Summary

In Chapter 27, Patrick and Angie catch a bus back to their neighborhood. Both of them are bloody, injured, and ragged, and they get some cautious looks from others on the bus. Patrick then walks Angie home. He leaves her at her doorstep and picks up beer on his way to his house.

Patrick thinks about violence and the many things that drive men to become violent. He thinks about Roland and his anger toward his father. Patrick knows that Roland thinks his life will be better once he gets revenge on his father, but Patrick knows that won't really help him. Patrick looks at the scar on his stomach and remembers the night his father inflicted it.

Patrick's father was a firefighter and he was very aware of the power of fires in the house. He had baking soda near every point of...