Talk to nicely.

The bleeding won't stop, and there's nothing I can do about it.

Bandages won't help.

Even stitches would be useless at this point.

I could try super glue if I had some, but even that will be ineffective.

Hey man, you gonna make it? I look over at one of my partners in crime, and at his own blood-soaked clothes and laugh.

Yes, Hilo, I'm gonna make it. I always do.

Yeah, well, there's a first for everything.

Not today, pal.

Not today.

And there lies the rub.

Today.

The sun is already rising, which means we missed our opportunity to get out of this dump

of a motel.

Not that night would have been much easier, but it wouldn't be day, that's for sure.

But that fight, it took it out of us, all of us.

I glance around the room at what's left of the crew.

Silo is sitting at the table, an arm wrapped about his belly.

His skin paler than I have ever seen it. Birch is on

the other twin bed, staring up at the ceiling. I have no idea if he's wounded or not. The guy hasn't

said a word since we tumbled into the room. Nico is curled up in the corner, covered completely by one of the motel's threadbare

comforters. I only know he's still with us because he moans and shifts his position every

...