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"For what?" Vin deed

"For what you did to Jessie Riley"

Silence Then, "You’re jerking us around, To to Jessie"

"Evidence says different"

"Well, then ask Jessie She’ll tell you"

Tom’s face wore a twisted smile Hard and predatory "Jessie’s dead, Vin You and your ‘brother’ beat her so bad that she died"

The ensuing silence was broken only by the low moans of the dead

"Three hundred yards," said Benny

"You’re trying some kind of sick con on ames, Vin Jessie died in my arms, and your coin was on the floor You’re a wanted man, Vin You and Joey Do you knohat the people in toill do to you if they catch you? When they catch you?"

"No way, man … no way in hell" Vin’s voice was filled with doubt now And fear "You gotta believe ? You’re trying to feed ood case for innocence"

"Almost two hundred feet, Tom"

The closest zoms were a mix of ordinary people in everyday clothes and soldiers in the burned remains of their uniforhter

"That’s your brother?" Vin called "That’s little Benny Oh … hell,up the points, Vin Beating on wo about er Yeah, you’re innocent, Vin You’re a real saint"

"You got it wrong, Tom This stuff out here … This is just business You, me, Joey--we’re pros We know the risks, we knoorks out in the Ruin No rules, no slack It’s all part of the job"

"Is murder part of the job?"

"Out here? Hell, you know it is"

"To from the forest The terrified horses nickered and tossed their heads, pulling at the tethers that held theirl fit into all of this?"

"She’s Charlie’s niece Or cousin So like that He said so"

"And you believed him?"

No answer Even Benny knew that Vin probably didn’t believe that story, but likeCharlie Matthias a liar

"Didn’t you think it was strange that he should take his niece away froht?"

No answer

"The coin, Vin … what about the coin?"

"Someone must have put it there"

"Why?"

"To frame me"

Tom smiled and winked at Benny "And ould they do that, Vin? Who would want to go those lengths to throw suspicion on you?"

It was a long and ugly silence The zoms were almost at the hundred-foot line Benny counted sixteen of them in the first wave Cold sweat ran down his face and back, and pooled like slush at the base of his spine He had his bokken in his hands, but the hard wood felt like a toothpick against as co for them

"Charlie wouldn’t do that," Vin protested "He’d know that we’d clear our naot back You said it yourself, Vin No rules out here in the Ruin"

"Hundred feet," Benny said, and edged backward, raising the sword in both hands "We have to go!"

"Vin," called Toet Benny out of here You let us walk, and I promise to help you with Captain Strunk and the court"

"How do I know you’ll keep your word?" Vin said after a pause

"Because you knohat my word’s worth," said To hter and one other zom were out in front of the pack With a snarl he leaped toward theht Tom backpedaled as the zoms fell one way and their heads crunched and rolled the other

"Clock’s ticking on that offer, Vin"