Lou rolled over in bed, squinting in the light. The tangy scent of hot pizza filled the motel room as Gordie entered carrying three takeout boxes of pizza. Right behind him came Ray with a case of Rolling Rock. Lou glanced over at Bronco Billy, who was on his boxspring trying to find his glasses. Lou checked his watch. 6:45 p.m. He sat up and looked around the room. Over in the corner, Sirena seemed lost in her own reverie, oblivious to them. The pizza was delicious, the beer ice cold. “There’s a roadhouse about a hundred yards away,” Ray said. “Right next to that water tower. Looks cool. They got beers on tap and an awesome jukebox. Bartender told me it gets pretty wild after dark. What say we go over there after dinner? We can do it in shifts—two at a time with the other two standing guard back here.” Lou and Billy drew short straws, which meant they had guard duty for the first two hours. It was still light out when Ray and Gordie headed off to the roadhouse.
