IA

foun

inished sl

esit

pau

car knew exactly w

e," Le

snapped. "How does

. Ins

ed slowly up th

ru

pani

fid

y owned

hundered i

e police

t get here

not reas

is stayin

oss the stone walls as

k se

d win

plates from

and and pulled me

wasn't

was u

as the car stopped ten

e didn't

it," h

lready

adb

it into

s were

urpris

ktor?" I as

perso

o you

t send him

for

ies there'

usual

or opene

ano

f footstep

sur

ru

an

t an emoti

proce

t banging,"

on't ne

ock

o

st p

d at th

slightly in

bloc

eld

her

voice thro

Beau

ne sti

re req

ues

hreat

e

ailable," I

le

h

ot require a

jaw tig

ve to respond

now I'm

es

answer, th

es

aled

lm," he sa

died onc

e outsid

Mr. Kovac send

e it

na

ea

e

mach t

ant?" I asked t

nvers

t inter

pa

h

is not a

d closer t

ants to talk, he can

le

ight shif

re Leo

ques

on replie

re not

wait for i

int

like am

ontinued, ignoring Leon now,

ghed

r

t's

ns create i

tence se

be

erstand you

ly. "I think I fin

nce

h

e safer

rgetting?

es

esty ch

body we

get to th

is threa

rivate gate wit

as gr

" I aske

pa

our f

st tig

cou

ll had

espassing,

orre

e stepped clos

r the shift

pying property register

," I

temporary fina

ds were

oes tha

d calmly, "that certain deci

th

ehold

ost l

Viktor is now?

effe

ice dropp

ying a dang

an replied.

le

e handl

dn't

was t

ow

bera

" Leon

side chuckl

here to dama

n le

d, ignoring Leon entirely now, "you

one word

offering

h intim

h prese

wh

greem

e was h

ign anythin

u d

't rem

not void

ttled like iron

onscious f

es

ant withou

es

early

pa

unate misc

r went

d curled i

it," he s

it w

crash wasn

le

h

mit no

closer t

eel the cool wood

ilence," I said eve

ans

cause I know ab

l si

ere becau

ift in weig

because I'm n

finally

ised to retur

I dec

es

displeas

es

ity of it m

d slightly

give th

m n

y voice ju

ns if I don

pa

r thi

h

riables

's va

inten

ng inside me c

fe

ar

nt me dead,"

N

t me con

es

f I re

her

ords came,

hers may

wasn't ai

aimed o

L

mot

one co

epped f

get to leve

isely how lev

le

moved

," I said, "I wouldn't be

rec

the agreem

es

ment depends o

es

the a

es

the d

es

the c

pa

h

es

art p

e problem," I

le

mber enough t

s felt d

turned sligh

re

side respon

hould refrain from

t how memo

be inf

lid down

threate

sting medical

ed sharp

ugged m

le

h

ere tr

at?" I

nstabi

hit lik

ved ins

get to re

outside di

experienced a

st dying,"

to disrupt contr

hat phrasing made

back fro

ow

t leaving,"

on said

utside sp

Beau

es

ould prefer

e doesn't

f the car re

lo

eno

ion becomes mo

art t

ens

d, that didn'

ered to a near w

e testi

kno

't b

won

e stre

epped for

ce is

iktor somet

pa

ot my f

le

not an

l si

ieves I'll dis

aled

scalcu

e didn't respo

h

ot

el shift

ps retr

ors op

evved proper

n revers

rn

down the

lid closed

ght re

't feel qui

lt wa

aled

urned

t escala

kno

hoping yo

did

pped c

ze what th

es

move fa

es

re still

his

es

le

expected flickere

id

mbering," he

row

I'm

"That tone. That ste

ok my

s surv

ld my

s stre

far in th

aint engi

t the

e mai

ng a

e posit

my arms ar

s might suffer,"

es

moth

es

ou

es

the b

le

tepped

e he did

lig

n my sh

und

by harmed," he said. "I

not comf

kno

oward the

k I'm stil

u a

about

he adm

tretched

h

ion fl

or a s

err

si

ght

ing in hus

ord "

of glass s

ered sl

ght me i

ri

I

ha

art p

somet

ip tig

did yo

sed m

to ho

like water thro

y," I w

nac

n't k

the au

I

age va

o

ned m

str

like s

voice s

coming

ked a

with somet

mber him f

es

mber who pu

ords

idn't

n't ne

we bot

membere

ust be colla

e evi

doesn't get

s elim

ewhere beyon

ot cracked thr

st

re

body we

od ran

random," he

I whis

t time since I a

just bein

g had ju