Tyranny Read Free Page A

the counter at him. “Estellita. Sure.”
    He wasn’t lying. He actually did remember her, and fondly, at that. He also remembered that everything had gone to hell and he’d left town not long after that, without ever calling her. Some girls would hold a grudge about being treated like that, but it didn’t seem like she did.
    â€œI get it now,” Vern said. “This kid is one of your old boyfriends. I’m not sure how you remember ’em all, Stella, there’s been so many of them.”
    â€œHey!” she exclaimed. “You don’t have to be ugly, just ’cause you’re mad about the beer.”
    â€œYou were always runnin’ around after boys, never had time for a real man,” he sneered.
    â€œFor a real pervert, you mean! I remember the way you looked at me when I was still in high school. If you can’t pay for the beer, put it back in the cooler.”
    â€œDamn it, I just want to write a check!”
    â€œNo checks from you!”
    This was getting ridiculous, Kyle thought.
    Not only that, he had just seen one of the local cops come into the building through the fast food entrance, stopping for lunch, no doubt. It was open between the two halves of the business, so people on the other side could hear what was going on in here.
    If the cop heard Vern and Estellita—Stella—yelling at each other, he was liable to come over to see what the trouble was. Kyle didn’t really want that.
    He set his duffel bag down, reached past Vern, placed the items he had picked up on the counter, and took hold of the twelve-packs.
    â€œI’ll put these up for you,” he told Stella.
    Vern slapped a big left hand down on the top twelve-pack, put his anger-reddened face next to Kyle’s, and said, “Get your hands off my beer, you lame-ass little punk.”
    â€œHey!” Stella said. “You leave him alone, Vern. I’ll call the cops.”
    Well, this was yet another situation that had spiraled almost out of control, thought Kyle. He wanted to end it as quickly as possible and get out of here. Under other circumstances it might have been fun catching up on old times with Stella, but he was in no mood for nostalgia today.
    Instead, he turned toward Vern, moving fast without really seeming to hurry, and did a stiff-hand strike to the older man’s solar plexus. The blow traveled less than a foot, but it caused Vern’s eyes to bug out from their sockets and his face to turn pale under his sunburn. He hunched over the pain in his middle and leaned toward Kyle.
    Taking hold of Vern’s upper arms, Kyle sort of propped him against the counter. Vern’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times, like a fish out of water. He stared at Kyle in confusion, as if he couldn’t understand what had just happened.
    â€œWhat did you do to him?” Stella asked.
    â€œTried to teach him he shouldn’t be an asshole. I doubt if it’ll do much good, though. Some people, that’s just their natural state.”
    Kyle started to pick up the twelve-packs again.
    â€œNo, no, just leave ’em, I’ll put them up,” Stella said quickly. “You should go now. Lemme ring you up. . . .”
    She gave Kyle his total and then put the food in a plastic bag while he was getting out his wallet. He paid her, took his change, then picked up the duffel bag in one hand and the food with the other.
    All the while, Vern stood there leaning helplessly against the counter, gaping and trying to catch his breath.
    As Kyle turned toward the door, he glanced into the fast food half of the building. The cop was still there, putting in his order now at the counter, talking and laughing with the high school kid working the register. Kyle was glad to see that the brief confrontation in the convenience store hadn’t caught the officer’s attention.
    He had made it halfway to the door when Stella cried, “Kyle, look out!”
    He