by Mike Sherer
!
“Help?! Now! you! want! to! help?! Where! the! hell! were! you?!
You!skipped!out!on!me.!After!all!those!times!I!had!your!back,!
you!left!me!hanging.”!
!
I!flushed,!and!felt!my!fingers!close!into!tight!knobs.!
!
“You!never!had!my!back.! Ever.”!I!thought!the!words,!once!
spoken,! would! taste! bitter.! But! the! truth! tasted! as! clean! as!
new6fallen!snow.!!
!
“What!the!hell!are!you!talking!about?”!
!
“Every!scrape!you!got!me! out!of,”!I!hooked!two!fingers!on!
each! hand! around! a! two6foot! stretch! of! air,! “I! wouldn’t! have!
been!in!if!I!hadn’t!been!hanging!out!with!you.!If!anything,!I’m!
the!one!who!had! your!back.!Who!else!was!crazy!enough—or!a!
big!enough!chump—to!go!along!with!your!schemes?”!
!
“That’s!bullshit.!Nobody!forced!you.”!
!
“That’s!right.!You!never!twisted!my!arm.!So!don’t!go!telling!
me!I!left!you!hanging.”!
!
“Yeah,! well,! the! one! time! you! decide! to! bail! ended! up!
costing!me!my!freedom.”!
!
“So!you’re!going!to!kill!me!for!it?”!
!
He!shrugged.!“It’s!an!option.”!
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!
A! soft! voice! from! over! Wink’s! shoulder! froze! us! both! in!
position.!“Put!the!weapon!down!”!!
!
A! woman’s! voice.! Familiar,! but! not! Keely’s.! I! frowned.!
Wink!tensed,!eyes!flicking!from!my!face!to!his!sides,!trying!to!
get!a!glimpse!of!the!speaker.!
!
“I’m!training!an!HK!Forty6Five!Compact!with!ten!rounds!of!
plus6P!ammunition!at!the!back!of!your!head,!Mr.!Langford,”!the!
voice! said.! “And! at! this! distance! I! won’t! miss.! Please! rethink!
what!you’re!considering!and!lay!down!the!weapon.”!!
!
Wink! stooped! slowly! and! set! the! shotgun! down! next! to!
him!on!the!bed!of!pine!needles!covering!the!ground!under!his!
feet.!
!
“Thank!you,”!said!the!voice.!!
!
A! slight! figure! stepped! out! from! behind! a! tree,! arms!
extended,!black!semi6automatic!gripped!in!one!hand.!She!wore!
a!green!T6shirt!and!woodland!pattern!camo!pants!held!up!by!a!
nylon!web!belt,!pant!legs!tucked!into!lightweight!black!combat!
boots.! The! sides! of! her! dark! hair,! normally! worn! in! a! chin6
length!bob,!were!tied!up!in!a!short!ponytail!on!top!of!her!head.!
Her!face!was!smeared!with!dirt.!She’d!blended!into!the!foliage!
so!well!that!had!she!not!moved!I!wouldn’t!have!known!where!
to! look! for! her.! Now! I! couldn’t! look! anywhere! else,! the! stark!
contrast! between! her! looks! and! toughness! mesmerizing.! Her!
symmetrically!sculpted!face,!with!its!delicate!nose,!full!lips!and!
doe!eyes,!sent!my!heart!up!into!my!mouth.!
!
“Reyna?”!My!mind!was!reluctant!to!believe!my!eyes.!
!
A!small!smile!passed!over!her!lips!as!she!gave!me!a!quick!
glance.!!
!
“How’ve!you!been,!civvy?!Looks!like!you!really!stepped!in!
it! this! time.! Might! want! to! close! your! mouth! now! before! you!
start!catching!flies.”!She!returned!her!attention!to!Wink.!
!
My!head!reeled!with!confusion!and!my!chest!felt!too!tight!
to!take!a!full!breath.!Reyna!walked!up!behind!Wink,!crouched!
and!pulled!the!shotgun!away.!Still!aiming!the!pistol!at!him,!she!
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lifted!the!shotgun!with!the!other!hand!and!stepped!back!to!lean!
it!against!the!trunk!of!a!fir.!
!
“What!are!you!doing!here?”!I!said.!!
!
“Saving!your!butt,!maybe.!Again.”!
!
She! circled! to! Wink’s! left,! forming! a! triangle! where! Wink!
could!see!her!and!she!could!cover!both!of!us.!!
!
Wink!took!her!in,!eyes!taking!a!casual!walk!from!her!head!
to!her!toes!and!back.!
!
“Someone!want!to!clue!me!in?”!he!said.!
!
“Wink,! meet! Reyna! Chase,! Lieutenant! Commander,! U.S.!
Naval! Intelligence.”! I! looked! at! Reyna! for! confirmation.! “It! is!
still! Lieutenant! Commander.! They! haven’t! promoted! you! to!
admiral!or!something,!have!they?”!
!
She!looked!amused.!“Nope.!You!got!it!right.”!
!
“Hasn’t!been!that!long.”!A!little!more!than!five!months.!And!
she’d!made!an!impression.!
!
“Excuse!me,”!Wink!said.!“Am!I!interrupting?!You!two!want!
to!go!somewhere!and!reminisce?!Get!a!room,!maybe?”!
