“Help me,” said Nemo, as soon as the door opened.

“Oh just get in,” said Patton. “Honestly I can’t even look at you right now after you let that woman . . .”

“Look,” said Nemo, “can we save whatever bullshit you’re upset about for later and get this lady in the van.”

“Get the lady?” Patton did not comprehend at first. Her overloaded brain couldn’t keep up with the sudden shifts in reality. But then she saw that Nemo had Jean Simpson draped over his left side. Conscious, alive, Jean Simpson, who looked unable to walk by herself, but otherwise quite unexploded.

Before Patton could move, Ruthie jumped out of the van and helped Jean into the back. In another moment, the doors slammed and Nemo collapsed into the passenger seat. “Are you OK to drive?” he said.

Patton couldn’t answer the question. She couldn’t speak. For a few seconds the only sound in the van was the gradually slowing breathing of Nemo, Jean, and Ruthie. Then Patton realized she had been holding her breath, gulped in some air, and felt her vision clearing.

“I said are you OK to drive?” said Nemo, more gently this time.

“I think so,” said Patton.

“Then get us the hell out of here.”

Patton drove. She had no idea where, but she drove. No one spoke for several minutes until finally Ruthie asked, “What happened back there?”

“I just cut the damn vest off her and hoped for the best,” said Nemo. “I guess whoever wired her up wasn’t expecting a rescue party.”

“Jesus,” said Ruthie. “That was . . . daring.”

“Thank you,” said Jean softly. “Thank you.”

“Ah, it was nothing,” said Nemo. “All in a day’s work.”

“Good for you,” said Patton, allowing relief and something approaching respect for Nemo to creep into her. She smiled and turned to him briefly. “Fucking good for you.”

“Who are you people?” said Jean, in a slightly stronger voice.

“We just drive around and look for people who need rescuing,” said Nemo.

“No, seriously,” said Jean.

“Do you have the ledger?” said Nemo.

“Yes,” said Ruthie. “I’ve got it right here.”

“So what does it say? What is item AL1533?”

“I haven’t looked yet,” said Ruthie. “Let me see if I can find it.” Ruthie began to flip through the ledger, squinting to read the entries in the light of the streetlamps.

“What is that?” said Jean.

“Just a list of old books,” said Ruthie.

“You scared the hell out of me back there,” said Patton to Nemo, speaking for the first time since she started driving. Her pulse had almost returned to normal, and although she still felt a hint of dark terror in her gut, she felt more like a functional human being than she had since they first saw the vest on Jean.