Page 36 (2/2)

“Astrid You come with

“Hey, don’t start getting all high and hty with me,” Astrid yelled at his back

“I’d just appreciate it if you’d let me knohen so, but Astrid grabbed his aruiltily todistance

“What was I supposed to tell you?” Astrid de? He’s floating off the ground? What were you going to do about it?”

He held up his hands in a placating gesture But his voice was no less angry “I’a So today’s rules are, hey, killer wor about it, but it’s nice to get a heads up”

Astrid started to say so breaths Then, in a h on your shoulders I’m worried about you”

He dropped his hands to his sides His voice dropped as well “I’m fine”

“No, you’re not,” Astrid said “You don’t sleep You never have ais your fault You’re worried”

“Yeah, I’ht we had a kid who killed and ate a cat The whole ti He used to have a cat hirabbed it and…”

Sam had to stop He bit his lip and tried to shake off the despair that swept over hi Everyone is…” He looked at her and felt tears threaten “How long before we have kids doing worse than killing cats?”

When Astrid didn’t answer, Sam said, “Yeah, so I’m worried You look around the plaza here Teeks from noeeks fro out Three weeks from now? I don’t want to think about it”

He started toward his office but plowed into two kids absorbed in yelling at each other They were brothers, Alton and Dalton It was clear they’d been fighting for a while

Under norhts were breaking out all the ti from their shoulders Sa stupid with the guns they carried Ten-, eleven-, twelve-year-old kids with guns weren’t exactly the US Army

“What now?” Sam snapped at them

Dalton stabbed an accusing finger at his brother “He stole my Junior Mints”