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"Thank you?" said Kelly, raising an eyebrow

"That’s good," I assured her "A sniper rifle, Becks? Really?"

"Better overprepared than totally screwed"

"Fair enough" I took a step backward "You’re on Doc duty until Mahir gets out of the shower As soon as I’rub"

"Good," said Becks, and s"

"Yeah," I said, a little duret We could never have really been lovers, no matter how much she wanted it or how much I tried; that just wasn’t what I ired for But sos could have been different

I realized I was staring "Later, Doc," I said, and left

My shoas an exercise in ally necessary under the spray of bleach and the stea water that followed If anyone checked the hotel’s records, they’d see that the rooone through proper decontarounds for any reason That’s the sort of detail people don’t always think about, and that et for any reason Follow the rules whenever possible Thatwhen you break the my eyes, and even after I rubbed ned for swi, back when they were the only people bleaching the "Isn’t this going to be an absolutely aweso on a clean pair of khakis

Better than touess that’s true" I hesitated This seeht for heart-to-heart talks, maybe because I wasn’t entirely sure I’d still be alive in twenty-four hours "George--"

Yes?

I sed "How long is it going to be like this? Ito be your haunted house, or are you going to be inary friend, or whatever the fk the cool kids are calling it these days? Is this forever?"