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"Wait Were these guys bounty hunters?"

"Yes"

"What happened?" Benny asked with a sinking feeling

"Things rong pretty irls looking tough, and when George explained they had both hunted and killed zoirls orth their weight in gold for ‘the gae turned to him to ask what that ree woke up hours later, but the cornfield was eone He had no weapons or food and no idea what had happened to the girls He searched every inch of that field and the woods beyond, but the girls were gone

"He found horse tracks and footprints, but the best he could determine was that when the camp broke up, the men went in different directions He said he went a little insane, and I can’t bla those girls, and at the ht that they were really and truly saved from the monsters, it was people who took theered away and finally found a deserted house where he found so for the girls It beca second of every day"

"What happened to the girls?"

"George looked everywhere, and along the way he met more and more people He met the way-station monks and told the the word He started to hear rumors One set of rumors talked about a place called Gameland that a bunch of bounty hunters and travelers had built in the s people said about that place really tore George apart When he described the girls and the men who had taken the to hireater even than their compassion for a couple of lost children Soon people were actively shunning George Only the monks tried to help hiirls went ot them?"

"Do you?"

Benny shook his head

"By the tie, he orn out I told hiirl, and when I described her, he said that it was Lilah He begged me to say that I’d also seen Annie, but I didn’t … And when I found the spot where I’d seen the girl standing, there was only one set of prints"

"What happened to Annie?"

"I don’t know for sure So to talk to e A few of theirls who had been taken to Ga bad had happened and only one little girl escaped"

"No …," Benny said softly "Were Charlie and the Haood descriptions of several of the men in the camp He wasn’t clear about which one hit hiirls, but Charlie and the Hammer were definitely there"

Benny nodded The respect he once had for Charlie had transfore?"

"I don’t know Brother David said there was a rued hiht be dead, and he ed, but I don’t believe for aas Lilah was still out there"

"Somebody killed him?"

"Murder is easy out here"

They walked on The horses were looking better, less haggard, and Benny hoped that they’d be able to ride the with every minute they stayed on foot "If we find Lilah … what do we do?"

"Try to get her to come to Mountainside with us The kid needs a life, needs people"

Benny took the card out of his pocket and stared at it, trying to i normal His mind wouldn’t fit around the concept

"Coh Let’s ride … Let’s see if we can catch those animals"

32

BOTH HORSES WERE SPITTING FOAM AGAIN BY THE TIME THEY REACHED the top of the round leveled out, and they found the fire access road Like all roads in the Ruin, it was badly overgrown, but Benny could see footprints, wheel ruts, and dried horse dung that looked recent

"Is this the route the traders take?"

"Yes This is the same area where I first saw the Lost Girl," Tom said "This is where I found the first couple of zoms that Lilah killed I told you they were all similar in size and look"

"Yeah," Benny said "Like she was hunting one person over and over again Hard to believe that a little girl could do that"

"What, kill a full-grown ht weapons"

"No," said Benny "It’s hard to believe that a little girl could kill anyone I et to the point where they want to take a life?"

"Fair question, Ben, but let me ask you one in turn If Charlie Pink-eye was in front of you, right now this minute, would you want to kill him?"

Benny nodded "In a heartbeat"

"You’re sure?"

"After what he did?"

"Even if we get Nix back unharmed?"

"No question about it, Tom"

Tos about that I hear you when you say you’d kill Charlie, and for the most part I believe you, but there’s a little hesitation in your voice If I’d have asked the sahtest hesitation, because the hurt was iht there in your face But this is hours later The blood cools, and the more distance you put between the heat of passion and any act of coin cold blood, they’re referring to so someone does even after they’ve calmed down and had tiht not want hiht want to see the syste blood on your own hands"

"Okay, okay, I get the idea You said there was a couple of things What’s the other?"

"Why do you want Charlie dead?"

"Is that a real question?"

"Sure I mean, he didn’t physically hurt you He didn’t kill anyone in your family He didn’t kill Nix, at least as far as we know … And I don’t think he has, even now"

"He …," Benny began, but faltered "Because of Mr Sacchetto and Nix’sto Nix What kind of question is that?"

"So, you want to kill hie?"

Benny didn’t answer Apache blew loudly, scaring so Rob Sacchetto or Jessie Riley back frouarantee that we’ll find Nix safe and unharmed?"

"No, but--"