Page 33 (1/2)

The world leapt into green and black focus, just like in the un?" he asked

"I’, but I knohich end to point at the bad guys," I replied

"Good enough" He pressed the butt of a pistol into les on, but it wasn’t a very large gun Soer than a 22 but sun knowledge

He beganmy best to be quiet but certain that we sounded like a pair of ra elephants It probably took us close to fifteen h the stretch of woods, part of which was a swa us to our knees I kept scanning but didn’t see anyone lurking in the woods lying in wait

We dropped to the ground a few feet froe of the woods and watched the house for several les off "Too ht-vision now," he said in a barely audible voice I quickly tugged et used to nor my best to match his low volume

"Me neither"

I took a deep breath "I don’t smell anyone either"

He shot ed and smiled sweetly

"Uh, okay," he o for it"

We shifted into crouches, then h the back yard and pressed ourselves up against the house I edged to the door and started to reach for the handle, but Ed grabbed iving my hand a pointed look I winced Oh, yeah Probably best not to leave fingerprints

But he didn’t release aze, cold settling into ut at the scrape riave the backyard another quick scan, then--since he did have gloves on--gently tugged the back door open

"Stay here while I check it out," he ave h zombie," he whispered "How can you be afraid to be left out here alone?"

"’Cause I’m also a neurotic chick who’s already been attacked once today," I whispered back with a scowl

He processed that, then nodded "Fair enough Follow me, and try not to shoot me in the back"

"No promises," I muttered

He snorted in response and slipped inside I followed and quietly pulled the door closed behind me The house was utterly silent except for the huan to increase as weroo was really fucked up, it still shocked the hell out ofin a pool of blood in the middle of the floor

I stopped where I was as I took it all in She was on her back with one leg bent up under the other and her right ar out to her side Her eyes were open, and blood tracked across her forehead from where she’d been shot in the head I couldn’t tell if that was the only wound, but either way she was clearly dead I’d seen hundreds of bodies before, of course, but I’d always been prepared for it This ti here to lay into her and hopefully find out what the hell was going on I’d never honestly believed that she’d ever really been in danger

I let out a shaking breath as I scanned the roole--just like Marianne’s house--except for a knocked-over can of Coke that had e brown stain in the pale carpet Sofia didn’t keep a terribly neat house, though the mess was mostly clutter, not dirt I moved over to the table A desk calendar covered azines The calendar was at least two years old and covered with notes and phone nuet a new calendar because then she’d lose all the information scrawled onto this one I could appreciate that mentality I almost liked her a bit more now that I knew she hadn’t been perfect Alat one phone number that was circled Above it was scrawled "" The nuuely familiar, as if it was one that I’d dialed a few times It wasn’t Marcus’s, I knew that much What the hell didmean? Was it an email address? If so wasn’t it supposed to have a "co anything so I dida pen and scrap of paper Ed tugged on ain, but this time I didn’t resist and allowed him to lead me to the back door He eased it open and did a quick scan, then seized my hand and took off at a run toward the woods I had no probleles back on as if I’d worn them a thousand times I didn’t say a word as we returned to the truck, re silent until ell away from the house and the subdivision

"You okay?" I finally asked