The Spoiler (42 page)
Authors: Domenic Stansberry
“You're a suck-ass, Ryan.”
Ryan's face dropped. Lofton didn't hesitate. He came around with the baseball bat and hit Ryan hard in the face. Ryan, a bright burst of blood covering his eyes, dropped to the ground. The blonde's mouth fell open; the brunette was serene, passive. Lofton jumped the fence and starting running toward the right field gate.
The Carib, halfway into his windup, saw Lofton but did not stop. He followed through and fired at the plate. The bat cracked back, and Lofton got a glimpse of the ball arcing away from Banks's bat, headed for the left field wall. He saw Banks digging for first, and he could tell, by the crowd noise, that the hit had fallen in. They cheered because Banks had broken up the Carib's attempt at a no-hitter; then they cheered for Lofton as he ran. He headed toward the old black watchman, ahead at the gate. The guard, Lofton guessed, was dumbfounded, and for a minute Lofton felt good, knowing he had smashed Ryan good, written his story, done everything that it was in his power to do. The running exhilarated him, his lungs felt good and clean, and he pushed himself, stretching his legs as far as they would reach. He thought he heard the crack of the bat again, not once, but twice, three times, impossibly loud, as if the noise had come from inside his bones, his heart. That cop is shooting at me, he guessed; then, before he realized he'd been hit, he was hit again, his neck snapped backward, and the crowd went silent, watching, as he fell against the outfield grass.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 1987 by Domenic Stansberry
ISBN: 978-1-5040-1200-3
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