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His gun was drawn She knew that he had killed before She sed, suddenly realizing what the pile on the far side of the rooirls He had left their bodies here with Genevieve so she would know her inevitable fate So she would behave So he could bend her to his will

"Leslie, why couldn’t you have died in that blast? Then…you could have stayed away, but you didn’t Ask Genevieve--there’s only one way to handle wo She was going to do soht, I have to say But then, she wants to live"

"Leslie wants to live, too," Genevieve said

"Robert," Leslie said, a shocked whisper of disbelief "I just can’t believe it’s you"

"Who else?" he asked lightly "Who else had access to sites and houses and cars, and who else could go all over the city, doing as he pleased? These tunnels are quite sos House Of course, you figured that out, didn’t you, Leslie? But did you know there’s an entrance right into that crypt you discovered? I would have taken care of things theyou were down there alone, but then Lay you away No one would have known But he showed up and I had to leave in a hurry You’re re lady Not even a push onto the subway tracks could do it You’ve got to understand I never wanted to hurt you But you knoay too much I don’t kno you know, you just do You would have discovered ht, and it got even stronger after you survived the explosion A shame, that Four people dead, but I missed the one I meant to kill I’m really sorry, Leslie," he said softly

She saw that his fingers were twitching on his gun

He was going to shoot her Then and there

"Stop!" a voice roared She heard running footsteps

Joe!

Robert turned and fired into the tunnel, but his arhting with hi the trigger

Again and again

The blasts were horrendously loud in the confined space, and he was cursing and screa wild

Suddenly he was slaainst the door, his un

Matt! Leslie thought joyously as Robert twisted, struggling to aiun up the tunnel

Suddenly Joe loomed out of the darkness, and it looked as if Robert couldn’t possibly miss him "No!" Leslie shouted

She jumped on Robert Adair’s back Genevieve shouted, desperately trying her best to distract hi out from the tunnel, and Robert was spun around by the force of it, staring straight at the two of them

He smiled

Leslie wondered why

Then she knew

He fired one last time, even as he died hile word But she was falling Genevieve tried to catch her as she fell, but the other woine what she had endured over the past weeks They fell to the floor together as Joe raced toward them

But she didn’t see Joe

She saw Matt

He was down on his knees beside her, wrapping her in his arms

There were tears in his eyes "No, Leslie, no…"

"Leslie!" Di to staunch the flow of blood co on…"

She was dimly aware that the tunnels were alive with footsteps

She sood friends

"Leslie," Matt whispered, cradling her "Fight Fight"

She couldn’t fight And she knew it She reached for Matt, saw his eyes, the tears The love

"Sos," she whispered, "are meant to be"

EPILOGUE

Joe sat on a concrete bench in the ceround He was alone; he needed to be The funeral had been far too huge; he’d felt that he needed to take a step back, so this afternoon he’d coood people had loved her Adam Nikki, who had been with Leslie when she’d discovered the street-level entrance to the tunnels, the route by which Robert had escaped the night Joe had chased him Nikki and Adam had been there when the paramedics had desperately tried to save Leslie They had been there when she was pronounced dead They had suffered As had Brad Verdun, who had cried like a baby Even Dryer had broken dohen he had to go on TV to talk about what had happened