Page 44 of Red Rooster

“Then they won’tfindhim! I’ll dig a fucking hole!”

She rested her hand on his arm, like he was some wild animal she could soothe with a touch. “You’re always telling me to be smart. Right? We have to be smart here. And I don’t think he’s one of them.”

“It’s not worth the risk.” But she was right, to a point. He’d killed people these past five years, but all those dead agents – or whatever they were – never made the news. This guy, if he was telling the truth, and was a civilian…that would hit the media. Even if he just disappeared, someone who loved him would file a missing person’s report and the cops would get involved. They could run from shadow organizations all day, but local cops and a murder of a citizen…that would be the thing that caught them, finally. And then Rooster would go to jail, and the Institute would take Red back, and…

He was hyperventilating. The gun shook in his hand.

His hostage stared up at him, frightened, but not backing down. “You haven’t done anything you can’t take back yet,” he said. “It’s okay.”

Red rubbed the arm that he held in front of her like a barrier, small fingers gentle. “Rooster.” A request, a balm.

Rooster swallowed, and his throat was so tight it hurt. “Who do you work for?”

“I own my own wrecker company. I work out of a garage in Farley. Just twelve miles up, like I said.” He wet his lips and added. “Look, I don’t know who you’re running from” – his eyes made a fast dart toward Red, like he knew thewhyof it – “and it’s none of my business. I’d just really like to not get shot and I’ll give you a tow if you want. I might be Army, but I’m notstupid.”

Rooster was…trapped. Caught in a place from which he couldn’t shoot his way out – not without putting them at greater risk. And he…was tired.So tired. All the good Red’s healing had done last night seemed to bleed out of him now, carried away on a tide of soul-deep exhaustion.

Like he sensed that Rooster’s resolve was wavering, Jake said, “You can even hold a gun on me the whole time if you want. But your arsenal will have to ride in the back.” He nodded toward the duffels that still lay on the ground.

Red’s hand touched his shoulder, a silentplease.

Rooster exhaled in a rush. “Fine.”