Page 48 of Shrapnel

Without preamble, the band started. Spine tingling bass reverberated through the small venue. Vibrations swept up his body and he felt it in the base of his skull, heart rate accelerating as the beat dropped and he could lean into the hypnotic display of pyrotechnics that lit up the stage. Dazzling lights and lasers flickered and flashed with the beat of drums and thrumming guitars. The band's drummer had impossibly long hair, head bobbing in a subdural hemorrhage inducing rhythm.

By the second song, Owen was lost. He jumped with the crowd, hands above his head and screaming out the lyrics. Sweat trickled down his back and his hair plastered to his face. Even the beer sloshing in his belly couldn’t damper his energy. Owen had given up his individuality so he could gel with the collective, let their energy flow through him and flood his brain with serotonin or endorphins or whatever the fuck made people's brains happy.

It wasn’t until his legs ached from jumping that he looked over at Jamie. To his surprise, Jamie was in the same state. Despite not knowing any of the songs, he was still feeling the energy. The neon lights flashed against his skin and Owen found his eyes drawn to Jamie’s off-center smile, the way he mumbled along to the lyrics or just grinned.

With his head turned he missed what started it, but a fight broke out in the row in front of him. Two guys began a drunken tussle. Rather than throwing fists, they shoved each other. One guy collided into Owen and he stumbled backward, braced and prepared to fall on his ass.

Jamie was there. He wrapped his arms around him and twisted. Owen was pressed into Jamie’s chest while the brawl rocked into Jamie’s back. Pressed together, his legs entangled with Jamie’s, it was only the taller man’s strength that kept them upright. Owen’s fingers were twisted into Jamie’s shirt and if he looked up, he could just see the faint stubble dotting Jamie’s angular jaw.

“You ok?” Jamie asked as he held Owen up so he could get his feet under him.

“Um…” Owen couldn’t form words. His heart was thundering in his ears, and he couldn’t help but draw comparisons from the day before. At the shooting range his back had been pressed to Jamie’s chest, but now they were face to face and it was a thousand times more awkward. Owen could feel Jamie’s chest, his lean stomach that was so unlike his soft middle that he felt envy. If he pressed his fingers to it, would it be hard and defined?

Shifting, Owen realized his hips were pressed right against Jamie’s. He flailed, slipping in Jamie’s grip until he got his balance on the slick flooring. His face burned and he had to look down to keep from completely panicking. He had beenrubbinghis hips against Jamie’s. Accidentally, but still. Owen wasn’t sure about the legal definition of sexual harassment, but he was pretty sure he just sexually harassed Jamie.

“Hey dinkus,” Jamie got between the two men fighting. “You mind taking this elsewhere?”

The first guy blinked at Jamie. His interruption of their little fight seemed to wake him up. He shook his head, waving off the dude he was fighting to disappear into the crowd.

“That guy spilled my beer!”

“He did you a favor.”

Owen snickered until he realized the second guy was squaring up to Jamie. He wasn’t that much bigger than him, but he did have dilated pupils. High on something, his judgment was shot.

“You got little comments, twerp?”

Jamie cocked his head. “Hey, you look familiar…oh! I know. I met your mom once, in Vegas. Best fifteen bucks I ever spent.”

The guy blinked twice as his intoxicated brain tried to figure out just how Jamie had insulted him. Once he did, his nostrils flared. His roar was snatched up by the crowd. He lunged for Jamie, swinging a meaty fist. His balance shifted forward and when it didn’t connect, he stumbled forward. He looked at the place Jamie had been, but he had stepped just out of reach.

Hands in his pockets, Jamie continued to taunt the drugged-out mosher. Standing just out of his reach, he was puffing and cursing by the time security dragged him away.

“Are you ok?” Owen asked after security had left.

“Aw, you worried about me O-Face?”

“In more ways than one,” Jamie scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Why didn’t you just take him out?”

Jamie seemed surprised by the question. “That would have ruined your night.”

Owen didn’t know what to say, so he went back to watching the concert.

10

A Kick in the Teeth Is Good for Some

Noah staredat the board in consternation. The pages tacked to it fluttered with each pass of the oscillating fan in the corner, threatening to tear free while valiant thumbtacks clung to the corkboard with all their might. He watched one particularly violent picture flutter in the breeze before settling back into its original position.

It had been two days since they had all convened in this room and tried to piece this together. The only thing he managed to get was more paper. Piles of documents, pictures, police reports, DNA tests, and whatever else Harvey collected littered his room.

They had even looked into all the stores that sold Legos. From toy stores to drug stores, Legos were everywhere. It was impossible to investigate them all. And that was if the murderer bought the toys from a brick-and-mortar shop rather than online.

Harvey suggested they use one of the other rooms in White Sand Mesa. There were offices and conference rooms designed for just such purposes. Hell, he could finally clean out Luther’s office and use it. But there was something about that space he just couldn’t bring himself to go into. His memories of that room were scattered. Noah had only gone in there a few times, but they were all drenched in fear. Luther was a slight, unassuming kind of man. He was well aware that his intimidation factor came from those he commanded rather than his presence.

His paternal uncle was cruel. But he wasn’t stupid, not by a long shot. He knew who he was and what he needed to get the job done. And whatever else could be said about him, he did do that job. It's why the Mesa members were willing to overlook his transgressions. Everything could be forgiven as long as it was for the sake of the family.

Everything except incompetence.