Page 32 of Force At Third

Locke

XXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXX

And another.

Locke

Those are the kisses you refuse to take or give. X

And another with a link to “Our Song.”

And Another.

Locke

Fuck, I missed your taste.

I block him.

* * *

I wake from a dream I don’t recall, except something awful is happening. I was supposed to have Marks’ back, but I was at Locke’s.

I sit straight up and look around, making sure everything is as it should be, and then I lie back and attempt to shake out the feeling of dread, but it’s stuck in me like a sliver I can’t get to, and it’s making me nauseous.

It’s five in the morning. Five.

I reach over, grab my phone, check the security app, and see all looks good. I then shoot Marks a text.

Me

I’m up. Be down in five.

Marks

See you when you get down here.

I slide out of bed, get dressed, hit the bathroom, and get myself ready, remaining quiet so that I don’t wake the non-insomniacs at CeCe’s house. Then I grab my computer and head down the stairs, still feeling like something is even more off than it was, like I’m missing something important, perhaps about the girls I’m going to survey today.

“What’s going on?” Marks asks as soon as he sees me.

“The girls.” I shake my head. “I don’t think she’s one of the three.”

“And?”

I shrug and joke, “I’m feeling a disturbance in the force.”

“Don’t doubt yourself, York. I don’t know about the force, but your guts, your guide.” He nods to the seat next to him, and I head over and sit. “Two men checked into a hotel in Trenton under Dexter Woodson’s yesterday.”

“Then what are we doing here?” I start to stand, but he stops me.

---