The System by Ryan Gattis

Author:Ryan Gattis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

47

Supervisory is in the control room shouting at us over the speakers to stop. That shit ain’t happening tho. Hell, no.

Tim’s smart, hanging back as Barrel Roll recovers. He goes into Pretty Boy hard, bullying his ass with the weight advantage.

They go right into the bars beside one of the cell doors.

And that’s it for Pretty. He comes back off the bars, a flap of skin hanging off his head. And blood going down his back.

The metal opened his head right up.

Damn.

He tries holding the skin closed on his skull. It’s not helping tho.

His blues go purple in a hurry.

He’s slumping down the bars. Almost sitting on the floor.

And that’s when Barrel turns. And Tim steps to him.

He comes in too quick tho, too rushed. He doesn’t know to judge the distance to get shots off.

And my blood’s all the way up now.

In my throat, my ears, my face.

I know I got this.

I know I could take them both.

Especially as these two fuckers scuffle around.

And can’t punch for shit.

And accidentally punch the railing.

And head-butt.

And spit.

And that’s when it happens.

Tim gets up under Barrel Roll’s arms. Gets into his chest.

And he’s in there, just jamming fists up into Barrel’s armpits …

Getting leverage under him.

Like what he’d do at football practice when he’s blocking.

Like what he’s prolly been coached to do forever.

Get them off their balance.

And he does.

Oh man, he fucking does.

Cuz Barrel’s off the ground and they’re turning,

And Barrel goes up over the railing

And down one tier,

Twenty fucking feet down,

And that fool goes smack on the concrete below us.

Fucking splat.

And when that happens,

Everybody stops for like a second.

Maybe two seconds.

Siren still going.

Nobody moving.

And then it’s like the whole roof comes off.

Peeper’s jumping up next to me. Waving his hand in the air like it’s a concert.

Moving his mouth like, Holy shit, fool!

Like, You seen that shit, fool?

Fuckers are freaking out. Looking over the side and everything.

I don’t tho.

I got my aims.

I’m seeing Tim.

Tim’s the new king.

And everybody else is figuring that shit out too.

You can see how it’s washing over people. How they’re getting used to it thru the shock of seeing Barrel go over.

That’s when I walk.

I feel a tap on my hip from Wizard. Like, Yeah!

Like, Get that motherfucker, homes!

There’s only one thing between Tim and me.

The fat dude holding everybody back from the main fights so King of the Mountain can happen.

He’s not facing me.

And that gives me time to line my shot up on him.

It’s like slow motion how it goes down.

And I just have this thought like …

I’m balling every bad thing up that I got inside me.

Fucking being locked in here. Fucking being told where to go. And when. Fucking having to sleep where somebody shits a few feet away from my face, where there’s no getting away from it. Fucking Wizard using me to protect his own ass.

And I get my feet under me good and bring that rage up thru me like some type of hurricane

Down my arm as

I put it in my

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