2 Digging Up Dirt Read Online Free PDF Page A

Pone got to his knees. He was about to shimmy out from under the tarp when he lost his balance and fell forward. His chin hit the ground and he saw stars. Lifting his head, he shook it gently. He worked his jaw a couple times. Blinking, he cleared his eyes. Something jabbed into his side. Pone turned to move whatever it was. He turned his head. He found himself staring into the eye sockets of a dead girl. His eyes rolled and he fainted.
    * * *
    Spaz took Hunnicut's arm and leaned into him. She talked low, and Cash couldn't hear what she said. Hunnicut laughed and put an arm around her. He squeezed. She laughed softly. Cash wanted to puke. Spaz wasn't going anywhere. She hung onto Mr. H. so Cash couldn't get to her. Time was running out. He had to get out of there. Now. He took Val by the arm. They went into the house. He hugged her. "Gots to go, Babe."
    She pouted. "Really?
    "Really, really. I have to get back to the Olive Branch. Uh, curfew, you know."
    She reached out and grabbed him around the neck. She kissed him. "A shame you have to go."
    "Yeah, I know. Take Care, Val." Cash ran to his truck. He barely had it started when he slammed it into gear.
    Val watched as Cash drove down the service road instead of the front gate. " Hmm." One of the girls her dad had brought to play with ran down the slope toward the greenhouse. Hmm.

Chapter 6

    Pone came to and looked into the rotting face of the dead girl. What was left of her blonde hair was held on her head by a pink headband, Pone felt the bile rise in his throat. The dead girl stared back at him. Pone inched back. He heard a strange noise. He realized he was whimpering. He swallowed. He dug his toes in and scrambled backward. He finally wiggled out from under the tarp. He shook all over. He turned his head to the side and puked. He wiped his mouth with the do-rag and threw it on the ground. "I gotta stop puking every time I see a dead body."
    Wiping his grimy hands on his pants, he rose slowly to his feet. Spinning toward the gate, he slammed into a brick wall. Pone looked up. Baldy grinned large. "Going somewhere, boy?"
    "Uh, uh, eh…" Pone stuffed his hands in his pockets. "No, sir, I guess not."
    Baldy took his arm. "Right answer. Let's go, Rambo."
    He half-dragged Pone toward the side gate. Pone topped the hill and saw the police lights flashing near the gate. His stomach flipped. Several people in uniform looked up when they neared. Pone stared at the ground. No one moved.
    The crowd parted in front of him. "What do we have here? Oh, why it's little Junior, the criminal."
    Pone looked up…and up. "Oh, crap. It's you," and dropped his head again.
    The rude cop from the alley smiled down at him. "Yup. Sure is, punk." He turned Pone and slapped handcuffs around his wrists. "You have the right to remain silent, puke bag. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, and you'd better get a good one…
    Pone listened while the rude cop babbled on. One single tear leaked from his eye and dropped to the ground. Pone watched as it soaked into the dirt. Somebody grabbed him roughly and shoved him toward a squad car. Pone stumbled and fell. Having no balance, he fell forward like a brick and no one caught him. His chin struck the ground and the lights dimmed around him. He had a foggy view of the area around him. His ears were ringing, and he couldn't see. Somebody grabbed his cuffed hands and dragged him up off the ground. Pain shot up his arms. He cried out. They yanked the cuffs again and someone slapped him in the back of the head. "Shut up, crybaby."
    They stuffed Pone into a squad and took him to the county jail. They drove through the sally port doors and parked. The huge doors closed with a hollow bang. Pone suddenly needed to go to the bathroom–badly.
    After they shoved him onto a bench, they made him wait forever. A jail officer finally came out and took off the cuffs. Pone touched his wrists. They were raw