Chapter Seven: The Rebound and the Retreat
The garage was a tomb of orderly silence, broken only by the rhythmic hiss-thump of the air compressor, a mechanical lung breathing for the still machines.
Finn wasn't just working; he was conducting an exorcism by torque wrench. He was under the hood of a '04 Tacoma, attacking a seized alternator bolt as if it had personally offended his ancestors. His knuckles were bloodless claws around the breaker bar, his jaw clenched so tight his templ