"Actually, it's very true. The logic doesn't hold up. Gertie is the one who got you into this mess in the first place, so she should be the one offering to sacrifice herself for you. The other way around doesn't make sense. Also, it's a terrible offer. We have both of you. You can't get away. You have absolutely no power to negotiate. So how is your 'keep me but let her go' offer going to change our mind? "

"I won't resist," said Charlene.

"Maybe we want you to resist."

Charlene said nothing else.

"Let her go and keep me," said Gertie from her cage. She knew they wouldn't do this, but saying it right after Ken's little speech might add confusion and frustration. Every little bit helped.

"What the hell did I just say?" Ken asked her. "I just finished explaining that you have no negotiating power. Jesus. I guess it's nice that you two aren't trying to sell each other out, but at some point you have to face reality."

"I'm done talking," said Jared. He swung his knife in the air in front of Charlene's face. "I'm ready to start gutting these girls."

"You only get to kill one," said Ken.

"Whatever. I'm ready to get to it."

"Wait, not yet," said Vivian. "I need to get away from the smell for a minute."

"You won't get used to it if you keep going in and out," Ken told her.

"I know, but it's going to make me throw up. Maybe I can find a clothespin or something."

"Just hold your nose."

"I'll be right back," she said, leaving the room. The stairs creaked, and then Gertie heard another door open and close.

"Do we have to wait?" asked Jared.

"Since your mother just asked us to wait, I'm going to say that yes, that's probably what we should do."

Jared ran his index finger over Charlene's chin. "Can I hit her?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not what we do."

"It's not what you do. I'd like to knock out some of her teeth."

"We're doing this one my way. You catch your own girl, you can punch her all you want."

"Maybe I will."

"And maybe somebody will notice that you've got bruised knuckles. Gosh, that's not suspicious at all when the police sit you down for questioning."

"Whatever."

"How about you ditch the attitude?"

Jared clenched his fist, and for a second Gertie thought he was going to punch Charlene anyway. Instead he slashed his knife across her neck.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"What the hell?" Ken demanded, as blood began to flow.

"I didn't cut her deep."

"Her neck is bleeding. That's deep enough!"

Jared hadn't cut Charlene's throat, but it was a pretty awful slash across the side of her neck. Three thin trickles of blood ran down onto her shirt, joined quickly by a fourth.