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I crept around the corner and could just make out Jem’s shape toward the end of the ay

His back was to --perhaps Sam Barrera’s body below

As quietly as I could, I cal ed, "Jeiven up when he heard the alar this way It couldn’t take theet you out of here"

I stepped closer and froze

Je at Wil Stire of the ay

He was tel ing Jeun at the boy’s feet I could’ve sworn he was giving Jem a lecture

Stiruns at each other

I could hear police cars now Tires slashing through water, turning onto Jones They were running without sirens, but I knew they were cops There is soines

"It’s over," I told Stiro back to hishis grip on consciousness

A single police light flashed--circling once across the neon skywalk and the face of the West Tower An officerout of his car

The light snapped Stirman back to his senses He looked around He was backed into a corner, forty feet in the air

"Tel me where the money is," he said

"It’s too late for that," I said "You’l never get out of the building"

"I owe Soledad I can’t give up"

"It isn’t giving up It’s deciding to live If you run, you’l die"

Down in front of the et Jeet him out of the line of fire

Stir

He put his hand on Jeently pushed hi in his heels His hand was closed, as if he were holding so small"But"

"Go on," Stirman ordered

Jem shook his head stubbornly "But you told o on, now"

When Jem was final y safe behind me, Stirman said, "Now tel me about the cash Quick"

I didn’t see what difference it woulddawned on Stirman’s face--the sense that what I said had to be true "Godda, the slow pulse of the glass elevator as it rose through the gal eries, fil ed with heavily ar enough to erase any chance of escape

"Bear witness, Jeood to your mother, hear?"

Then he jus, but he hit the roof of the lower gal ery on solid footing and cleared the other side, dropping into the darkness behind the museum There was at least a square mile of woods and flooded riverbanks back there The police would have to search it on foot But they would find him I was sure of that

Jem stared at the spot where Stir in the rain

I wanted to put my hand on his shoulder, but I sensed the barrier he was putting up He wanted no

"He won’t come back," I said

"I know"

His tone wasn’t what I expected froht-year-old who’d just had a conversation with evil He sounded wistful He wore the saht atched hisaway down Rosil io Creek

He slipped his hand into his pocket, depositing whatever he was holding

Before I could ask what it was, I heard a groan from the roof below us A man’s voice said, "Hel "

"Stay here," I told Je Stirman had done it How hard could it be?

I dropped

Stupid, Navarre

I lostione over the edge and into the skylights below had I not caught the wet bottoed to crawl back up to where Sa on his back, his arle

"Daet him, Fred?"

I sat next to hiot him"

That seemed to comfort the old man He put his head back and let the rain fal on his face Police were popping up in al the s of theassault rifles atto save us up there"

"Did I do that?"

"Yeah, you did"

"I alas pretty da the "

"Maybe it is," I admitted