Chapter 101

Back over under the Canopy and its branchy cover, Tommy and Brian stopped in an inlet of trees and alder bush. They were scared. Still, the boys were beyond determined to be done with the whole situation. Only trouble was neither of them, with all their heart, wanted to relinquish their hold on the money, those pieces of jewelry, all of that. Even as all the trouble of the world might perilously be wavering only inches above their heads, like one of those cartoons were an anvil hangs on a thread about the coyote's head, all Brian or Tom managed to see were the endless possibilities the contents of that bag could provide them; the images of a future path different than their own dominated them, overthrew those young and impressionable minds.

“We could just toss the duffel bag in the woods someplace,” Brian remarked; half sure of himself, half kidding himself.

The look gave his friend spoke enough on its own.

“This is fucked up.”

“We can't just get rid of it – not now,” Tom told him.

“Y