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Had he seen Weller earlier in the day? "She could’ve arranged for it to happen"

"What? She’d never do that What are you saying?"

"You heard me," Tom said "I think there’s another player"

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"Another player?" Weller echoed Tom nodded "Has to be, unless it really was Mellie But I’ that it’s someone she knows and who could convince the kids he wasn’t a threat"

"I" Weller’s gaze danced to the snow as he drew a careful hand over hisit, Tom Why would she do that?"

Tom’s stomach went leaden He knew Weller’s mannerisms and tells, and now he had to be careful More co his Uzi to bear was much shorter than for Weller’s rifle This was a contest he could win But they weren’t there yet, and he had no wish to nudge them any closer to the brink If this old man wanted Touess that’s what I’, tensein Tom’s face he didn’t like, because the old man suddenly raised both hands in surrender No way Weller would win in a dra "Take it easy, To are ha, he said, "Do you knohat’s going on?"

"No," the oldabout this"

"You want to tell me what you do know?" At Weller’s silence, he said, "Am I not supposed to make it back alive?"

The utter astonishment on Weller’s face was real "What? To to Mellie, I’er, the sneak of a finger on his trigger guard Take it easy Don’ton?"

"I don’t knohat’s going on here," Weller snapped "Whatever ga, if she even is, I don’t have a clue Now I’ my hands down"

Sentimentality aside, he wasn’t stupid Tom took another step back "You could put the rifle down, too"

"Not a chance in hell I’d like to live to see to et out of here now, together, because I donotlike this, To place to stop it" When he didn’t rated, "Jesus Christ on a crutch, Tom, I do not want you dead I don’t want any more dead kids if I can help it I will tell you what I know, but right now, all we got is each other, and we got to get to our kids You’re going to have to trust me that far You have my word on it, Toht," To he ever did "But I’h because itdo We still need to find Cindi and Chad"

"I’m with you on all that" Weller’s shoulders drooped with relief "For what it’s worth, I don’t think Mellie would hurt the kids, not intentionally anyway"

"You don’t sound very certain"

"Because I’ure out what to do next"

They were halfway to the horses, Tom a step or two behind Weller because, soldier to soldier notwithstanding, it paid to be careful All of a sudden, Weller came to a dead stop and tipped a look at the sky "Where the hell’sinto the older s out, work soht? Well, I don’t have my binos Do you?"

"They’re back at cao on, get the horses It’s further, and I’ back up the steps "Won’t be but athe horses back to the church that he realized what else it was that bothered him about that mess in the belfry