Page 5

We exit the alley and step onto the sidewalk, our bare feetslapping against the icy concrete. The frigid wind bites into my exposed skin, raising goosebumps all over my body.

This is going to be the longest walk of my life.

By the timewe’ve circled the block once, we’ve attracted more attention than a circus act, and Olivia has left us for the warmth of the bar.

The second trek around the block turns out even more miserable than the first. My feet have gone completely numb, and I’m fairly certain my nose hairs have frozen together. I glance over at Charlie, who’s favoring his left foot.

“You okay, man?” I ask, my words muffled by my stiff, uncooperative lips. They’re cracked as hell too. I’m going to need to soak them in a tub of Vaseline when we get home.

Charlie glances down at his bare feet and wiggles his toes experimentally. “Not really, Danny Boy. I think I stepped in a wad of gum back there. At least, I hope it was gum. It’s frozen solid, now.”

“Shit, seriously?” It’s hard to make out much detail in the dim glow of the streetlights. “Your toes are turning blue.”

“Yeah, I can’t really feel them anymore.” His laugh comes out shakily. “Guess this might have been a dare we should have turned down, huh? How’re your toes doing?”

I’m about to check when movement at the end of the sidewalk catches my eye. Two cops have rounded the corner, their heavy boots clomping on the salt-strewn pavement. “Shit. Charlie, we’ve got company.”

He follows my gaze. “You don’t think they’ll arrest us for public indecency, do you?”

“I don’t want to stick around and find out.” I grab his arm, ignoring the way my fingers fuse themselves to his skin, and tug him in the opposite direction.

As we take off down the sidewalk, the copsspot us. They shout, their voices carrying over the howling wind. “Hey! Stop right there!”

Fat chance of that happening.We round the corner at breakneck speed, and in my haste, I nearly wipe out on a patch of ice. Luckily, Charlie’s hand shoots out to steady me.

“Careful there, Sasquatch,” he pants. “Can’t have you breaking a hip before the season starts.”

I want to quip back, but all my oxygen is being used to keep myself alive right now. My breath puffs out in white clouds, and every inhale causes my lungs to constrict.

We weave through the crowded streets, dodging drunken revelers and clusters of confused tourists. The cops are hot on our heels, their shouts growing louder with each passing block. “I said stop! NYPD!”

The smart thing would have been to run back to the dive bar, but Charlie and I have never been the brightest when we’re together. Plus, I don’t want to drag Olivia into the mess thatshetechnically made.

“In your dreams, pigs!” Charlie yells over his shoulder. He flips them the bird for good measure.

I’m not sure if Charlie calling them pigs or giving them the middle finger pisses them off more, but either way, they suddenly gain on us.

“Requesting backup on Forty-Second,” one of the cops says into his walkie. “In pursuit of two males in…uh, pink swimsuits?”

If I wasn’t about to shit myself from fear, I might have laughed. And corrected them.

Charlie and I make another sharp turn that leads us into an empty alley that ends up being a dead end. Literally and figuratively.

“Shit.” Charlie braces his hands on his knees. “We’re trapped!”

I spin around in search of a way out, but there’s nothing. Only rusting fire escapes and overflowing dumpsters. A few mice scurry by, adding to the ambience.

Thecops block the mouth of the alley, their chests heaving as much as ours are. The flickering streetlamp causes their silhouettes to appear menacing as they advance slowly, their Tasers drawn and pointed right at us.

“Nowhere to run now, boys,” says the taller of the two. “You’ve had your fun. Now it’s time for us to have ours.”

“Not a chance,” Charlie spits.

The cops take another step forward, and that’s when I hear it. The crackle of electricity.

Holy shit. They’re not justholdingTasers. They’re planning touse themregardless of whether we cooperate.

Time slows down as one of the cops’ fingers presses down on the trigger.