Page 39 (1/2)

"Sorry" She wasn’t He turned his head just enough that she saw the hateful gleaoing to just let us go"

"You were dead I know you were" Walt’s voice trailed off, because he’d caught sight of Reynolds clinging to the tree Hiscame out

"Yeah, ere," Bryn said "Call it a od I’d worship"

"I’d be surprised if you ever worshipped any god except your own ahn, and the cigarette was gone, stahter "Taking the truck, Walt Do you want to live to "

"I am," he said "But you have to hn?"

"Because I kno overnments and corporations and rich fat cats," Patrick said "And we’ve got all three of those things looking for us now They’re going to find their way to you, eventually, and I need you to do exactly what co you to fall on any swords, but just don’t help theet about the truck, I’d owe you"

"Owe er deal," Patrick said "By the way, that was me I took it and I burned your weapons contact Sorry The job was to close off the dealer, and I did it And I wasn’t too wild about so the missiles, either, to be honest But if you do this for et you the half h," Walt said "I want a fullexactly what you always do, fight whatever comes at you? No"

"A million, or I pick up the phone and call the cops to tell them my truck’s been stolen"

"We could just kill hiht and cold, and utterly at odds with the beautiful sunrise and the twittering birds in the trees "Kill him and dump his body in the ditch Seelance that let her knoorried by what she’d said And the way she’d said it It worried her a little, too, but in a distant, arctic-ice-locked way "But I think Walt understands there’s a better outcome to be had"

"There is if there’s a million on the table," Walt said Bryn had to admit that she would not have been that calm in his situation, with a knife at his throat and another at his back, and a woman as evidently capable of resurrection cal to slice

Patrick knehen he was beaten, even with the upper hand, and he shook his head a little and said, "All right OneI said? Considering how long you’ve been lying to me"

"I just do," Patrick said "Because I’ve lived behind those walls, and I know you care about those people And I know you keep your word"

Walt hesitated, then said, "All right My word on it You take the truck, and you get "

"Itas we’re on the run right now"

Walt grinned It looked maniacal "I trust you, brother Tell your bitch to stop poking that in ht about pushing the knife ho in Patrick’s expression, and finally took a deep breath and stepped back "I think this is a mistake," she said, "but if you want to trust hio, Bryn"

Walt gave her a second, very long look "Bryn You don’t look much like a Bryn to me"

"What do I look like?"

"A dead wohed It sounded crazy

The hackles raised on the back of her neck as she thought, I sound like Jane

Patrick grabbed the shaking, exhausted Reynolds and shoved hier seat next to him "You drive," he said to Bryn He nodded to Walt as she took her spot behind the wheel, with Reynolds sandwiched in theyou, Bryn," Walt said, and aied not to bite it off Just barely

"I liked it better when he called ear

They left him, and his compound of maybe-crazies, behind in a veil of dust

Patrick said, very quietly, "Are you all right?"

"Sure," she said "Shot in the heart by the e of a cliff for disposal, forced to kill four guys to cover our escape It’s Thursday, isn’t it? Typical Thursday"

He didn’t laugh He atching her; she could sense it without glancing in his direction "I’ I could think to do"

"It was the right play for the right time I’m fine"

"Bryn--"

"I’ your breath?"