One Thing Leads to Another (pt 1).

Jude fumbles with the padlock; Wolf is standing behind him with a butterfly knife in his hand, unfolded with the blade out. I wasn’t hurting him, Jude says, trying to open it again. I was keeping him safe.

Wolf clears his throat. Just get it open.

The key catches and the lock pops. Wolf pushes Jude out of the way and sees his brother on the mattress, asleep, wheezing those little sounds he used to make when they were kids. Wolf kneels down next to him, shaking him; he won’t wake up.

You said you’d make sure he called me, Wolf says over his shoulder.

I told him to, Jude says, crossing his arms. What was I supposed to do?

Wolf pulls up his brother’s sleeves, finding tracks crossed with tracks and scabs all over. He drags his knuckles down True’s breastbone; the kid stirs but that’s it.

You don’t get it, Jude says, following Wolf out to the bar. There’s these other two –

A beer, Wolf tells him. Get me a beer. He sits down on one of the stools, watching as Jude does what he’s told. The last time Wolf saw him, he wasn’t this much dead but now it hurts to look at him.

And he’s been keeping his brother locked up behind a door.

Jude sets the bottle down and the two of them get a long look at one another. When’d you get out? Jude asks him.

Awhile ago, Wolf admits. I would have come sooner if I could.

Jude keeps picking up things and putting them back down, confused and chewing on his bottom lip. Wolf takes a swallow from the beer – it’s his first one in over a year.

I’m taking him home, Wolf says. When he wakes up we’re going.

Sure, Jude says, but his eyes are oily and narrow, and that’s a look Wolf is never going to forget. But I’m trying to tell you, he says, it’s not me it’s this other guy and he’s gonna go crazy if he hears about it.

Wolf doesn’t know what to make of this; Jude is dancing from one leg to the other, looking scared. Doesn’t matter, he finally says, draining the bottle and telling Jude to get him another. We’re going home.

*