Narcan. Fuck my life. Confirmation that what these kids are taking is definitely laced with fentanyl.
"Where were you when all this was happening?"
"I was trying to help. I know some first aid from the classes my dad made me take. But mostly I was just scared shitless and trying not to panic."
"Did the paramedics ask questions? Police show up?"
Keegan nods. "Both. But most of the kids scattered as soon as they heard the sirens. Logan was one of the first to jet. By the time the cops got there, it was just me, Jake, and maybe three other kids."
"Did you tell them what Jake had taken?"
"I wanted to," he says. "But the other kids were giving me looks, you know? And I kept thinking about my dad, about how this would look if word got out that I was at a party where someone overdosed."
I can see the guilt eating at him. He's carrying the weight of knowing he could have provided information that might have helped, but he was too scared of the consequences to speak up.
"You did what you thought was right at the time, kid. But now we need to make sure this doesn't happen again."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to make some phone calls, talk to some people. See if we can't put a stop to Ethan's operation before someone else gets hurt."
"You won't say where you got the information, will you?"
"Your name won't come up, I promise. But Keegan, if the police or anyone else asks you directly about what you know, you need to tell the truth. Jake almost died last weekend. The next kid might not be so lucky."
He nods, understanding the gravity of the situation. "What about Logan? He's just going to keep causing problems."
"Logan's going to be dealt with, one way or another. If he's using, he needs help. If he's dealing, he needs to be stopped. Either way, he's not going to be terrorizing teachers or putting other kids at risk much longer."
We sit in silence for a moment, both processing the conversation. I can see the relief on Keegan's face at having finally shared what he knows, but there's still worry there too.
"You did the right thing telling me this," I say finally. "I know it wasn't easy."
"It wasn't. But you're right about Jake. If I'd spoken up that night, maybe the cops could have tracked down Ethan sooner."
"Maybe. But you're speaking up now, and that's what matters."
I stand up from the picnic table, and Keegan follows suit. "You can head back to work. Dime's probably wondering what happened to his assistant."
"Devil?" he calls as I start to walk away.
"Yeah?"
"Be careful, okay? The Rebels don't play games, and if they find out someone's messing with their business..."
The kid's worried about me. It feels good, in a way, and it reminds me why I do this job, both the undercover work and the MC leadership. It's about protecting people who can't protect themselves.
"I'll be careful. You just focus on school and work, and let the adults handle the rest."
I watch him head back to the garage before pulling out my phone. Chief Harrison needs to know about this immediately, and we need to start putting together a plan to deal with both Ethan and Logan before the situation escalates further.
The phone rings twice before Harrison picks up.
"Chief Harrison."
"It's Devil. We need to talk, and it can't wait."
"What's the situation?"
