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Chapters (97)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. SIX MONTHS LATER
  25. 20.
  26. 21.
  27. 22.
  28. 23.
  29. 24.
  30. 25.
  31. 26.
  32. 27.
  33. 28.
  34. 29.
  35. 30.
  36. 31.
  37. 32.
  38. 33.
  39. 34.
  40. 35.
  41. 36.
  42. 37.
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  44. 39.
  45. 40.
  46. 41.
  47. 42.
  48. 43.
  49. 44.
  50. 45.
  51. 46.
  52. 47.
  53. 48.
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  56. 51.
  57. 52.
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  60. 55.
  61. 56.
  62. 57.
  63. 58.
  64. 59.
  65. 60.
  66. 61.
  67. 62.
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  69. 64.
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  72. 67.
  73. 68.
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  77. 72.
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  80. 75.
  81. 76.
  82. 77.
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  84. 79.
  85. 80.
  86. 81.
  87. 82.
  88. 83.
  89. 84.
  90. 85.
  91. 86.
  92. 87.
  93. SIX MORE MONTHS LATER
  94. 88.
  95. 89.
  96. Discover More
  97. About the Author

Zack doesn’t respond. It’s not worth arguing.

“He’s not gonna come messing with you, Steve. You heard the detectives. The state is putting the new trial together. They’ll be picking him up shortly and the last thing he’s thinking about is hurting you.”

Steve doesn’t seem to hear him. Is drifting off to another place. “He almost killed me, and he’s walking around free. Strolling to the corner to get lunch or something. A guy who almost killed me.”

“You almost killed him,” Zack points out.

“Until you stopped me,” says Steve, turning toward Zack, focusing on him.

“Would you have killed him if I wasn’t there? Would you have actually done it, Steve?”

Steve looks out the dirty window of his crummy apartment. “I don’t know.” He shrugs.

“Now you don’t have to know,” says Emily.

Steve curls up onto his bed, the physical, psychological, emotional toll catching up to him. He is out within moments. Zack tucks him in. Like they’re back in camp, and he’s in the bunk above.

Zack and Emily drink their tea in silence, not letting it go to waste, and slip out, being doubly sure the door locks behind them.

51.

51.

Joey awakens in his rented room in the dark to the sound of his cell phone ringing.

He’s confused at first. He realizes in a moment why. He’s never even heard it ring before.

He could just not answer it.

He can’t just not answer it.

He presses the green button.

“Joey.”

Joey shudders a little at hearing Karloff’s voice. “Yes, sir.” He almost says Mr. Karloff but remembers, as he slowly awakens, that’s not his name.

“Here’s the assignment, Joey. It’s simple.”

“I don’t know, sir. I can’t see how I can shake the tail on me to do it.”

“That’s the beauty of it, Joey. You don’t have to shake the tail. We want the tail. ’Cause soon your tail is going to be escorting you right where we need you. They’re gonna knock on your door, pick you up, and take you for a retrial. Our sources say probably in the next couple days.”

“But I don’t get it…”

“It’s inside the courtroom, Joey. Inside the courtroom. You’ll do the job for us after they take you in there.”

“But I can’t bring a gun. You know, metal detectors, and—”