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the es pooled down the side of his head

Rogers let go of the dead man’s hand and he slumped sideways to the pavement

The wo away now She eyed her purse but made no move toward it

“Help me! Help me!”

Rogers dropped the bat and looked at her

This part of toas deserted at this hour, which hy they had picked it as their ambush spot

There was no one available to help anybody They had thought that would work in their favor When Rogers had stepped into the alley he kneould work in his favor

He had realized this was a setup from the moment the woman had looked at hi Rogers was neither of those The only things he had that she would want rested in his pocket, on his wrist, and on his finger

Theyout

Well, tonight they had picked the wrong target

She backed up against a brick wall Tears sliding down her face, she moaned, “Please, please don’t hurt me I swear I won’t tell nobody what you done I swear to God Please”

Rogers bent down and picked up the switchblade

She started to sob “Please, don’t Please…He made me do it He said he’d hurt me”

Rogers walked over to the wo features None of it had an effect on hi into his arm

Nothing because he was nothing

Felt nothing

She obviously wanted him to feel pity for her He knew that He understood that But there was a difference between understanding and actually feeling so

In soreatest difference there was

He felt nothing Not for her Not for hih his fingers could reach through bone and tissue and brain matter and rip out as there It burned, but then it always burned when he did what he did

Rogers had not always been this way So and hard about it, he could dimly remember a different person

He looked down at the knife, now a stainless steel extension of his lirip

“Will you let asped “I…I really do like you”

He took a step back

She forced a smile “I promise I won’t tell”

Rogers took another step back He could just leave, he thought

She looked over his shoulder “I think he just moved,” she said breathlessly “Are you sure he’s dead?”

Rogers turned to look

The flash of ed her purse and pulled a gun fro upward to take aim at his chest

He struck with astonishing swiftness and then stepped to the side as the arterial spray fro him

She toppled forward and s her pretty features, not that itstruck the hard surface and clattered away

Rogers, pressed for ti man’s wallet and the woman’s purse He neatly folded the bills into his pocket

He positioned the shattered bat in the hand of the young woun back in her purse He replaced the switchblade in the hand of the dead man

He would let the local police try to figure out what had happened

He field-dressed his ar