CHAPTER 29

PANCAKE WAS ON THE DRIVEWAY early Thursday morning —with Hudson’s bike. His new friend was still thirty yards away when he squinted and turned on the afterburners.

Oh yeah. Somebody just noticed the tires aren’t flat on Blue Boy.

Hudson skidded to a stop, swung off Pancake’s bike, and bent down to inspect the tires. “There’s no way. The slices were too long.”

Pancake grinned. “My dad and I swapped out the tires last night.”

“Swapped out?”

“My dad does a little scrapping on the side —with my uncle. We’ve got like twenty bikes behind the shed. Now one of them has sliced tires.”

Hudson ran his hand over the treads. “These are way better than the tires I had before. What do I owe you for these?”

Pancake waved him off. “Nothing. We got them off a salvaged bike.”

Hudson smiled. “Thanks . . . and thank your dad for me. I figured I’d be riding the bus until I could swing new tires.”

“How’re the ribs?”

“Do not ask me for a number between one and ten.” He lifted the corner of his T-shirt. Bluish-purple bruises the size of taco shells covered his ribs.

Pancake whistled. “How did your parents take it?”

Hudson checked the time. “We should get going.”

“You didn’t tell them?”

Hudson swung a leg over Blue Boy, kicked off, and pumped the pedals —wincing as he did.

“Why didn’t you tell them?” Pancake pushed to catch up.

“I just couldn’t.” Hudson coasted. “I didn’t want to hurt them.”

“Hurt them?” Pancake pulled alongside him. “How do you figure?”

“My dad feels bad enough about losing his job. Now Mom has to work, and my sister and I are in public schools. If he knew how I got pounded, he’d only feel worse.”

Pancake got that, but still . . . “Maybe your dad could help.”

Hudson shrugged. “He’d talk to Mrs. Jackson. You and Maggie made it real clear how that will turn out.”

The principal would talk to Wolfe and his pack. Give them a stiff warning. They’d put on the sorry act. But they’d find a way to get even with Hudson for snitching. “You learn fast, amigo.”

“The problem is,” Hudson said, “if the cop reported the fight to Mrs. Jackson, she’ll try to figure out who was involved.”

Pancake agreed. “And the pack and the litter will be on the prowl to find out who Robin Hood is. That’s a lot of people looking for you, amigo.”

For a moment Hudson didn’t say a word. They rounded the corner and headed straight for Southfield. “Guess we’ve got some secrets to keep.”

That’s exactly what had Pancake worried.