“The guy in the front seat tried to kill me,” said Patton. “And I’m sure his buddy back there would have been happy to do the same. I wouldn’t shed too many tears.”

“But if he’s dead then . . .” Ruthie’s voice trailed off.

“Then what?” said Nemo.

“Then . . . then we’re responsible. We should do something.”

“We are doing something,” said Nemo, swinging the car into a farm track. “And I think I’ve spotted a good place to do it.” About a quarter mile ahead, on the other side of a wide field, the headlights illuminated a weathered wooden barn with several pieces of farm equipment parked nearby. Nemo pulled into the rutted track that led to the barn.

“This car isn’t really made for roads like this,” said Ruthie, as she and Patton bounced wildly around in the back seat, but Nemo paid them no mind, nor did he react in any way to the mumbled protests of their involuntary passenger. A minute later, he pulled the car behind the barn and shut off the engine.

“Keep an eye on Fritz for a minute,” he said, stepping out of the car.

“Erich,” the man in the front said as Nemo disappeared into the darkness. For a moment neither Patton nor Ruthie responded but then the man said again, in a slightly stronger voice. “Ich heiße Erich. My name is Erich.”

“Well, I wouldn’t get too comfortable, Erich my boy,” said Patton in a jocular tone.

“He’s German,” whispered Ruthie, “like you said.”

“You don’t have to whisper,” said Patton. “I think he knows he’s German.”

“But why? Why is some German man chasing after you?”

“You want to answer that one, Erich?” said Patton. But the prisoner remained silent. “I don’t think he wants to answer.

“I’ll be honest, Erich,” Patton continued, “when I came under fire Sunday morning, I never expected it would be some random German guy.”

“Who did you expect?” said Ruthie, pressing herself against the side of the car, for the first time that night actually pulling away from Patton.

“How are you, Ruthie?” said Patton. “How has life been treating you since last we met?” She had decided to take a page from Nemo’s book—when questions got uncomfortable, change the subject.

“Why am I here?” said Ruthie. “Why did you even come to me? I know you didn’t really want to see me.”