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"Je a little hts "They took everything from me, Navarre I mean to col ect"

"You’d take Jee on a little boy--"

"It isn’t revenge"

"--a single mother, and an old man who doesn’t even re? Is that what Soledad would’ve wanted?"

For a ht I’d pushed him too far, misread him completely

But then he looked at Jeer I’d seen at the soccer field

Again, he forced hi me the truth on the phone--he did need Je hi"

"Don’t lie to yourself," I said "This isn’t about what Barrow and Barrera took froo

This is about what you ran away from You failed Soledad You stayed silent about her baby Al this tiht now"

Stir me what I can and can’t do"

"Listen to Jem," I said "Listen to what he wants"

"I want ed

"Yourat Jem had suddenly become painful "Boy, if you knew about your mother"

At that moment, Stirman looked veryfocus had started to unravel

"Put down the gun," I told him "Surrender to the police"

Stirh "That’s your advice, huh? Death Row?"

"You won’t survive another day on the outside If you want any tie, then prison’s your only choice It’s the only place you belong now"

Stirlistened with new blood The siun to Barrera’s head must’ve been torture for him

"Tel me where the o But the boy comes with et up

"Sit down, old un

Barrera ignored hiot unsteadily to his feet "I didn’t come this far to let him run, Fred"

I said, "Sam--"

"Go ahead and shoot me," Barrera told Stirman "You think I don’t remember? I shot your wife Don’t take it out on Fred and this little kid You gonna shoot somebody, shoot me"

Stirman stared at Barrera in disbelief "Butit was BarrowI saw him Why are you--"

"Shoot odda this place"

Stirrained hurabbed the gun

It discharged, cracking the glass wal behind Barrera’s head

I yel ed, "Jeht-year-old single-mindedness, he ran toward the nearest restroo way--directly past Stirman, in the East Tower

"No!"

Another shot drowned out my voice A tube of red neon exploded Stirlass, which buckled, shattered, and Sam Barrera went backward into the void

Stirman turned as Jem brushed past him He tried to catch the boy’s shirt I tackled Stir I kneas on the carpet A photograph was stuck to ainst the railing, now open to the wet night air, and I saw a pale hual ery roof Sam Barrera’s body

I didn’t have time to think about that Stirone after Jem

Chapter 23

Just as she heard the shot inside the warehouse, Ana DeLeon’s phone vibrated against her Kevlar vest

The SWAT teaunfire, but they al looked at her to see as rattling

She ripped the phone out of her pocket and stared at the display

Ralph Arguello

He never cal ed her at work She i doould it take for hi she could do She stuck the phone back in her pocket and took out her sidearuys in body armor uest

She wasn’t worried about her own safety, or about capturing Stired with snipers, cordoned off with a double perimeter, two helicopters on standby If Stir Erainya out in one piece