Page 142
I look at him. Then the storage pond.
“Are you a good swimmer, Norris?”
Hesediel looks at me.
“We gave our word,” she says.
“She’s right,” says Candy.
“A man’s word, son. It’s all we have in this putrid swamp,” says Bill.
I know all this. And yet.
Quay never stops smiling.
And I really want him to stop fucking smiling. Or to see his head rolling into the parking lot. It’s tempting.
After a moment, though, I take a step back.
“You and Holly are free to go.”
“Of course we are,” he says. “The odds were always in my favor, you know. Someone upstairs just made a big profit from your wise decision.”
I take the van keys from his pocket.
“We’re keeping the van. You can walk back.”
“Don’t you worry about us. I had my team leave a van for us on the other side of the plant. You’re so predictable, Sandman Slim.”
He walks over and takes Holly’s arm.
“Oh, Geoff Burgess and Charlie Anpu say hi. And no hard feelings.”
As they walk away, I call after them.
“If you’ve rigged our van to explode or something, when I get
back to Hell you know I’m going to track you down.”
Quay turns to us, but doesn’t stop walking.
“Don’t worry. There aren’t any bombs or tricks. You’ve done enough damage to yourselves already.”
He and Holly walk away and no one says a word because we know he’s right.
IT’S A LONG drive back to Bill’s place.
We park the van and go inside without a word. Bill lights some candles and uncorks the bottle. Pours three shots.
“I don’t suppose you’ll be joining us,” he says to Hesediel.
“I’d rather not.”
“No need. This ain’t exactly a celebration.”
Bill and I drink. Candy just stares at hers. I don’t think she likes the stuff any more than Hesediel.
“What do we do now? Go home?” she says.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142 (Reading here)
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185