Bridgetown, Issue #1: Arrival Read Online Free PDF Page B

from SLO. She didn't recognize them, but
they were close to the action, so she asked anyway:
    "What's going on? What happened?"
    Laura looked at Susanna
with an expression of contrived sympathy. The kind of pained look
that usually accompanies the phrase, "I
hate to have to bring this up, but…"
    "They're fighting over you," the red-headed
girl told her.
    Susanna did a double-take,
her eyes finally putting the pieces together in the low
light. Jesse and Wayne.
    She understood now. And it made her a smile,
perhaps a little deviously, to know she held that influence over
them.
    The ozone scent was getting stronger. "Do you
guys smell that?" she asked the SLO girls.
    "Aren't you going to stop them?" Laura
asked.
    Susanna considered it. "Yeah, I guess I'd
better."
    She walked into the ring, towards the two
men. "Hey!"
    Both brothers looked up at her at the same
time. The sight of her stopped them both dead cold. No doubt each
man realized how foolish he looked, caked in dirt and blood and
wrestling on the floor like this.
    Jesse made the first move. He got up on his
feet, smoothed back his hair—it didn't really help—and dusted off
his hands with a clap, as if he'd just finished assembling a table.
He staggered over to Susanna. His legs were bowed with liquor. He
must've hit the bottle pretty hard in the short span of time since
they got back to camp.
    He leaned in close to her, putting his lips
to her ear so only she could hear. "Is it true?"
    "Is what true?"
    "My brother here says you told him this
was all just a, ah, a ' pipe
dream .' Says you two shared a good laugh
about me. My delusions of grandeur, he says. He seems to
think he can
provide better for you than I can. Well, what do you think,
Susanna? Can he?"
    "Jesse," Susanna said. "You're drunk. And
Wayne must be, too. Why don't you just have a seat—"
    "Maybe if I can't provide
enough for you," he slurred, "you can suck his dick instead."
    Susanna pulled back, and glared at him. His
eyes were glazed over, a lazy, crooked grin of malice etched onto
his face.
    She slapped him. It was the only time she'd
ever slapped anyone like that and meant it.
    There was a collective gasp from the
audience.
    "I don't need anyone to provide for me," she
said. "I can take care of myself just fine. And I get to choose who
I spend my time with, not you or Wayne. You fucking understand
that?"
    Wayne got up from the dirt, wiped the blood
off his face with his sleeve, and spun Jesse around by the
shoulder, revving up to deliver a knockout blow. It was as if all
the vigor that had been missing from Wayne a few moments ago, while
Jesse had been slaughtering him, had been saved up for this
moment.
    Susanna tried to interject:
"Wayne, wait! —"
    The resulting blow was a good one, better
than she had thought Wayne capable of. It sent Jesse ass-first onto
the ground.
    She was surprised to find herself happy for
Wayne.
    With Jesse still reeling, Wayne grabbed
Susanna by the arm and began to lead her through the crowd.
    "Wayne, what are you doing?"
    "I have his keys," Wayne said. "I don't want
him driving tonight."
    "You're just as drunk as he is!"
    From behind them, still within the circle of
people, Susanna heard Jesse let out an animal howl.
    "Where do you think you're taking me?"
    "Anywhere but here," Wayne replied.
"Civilization."
    A crackle of static electricity shocked
Susanna at the point of contact where Wayne held her by the arm.
"Ow."
    A rumble of thunder registered from somewhere
off in the distance.
    The winds, too, were even louder now.
    Wayne pulled the keys out of his pocket and
hopped into the driver's seat of the old Jeep. Susanna took one
more look behind her, at the dispersing crowd. She didn't
particularly care to go anywhere with Wayne, but at the same time,
she didn't want to have to deal with Jesse or his followers right
now. Best to let him sober up. Sort it all out in the morning.
    She sighed. "Alright, I'll come with you to
find a motel or something. But let me drive,