The guard brought her to the end of the hall and gave her a little nod. Ill be out here if you need me. Hes pretty docile most of the time but its sort of like watching a snake and wondering…you know? Hes quiet now, but you just know its going to strike. He seemed to shudder a bit and added, Its in his eyes, you know?

Yeah, I know pretty damned well, Rachel thought as the guard escorted her.

Rachel entered the room, and the guard closed the door behind her. Across the room, sitting on a stale-looking couch, was a fifty-three year-old man she had seen far too many times in her lowest moments. Every time shed gone into a dark room or house looking for clues or suspects, shed seen him in her mind. Shed seen him clapping with his bloody hands and smiling at her through his glasses.

Currently, Alex Lynchs long black hair hung slightly over his shoulders, tattered and badly in need of combing. The scraggly growth of beard on his chin also needed some attention. He looked at Rachel through thick bifocals and smiled.

Agent Gift, he said softly. Then, with what appeared to be a genuine smile, he added, What a gift to see you. He sighed, still smiling, and said, Though, Im sure you get that joke a lot.

Rachel said nothing. She wasnt even sure what sort of expression was on her face as she sat down in a plastic-covered armchair five feet away from the couch. It had been two and a half years since shed last seen Alex Lynch…and nearly three since shed arrested him.

Looking at him now, all she could see was the man she had arrested. Though Alex was cleaned up now (aside from the ratty hair and beard), she still saw him as shed seen him on the night shed come in on him shortly after hed taken his seventh life. There had been a maniacal smile on his face, dried blood under his fingernails, and a gleam in his eyes that had peered out from behind those bifocalsa gleam that seemed to devour her, even when shed pulled her gun on him and pinned him to the ground. And the bloody clapping, of course.

I hear youre behaving yourself, Rachel said.

Im trying to. Ive been reading a lot. Stuff about astrophysics, space, philosophy. Trying to get a grasp on how small I am. How small we all are.

The maniacal gleam was not in his eyes. All Rachel could take from his current state was curiosity. She knew what she wanted to ask him but also knew that she was opening up a Pandoras box of trauma and horror by being here.

Somethings troubling you? Alex said. Are you still having the nightmares?

No, she snapped.