To Rhonda’s right was Dags. He looked as he had since coming back from Between. Glassy-eyed. Sitting still. Responding only when spoken to. He got along well enough, and Rhonda believed his condition would improve with time. She and Nona figured it was because Maureen was still out of commission, thus his left arm was useless and bound to his chest in a sling, and because the book got reshuffled when it went back in. He thought maybe it was a good opportunity to fix that book, but Rhonda seemed to like Dags like this.
Alone . . .
Docile. And with no memory of Zoë or much of anything else. Alice appeared every now and then to help him eat or bathe. It was sad. And it was wrong.
On the other side were Tim and Steve, quiet as usual. Tim more so as he faded in and out. Not really trying to be corporeal.
Jemmy was missing, but she’d moved away, saying things weren’t right anymore. It was time for the horsemen.
Nona came to sit down, and they all helped themselves. He grabbed up a coffee and treated it as he always had.
Help . . .
He sipped it for a while and watched them. All of them carried on their lives as they had since that day.
When Zoë disappeared. And no one seemed to care.
But him.
His phone rang, and he nodded to Nona as he got up and stepped outside. There wasn’t really any need to answer it. It was just a signal for him and an excuse to leave the house.
Down the road to the right stood two men. One was bald and beefy, with dark clothing and shades. The other was taller, thinner, with a more graceful build, and wore glasses, jeans, and a cotton shirt. They waited until he was within earshot before the bald one spoke. “You hear her?”
He nodded. “Yep. Started yesterday.”
The lighter one licked his lips. “You tell them?”
He shook his head. “No, Daniel. I haven’t said a word.” He looked at Azrael, also known as TC. “But at least we know she’s alive. A month, and finally some word.”
Azrael nodded. “And I got a pretty good idea where. You in, Joe?”
Joe Halloran nodded and checked the gun in his holster. “Oh, I’m ready.” He set it back. “We’re gonna need your friend Frejya if we’re gonna get Dags away from Rhonda. We need to fix him first.” He looked at both of them. “And then, gentlemen, we go find the Wraith.”
Revenant Page 29