Chinese Handcuffs Read Online Free PDF

from beneath the towel. She’s concentrating, thinking ahead to Renee’s moves, seeing herself get in front to block her off, make her take the bad shot or trap her down low. So far it’s been a standoff; Renee’s hitting everything she throws up from outside, but Jennifer’s stopping her underneath for the most part. Jennifer’s outside shot is off; but she’s had a spectacular inside game, and she’s controlling the boards like she’d built them, so the superstars have represented an astonishing but equal trade-off. Jennifer pulls thetowel down farther over her head and forces everything else out. That’s what Jennifer Lawless is good at—forcing things out.
    The fourth quarter continues at a killing pace, the momentum slipping back and forth like liquid mercury under a squeegee. Neither team can get up by more than four points, and with a minute and a half remaining, Coach Sherman calls for time, down by two. “Okay,” she says, “slow it down just a little. We’ve got the ball, so work for a good shot. Go with number three on the inbound. Jen, you can get loose by the side of the key if you’re quick. Take it underneath. Your outside shot has seen better days. . . .”
    Jennifer nods without speaking, blocking out everything but the move, watching herself make it again and again between now and the time she’ll actually execute it.
    â€œThink we can win this one?” Coach asks.
    â€œYes!”
    â€œOkay. Get in there and put it away. I’m tired and I want to go home.”
    The players join hands in the center of the huddle, jerk them up and down in unison, yelling, “Kick ass!” in a meter that sounds more like “Ki-kass” and can’t be picked up by the fragile sensibilities of the crowd, and walk to their positions.
    At the whistle Jennifer takes Renee down low, then cuts back to receive the pass, shaking her for the split second it takes to get free. She starts a move to the hoop but is blocked and passes back out quickly. Vickie Knight, Chief Joe’s point guard, takes it back up top and sets up, calling a number and looking for an inside pass. She’s trapped, and Jennifer comes up top to help, gets the pass, and instantly drives to the hoop, catching Renee Halfmoon off guard for a split second, driving behind her to the baseline for a short jumper that barely disturbs the net. Chief Joe goes immediately into a full-court press, and Wenatchee can’t fast-break, instead bringing the ball up slowly amid the deafening roar from the crowd and tremendous court pressure. Renee Halfmoon works her side of the court, trying to shake Jennifer, but Jen fights her way through two poorly set screens, denying Renee any chance at the ball. Wenatchee’s point guard drives toward the hoop and dishes off to the forward on the other side. Out of the corner of her eye Jen sees her own teammate beaten and slides over to help. Renee moves outside and is free to receive the pass and, in the same fluid movement, pops a jumper to put Wenatchee up again by two.
    Jen takes a chance as the ball leaves Renee’s hand and breaks for the opposite basket while Vickiesnatches it out of the net, steps out, and fires a perfect strike to her on the fly. Wenatchee’s point guard streaks after her but has no chance, and Jen goes up untouched for the easy two, tying the score with less than thirty seconds to play, and Chief Joe’s players walk over to Coach Sherman for some of that late-game magic that got them here.
    Only in concentration is there magic. “Just don’t give them a good shot and don’t foul. They have to be hitting at least seventy-five percent from the line. Let’s don’t lose this on a freebie. They’ll go to Halfmoon. Jen, stay on her. If she gets the ball, whoever’s close give Jen some help. No room for mistakes here, ladies. In thirty seconds either we’ll have our excuses or