ ‘bout colors for?” Shine spat.

“No, dumbass. A wight. W I G H T. It’s a kind of demon.”

“How you know what it is?” Nocks asked, still massaging the sore spot on his neck.

“Cuz I saw it at the club.”

“And you only just now telling us?”

“I tried to tell yaw earlier. But yer buff ass cousin went and collapsed while I was tryna get yaw updated.”

Shine scratched his head, face screwed up. “Type of demon? Fuck’s that mean?” he mumbled.

“Bitch, I’ll explain on the way to the Ship. Don’t think too hard or yer head’ll start hurting. Just don’t fuck wit’ the lights. They don’t like them.”

Dough turned back around and shifted the car back into drive. The headlights and the interior lights flickered for a moment. In that span of time, something large and black billowed across the windshield. The sound of a nail dragging across all the windows filled the car with a cacophonous racket.

As the lights settled they all noticed deep gouges running along each window.

Dough cursed as he pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor. The tires of the shoddy stolen vehicle screeched as they struggled to gain traction.

The lights flickered again and Nocks felt a stinging line etch itself across the back of his neck, right where he’d been poked. He let out a yelp as the car jumped forward and they were moving once more.

“I’ll figure out how to get rid of it when we get to the ‘Ship.”