floor, pulling out a reel of clothesline. He fastened one end around Tommy' s wrists, and then worked the other over a hook suspended in the ceiling of the truck. Ted pulled on the rope until Tommy' s arms were pulled high over his head and the boy was almost pulled off his feet, teetering on tiptoe, then secured the other end. Tommy' s sweat-dreorso was stretched tight, every muscle in his body gleaming.
Ted grabbed the belt from Gus. "My turn," he said, and positioned himself o the suspended boy. Gus swung his arm back as far as he could and brought it around, whipping Tommy squarely across the back. Tommy' s body vulsed but the boy bit his lip and mao take the blow without making a sound. "Yonhis one, boy," Ted said, already looking forward to the additional ten lashes he' d get to mete out. He walked around to the other side of Tommy and turhe belt around in his hand, so the buckle end would fly through the air and hit Tommy' s body. This time he brought the belt screaming across the boy' s chest. Tommy thought his chest was going to explode, the pain was so great. But he bit his tongue and miraculously took the blow without uttering a sound.
"Okay, that' s enough," said Ben. "This is getting out of hand. Cut the kid down and stash him in the back of the truck. We' ve gotta start loading up." Both boys were moved to the far back of the trailer, tied, and gagged, and the three roadies disappeared. They returned a few minutes later and began the chore of loading up the truck with amps, lights, drums, and guitars. When they were fihe moved to the cab and the truck headed out to the city. A few miles out of town, now uhe cover of night, they pulled over a Scott and Tommy out - shirtless, covered i and grimy filth from the floor of the truck, and covered with welts and bruises. "You boys did good," Ben said. "Maybe we' ll see you when we e back this way again."
Tommy and Scott watched the truck drive off into the distance, and then began the l