Drought by Graham Masterton Read Free Book Online

being as much as this. He was trembling uncontrollably, right on the verge of jumping up and trying to tear the hoods to shreds with his bare hands. He knew, however, that he didn’t stand a chance against them, and that they would almost certainly kill him, if they weren’t going to kill him anyhow. He stayed where he was, kneeling on the floor, saying nothing.
    Big Puppet turned away, but almost immediately he turned back again and pointed at Tyler and said, ‘You know something? We ain’t been fair to you, bro.’
    Tyler didn’t answer. Whatever Big Puppet was talking about, he didn’t like the sound of it.
    â€˜No, we ain’t been fair you at all! K-Bomb! Joker! Buzzy! We ain’t been fair to this poor guy! We all been taking a piece of his girlfriend and never let him have none! Like disrespectful or what?’
    Tyler opened and closed his mouth. His throat was so dry that he could barely speak. He swallowed twice, and then he managed to croak out, ‘She’s not my girlfriend.’
    â€˜That’s not the point, bro! Like, she ain’t
our
girlfriend neither! But there we all was, taking a piece of her like, and you didn’t get nothing! That’s just not respectful! We got to put that right, bro!’
    â€˜What – what do you mean?’
    Big Puppet beckoned to K-Bomb and between them they took hold of Tyler’s arms and heaved him up from the floor. He could barely stand, and his knees kept giving way, but they kept him on his feet while the hoodie called Buzzy came forward, grinning, and unfastened his belt. Tyler tried to collapse on to the floor, but Big Puppet and K-Bomb wouldn’t let him drop. Buzzy levered off his sneakers, and then he dragged off his jeans and pulled down his white Calvin Kleins.
    â€˜Come on, bro!’ Big Puppet urged him. ‘It’s your turn now!’
    Big Puppet and K-Bomb manhandled him into a kneeling position between Maria’s wide-apart thighs. He could see Maria staring at him dully, but all he could do was stare back at her. To his shame, his penis was sticking up erect. He couldn’t imagine why, unless he had been aroused by fear and humiliation and embarrassment.
    â€˜Don’t mind a little cream pie, do you, bro?’ Big Puppet asked him. ‘Come on, now, get in there, my man, have a little
chon chon
, enjoy yourself !’
    Tyler tried to twist himself free, but K-Bomb wrestled him back down on his knees. Big Puppet said, ‘Hey,
güey
, don’t tell me you’re refusing this fine young lady I’m handing you on a plate right here? If you’re refusing her, maybe you think she ain’t good enough for you, and if she ain’t good enough for you, then maybe we should just dispose of her. Joker – go find that shotgun. I saw some shells there, too, right under the register.’
    Joker went around the counter and came back with Mr Alvarez’s sawn-off shotgun and a cardboard box with three or four pink shotgun cartridges in it. Big Puppet said, ‘Load it,’ and Joker ejected the two spent cartridges and pushed in two fresh ones.
    â€˜Now, take her out,’ said Big Puppet.
    Joker pointed the shotgun at Maria’s head. Maria turned her head away and closed her eyes tight, but she didn’t utter a sound.
    â€˜Look at her,’ said Big Puppet. ‘I think she even knows what a worthless spitch she is.’
    â€˜Stop it!’ said Tyler. ‘Please! Stop it! I’ll do it!’
    Big Puppet smiled at him and patted him on the head. ‘Glad you saw the light, bro. Glad you saw the light!’
    Tyler leaned over Maria and guided himself into her with his hand. After a few seconds, Maria opened her eyes again and looked up at him. He kept up a slow, persistent rhythm, trying to be as gentle as he could, but all he could see in her expression was a weary disappointment, as if she were saying
you too, Tyler
?
    â€˜Come on, bro, get