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"This is hopeless," I said to Beverly, agged her tail agreeably If I wanted to tell her a thing was hopeless, why, she’d be happy to agree, because I was her people, and if I thought soood like that We were reaching the corner that would take us back to where Nathan had parked the car, and so I sighed, raisedout here--"
I stopped as we ca alley door was open, and awhat looked like an assault rifle at Nathan’s chest Minnie was standing stock-still next to Nathan’s right leg, her head up and her ears back as an alrowl echoed frorohich would have been followed by lunging and atte whose person was being threatened
"Don’tat me He had his hands up, and his attention reun That see here that we’re not trying to break in, we’re just trying to get back to " to rhy about a particularly sharp tooth
He was of clearly Chinese descent, but taller than Nathan, with a shaved head and eyes that were narrowed in concentration Only the lab coat he earing over his shirt and trousers broke the unrelenting blackness of his attire… and he looked familiar
"You’re, um, on Dr Cale’s security teanment until recently, because I know you, don’t I? I’ve seen you at SymboGen" It was the lab coat that did it His face waseye contact with people when I didn’t have to They had an unfortunate tendency to smile at me, and all those teeth made me uncomfortable But I’d been around doctors andas I could reet a lab coat "You worked in the phleboto--didn’t turn Keeping his rifle trained on Nathan, he asked, "When would you have seen me there, if I had been there to be seen?"
It took rammar, which see its own tail Finally, I ventured, "During one of my checkups? Dr Banks made me come in a lot ht it was because he orried about uess noas because he was ration with the human brain, since it sort of sucks when all of your tapeworm-human hybrids just moan and try to bite people all the ti of that, one of theed wrist like a macabre exhibit A "I lost a lot of blood and the world’s still sort of spinny and I just walked all the way around the outside of the bowling alley which wouldn’t be a thing normally, but I haven’t lost a lot of blood nor to pass out soon So I’d appreciate it if you’d put the gun down, or at least stop aio tell Dr Cale that we’re here This whole situation is wank"
"Wack, Sal," said Nathan, a nervous giggle underscoring his words "The word you want is ‘wack’ "
"Oh," I said "So what does ‘wank’ mean?"
"Ithis rifle so that it was pointed at the sky instead of at Nathan The druhtly,you need out of your vehicle?"
The sudden change in topics threw me for a loop It appeared to do the sa, and for afor sohed and explained, "I need to get rid of your car If you have everything you need, I can do that now If you don’t, I will escort you inside, cooing orientation"
"What do you et rid of my car?" Now Nathan sounded alar s you a replacement vehicle fro a nearly new Prius sitting near what’s supposed to be an abandoned building She also said to let you know that you’ll be receiving twenty percent of the sale price, so you shouldn’t fuss about it overlyto get upset about this If this is what needs to happen for us to be safe, then fine, so be it" Nathan shook his head "Sal and I both have things in the car She needswith our suitcases"
"All right," said Fang He held out his hand "Giveto argue Then he glanced at ht, because he paled, lips pressing tightly together, before digging his keys out of his pocket and slapping the,the keys disappear into his lab coat "Welcome home"