Chapter 20

With that done, Tino checked on the boy they had attacked. The kid was much the worse for wear, but when Tino asked, he said he’s had worse beatings, at the hands of his stepfather.

“Still, you might want to consider finding a better place to crash,” Tino told him. “Somewhere safer than down here.”

“Uh-huh. Where would that be?” the kid asked sourly as he examined a bruise on his arm. “The shelters are always full. Downtown is off limits ‘cause the cops chase us off when they see us. At least down here, unless I get real unlucky, I can hide under a bush and get some sleep with only real rats to worry about.” He barely smiled. “Them I can scare off.”

Tino had no reply for that. He knew the kid was telling the truth. He’d picked up on bits and pieces of what other kids had gone through, when he’d fed from them. Taking out his wallet, he gave the kid a ten, telling him to buy a decent meal and maybe some granola bars or fruit cups. “Healthy stuff you can carry with you.”