How It Went Down - Hardcover

1. PULSE

JENNICA

Red. Black. White. That’s all I remember. It was a blur, like a dream sequence in the sort of movie that comes with subtitles.

Red. Blood, spreading like spilled ink.

Black. His hair and skin, and the tar beneath him. He was kind of sprawled out, and it seemed almost right for him to be down there, like he blended in.

White. I couldn’t make sense of it at first. It wasn’t clean white, like snow. More of a wispy, dirty white, like clouds on an average winter day. I found out later he had a carton of milk in his hand. It got a bullet right through it, started leaking like a drain and puddling up on the pavement.

The spilled milk seemed wronger than the blood, somehow. I keep thinking that.

BRIAN TRELLIS

I’m not sure I had time to blink. It was over in a minute.

My brain coiled around the knowledge: The boy in the hoodie has been shot. The loud sound echoed in my ears, as did his final whimper. The soft clatter-crash of his fall. The sound—yes, thesound—of the look the shooter gave me. It had a voice, that look. Sharp and clear like a bell.

I ended up kneeling beside him, the wrecked, bleeding boy. Flat-looking now, so flat.

My hands got dirty. Sidewalk dust, glass shards, blood.

I got blood on my lip. One nervous dart of my tongue, and I tasted it. My throat filled with the need to retch.

Nothing happened.

Except I was blinking now. Blinking down at the boy.

His eyes were open, unblinking.

NOODLE

They do it in the movies. Reach down and close the dead asshole’s eyes. But I wasn’t about to touch him.

He stared up at me, and it was fucking creepy.

Jennica knelt beside him, in the spreading gray-white pool. “We got to go,” I told her, but she could not be moved.

“One-two-three-four-five,” she chanted, though the life was gone from his body.

She wouldn’t leave, wouldn’t stop crying. I couldn’t get her up. She stayed there, pumping on his chest and whatnot, a fierce kinda goddess in the half-light.

“We got to go,” I said again, and she looked up at me, eyes like switchblades, like she’d fight to the death to put it all back, put it right. She was striking hot, perfection. All I could think was,I’m with that.

If it was up to me, we woulda bugged out right away like the rest of the Kings, but Jennica’s toogood for that.

Every fucking minute, another thing reminds me I’m not good enough for her.

SAMMY

Run. All that was in my mind was fucking run.

Couldn’t think about T falling, or the guy who shot him getting away. Especially not him getting away.

Couldn’t think about T dying, or how easy I coulda stopped it. Especially not how easy.

Maybe he won’t die. I tried to think it like a prayer.

T’s not a screwup like me. He’s lucky. Two shots to the chest—yeah, he could make it. It felt wrong to run, knowing that, but I couldn’t stop the steam under my feet.

I kept my eye on Brick’s jacket and ran where he led me.

Tried to forget I had a piece in my hand. Sleek metal body, cold and strong.

Clutched in my warm, weak fingers.

I fumbled it down into my belt. Tried to forget I could have helped out Tariq with it, taken his killer down.

The piece felt heavy at my waist. Made running kind of awkward, but I kept on after Brick.

I need a gun. I know that. But what good will it ever do me if, when the moment comes, I can’t stand up?

TINA

Siren song

Out the open window

Siren song

Weee-ooo-weee-ooo

Siren song

And I squeeze my eyes shut

Siren song

Fingers in my ears

Siren song

Make it stop

Make it stop now

Sirens mean bad news

2. WHAT THEY SAW

9-1-1 EMERGENCY RESPONSE—CALL LOG

[June 2, 5:32 P.M.–5:36 P.M.]

OPERATOR: 9-1-1, what’s your emergency?

CALLER: I need the police. A boy’s been shot.

OPERATOR: What’s your location, sir?

CALLER: Shot. Some guy just shot the kid in the back. White guy. He pulled over his car and just—like—

OPERATOR: Sir, I’m notifying the police and EMTs. I need an address. Where are you calling from?

CALLER: I’m on Peach Street. They’re right outside. 219 South Peach. He’s been shot. He’s on the ground—

[loud bursting sound, over static]

CALLER: Oh, God. He shot him again.

OPERATOR: Sir?

CALLER: [indecipherable muttering]

OPERATOR: Sir? Can you repeat that? Are you in danger? Please move to a safe location.

CALLER: He’s driving away! He’s driving away. He’s back in his car—

OPERATOR: Sir, the police are on their way.

CALLER: I can see the license. I’m going to try—

[sound of door chimes]

OPERATOR: Sir, please step back inside. Is the shooter still on the scene?

CALLER: Oh, God.

OPERATOR: Sir?

CALLER: There’s blood everywhere. [shouts] CPR! We need CPR!

OPERATOR: Is the shooter still on the scene? Sir, please go back inside. The police are on their way.

CALLER: It’s a dark blue car. Small. KL7— I can’t see. He’s just going …

OPERATOR: Which direction is he going?

CALLER: Uh … straight down Peach. No, he just turned right on Wilson. Or maybe Van Buren. It’s a ways down. I could get my car—

OPERATOR: No, sir. Please stay on the scene.

CALLER: [shouts] That’s the guy, that’s the guy. Blue car, just turned. That’s the shooter.

OPERATOR: Sir? Has the shooter returned to the scene?

CALLER: [shouts] Go get him! Go get him!

OPERATOR: Sir, who are you talking to?

CALLER: He can’t just shoot and run like that.

OPERATOR: Do not attempt to pursue the suspect. I’ve relayed the information to the police. They will take care of it. How many people have been shot?

CALLER: One, just one. Oh, God. It’s Tariq.

OPERATOR: Tariq?

CALLER: Oh, God. His mama. [shouts] Push harder, girl! You got to blow into his mouth.

[sirens in the background]

OPERATOR: Sir, the police and ambulance will be arriving very shortly.

CALLER: They’re coming. They’re coming. I’ve got to go.

OPERATOR: Sir, please stay on the line.

CALLER: I’ve got to go.

[dial tone]

BRIAN TRELLIS

I was coming out of the hardware store when I heard a guy down the street shouting, “Stop, thief!”

I look, and this is what I see: Farther down the sidewalk, a shop clerk with an apron on comes running out of the convenience store, waving his arms in the air. “Come back here!”

Streaking past me, just right there in front of me, goes a dark face in a black hoodie. The hood’s fallen back somewhat, like he can’t hold it in place while he’s hurrying. He’s trotting down the street pretty quick, his shoulders all hunched around his haul. I can see it on his face. He thinks he’s home free. He slides past me.

Not so fast, sucker.

I step up after the little fool. There’s a bunch of other guys around, but no one’s making a move to stop him. By the looks, they’re all members of the 8-5 Kings. They don’t care enough to stop him, but he’s not getting away.

Not on my watch.

I step up, clamp my hand down on his shoulder. I got a big hand, real meaty. Takes all of his shoulder under it like a...