Last Man Out Read Free

to coach you up leaves me more time for the other boys.”
    â€œNot true,” Tommy said. “I’ve learned a lot from you.”
    â€œAlmost as much as you’ve learned from your dad.” He put a hand on Tommy’s shoulder and said, “Heard the siren.”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œYou can tell him all about that play later.”
    â€œYeah,” Tommy said again, because there wasn’t much else to say. It was all just part of being the son of one of Boston’s bravest.
    The Bears kicked off and the Jaguars returned the ball to just past the twenty-yard line. As the offense was getting set, Coach decided to drop back extra guys into pass coverage, not wanting the defense to give up a big play in what was now a two-score game. So Ryan was completing short passes for the Jags, taking what the Bears were giving him, getting a couple of first downs for his team, moving the ball into Bears’ territory for the first time since his tight end had gotten behind Greck.
    In Tommy’s league the clock stopped on first downs, same as it did in college football. So Tommy felt like the game wasslowing down, right at a time when he wanted it to speed up.
    The Jags ended up with an important third down at the Bears’ twenty-yard line. In the huddle Tommy said to Greck, “We are
not
letting them score.”
    â€œNot a chance.”
    Tommy heard another siren now. This one for an ambulance. He reminded himself that was normal with a big fire. Another part of the deal.
    He realized Greck had been talking to him, but he hadn’t heard a word he’d said.
    â€œWhat’d you say?” he said.
    â€œI
said
that you need to get to the quarterback one more time.”
    â€œI got you,” Tommy said. “Been doing it all day.”
    â€œYou come from the outside,” Greck said. “I’m going right up the middle. Meet you at Ryan.”
    Ryan called for the snap. Despite his plan, Rob Greco never made it—one of the Jags’ running backs laid down a perfect block and cleaned him out. But Tommy was flying from the outside again. The Jags’ right tackle set himself to block Tommy, maybe even thought he had him lined up. No shot. Tommy was too fast. All the kid blocked was air. Tommy blazed by him.
    Ryan saw Tommy coming this time, so he tried to spin away and scramble to his left. Too late. Tommy was on him, both arms around him, putting him on the ground, even trying to strip the ball out of Ryan’s hands.
    Then he was helping Ryan up again. Like it was déjà vu.
    â€œYou realize you’re starting to annoy me, right?” Ryan said.
    â€œThink of it as spending quality time together.”
    Finally the game had sped up, with a minute and a half to go, so the Jags’ coach called his team’s last time-out.
    Tommy looked back into the bleachers, trying to catch his mom’s attention, but her head was turned, and she was talking on her phone. Probably Dad, he told himself. Tommy’s dad always called as soon as he could to tell her everything was under control.
    Ryan tried to throw into the end zone on fourth down, but Tommy was running step for step with the Jags’ tight end, reaching up at the last possible moment to knock the ball away.
    Bears’ ball. All Nick had to do was kneel down twice and the game would be over.
    By the time Tommy ran off the field, his mom was on the sideline, talking to Coach Fisher.
    Tears were running down her face.

THREE
    Y OUR DAD ’ S AT THE HOSP ITAL ,” his mom said.
    It was like one more siren going off, this one inside his head. Tommy felt like he’d just taken a hit to the gut and couldn’t catch his breath no matter how hard he tried.
    â€œBut he’s going to be okay, right?” Tommy said.
    His mom looked at him, locking eyes with him. “I don’t know.”
    â€œHow bad is it?”
    â€œWe need to get going,” she said.
    Coach John Fisher