!
The!day!suddenly!seemed!warmer!by!degrees,!but!Reyna!
took!no!notice.!!
!
“The! only! reminiscing! I! want! to! hear,! Mr.! Langford,! is! an!
account!of!how!you’ve!spent!the!last!few!weeks.”!
!
“Perry,”!he!said.!“And!why!am!I!going!to!tell!you!what!I!did!
on!my!summer!vacation?”!
!
She!shrugged.!“You’re!a!fugitive,!a!convicted!felon.!I!could!
call! the! local! cops.! Parole! violation,! possession! of! a! firearm…!
Want!me!to!keep!going?”!
!
He!shook!his!head.!
!
“Besides,”!she!said,!“I’m!holding!a!gun.”!
!
“Point! taken.”! Wink! swung! his! arm! in! an! arc! toward! the!
cabin.!“Might!as!well!be!more!comfortable.!Iced!tea,!anyone?”!
!
“Sure,”!Reyna!said.!She!motioned!with!her!gun!hand.!
!
Wink!nodded!and!turned.!Tension!drained!out!of!me!and!I!
took!a!step,!falling!in!behind!him.!He!stopped!abruptly,!bent!at!
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the! waist! and! lashed! out! with! a! back! kick! that! I! barely! saw!
coming.!Instinctively,!I!shrank!from!the!motion!and!caught!his!
foot!high!on!the!hip.!He!followed!with!a!roundhouse!kick!aimed!
at! my! head,! but! I! anticipated! him! this! time! and! warded! it! off!
with! a! forearm! block,! stepped! inside! the! arc! of! his! foot! and!
punched! him! in! the! chest! with! an! open! palm.! He! staggered!
back,! quickly! regained! his! balance! and! bounced! into! fighting!
stance.!I!dropped!back!and!did!the!same,!watching!him!warily.!
!
“Hey,!you!two!”!Reyna!said.!“Cut!it!out!”!
!
The! menace! on! Wink’s! face! dissolved! in! laughter.! He!
straightened.!
!
I! scowled! at! him! and! rubbed! my! hip.! It! would! bruise.!
“What!the!hell!was!that!for?”!
!
“For! being! such! a! chickenshit,! candy6assed! pansy! back!
then.!Looks!like!you!learned!a!few!tricks.”!
!
“It’s! not! fourth! grade! anymore,! Wink.! I! can! fight! my! own!
battles.”!
!
“Jesus,!boys,!there’s!so!much!testosterone!floating!around!
he
re!it’s!making!my!eyes!water,”!Reyna!said.!“Let’s!say!we!dial!
it! back! a! bit! and! go! have! that! iced! tea.! It’s! too! damn! hot! to!
fight.”!
!
Wink!and!I!locked!eyes.!He!relented!first,!averting!his!gaze!
with!a!small!shrug.!Reyna!retrieved!the!shotgun!and!tucked!it!
in!the!crook!of!her!arm.!I!found!Charlie’s!pistol!under!a!sword!
fern,! brushed! off! the! dirt! and! stuck! it! back! in! my! waistband.!
This! time! Wink! led! the! way! without! a! word.! Halfway! to! the!
cabin! I! remembered! why! I’d! been! tramping! the! woods! in! the!
first!place!and!stopped.!
!
“Keely,”! I! muttered.! I! did! a! slow! three6sixty.! The! others!
turned!to!look!at!me!curiously.!
!
“Your!girlfriend?”!Wink!said.!“She’s!gone.”!
!
“She’s!not!my!girlfriend,”!I!said,!sounding!more!defensive!
than!I’d!intended.!“And!what!do!you!mean!gone?”!
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!
He! put! his! hands! on! his! hips.! “I! mean! in! all! the! ruckus! I!
saw!her!running!up!the!road.!My!guess!is!those!guys!grabbed!
her!on!the!way!out.!Or!else!she!made!it!up!to!main!road!to!hitch!
a!ride!somewhere.”!
!
Reyna’s! eyebrows! reached! for! the! sky! and! she! mouthed!
the!word!“girlfriend?”!I!scowled!at!her!and!caught!up!to!them.!I!
wasn’t! sure! what! to! make! of! either! scenario! Wink! had!
suggested.!!
!
Inside,!the!cabin!was!as!rustic!as!the!log!exterior!promised,!
consisting!of!little!more!than!a!great!room!with!a!big!fireplace!
on! one! wall,! a! small! galley! kitchen! tucked! in! a! corner! and! an!
oak! dining! table! large! enough! to! seat! ten! in! another.! A! small!
hallway! led! to! two! bedrooms,! and! a! narrow! staircase! on! the!
wall!just!inside!the!front!door!climbed!to!a!balcony!overlooking!
the!main!room!and!doors!to!two!more!bedrooms.!
!
The! log! walls! were! dotted! here! and! there! with! mounted!
fish,! a! creel! and! net,! and! framed! photos! of! people! in! mostly!
outdoor! poses—on! the! water! in! boats,! on! shore! holding! up!
large! salmon,! in! group! shots! with! mountains! as! a! backdrop.!
Picturing! family! and! guests,! probably.! Cedar! paneling!
weathered! a! dark! brown! sheathed! the! interior! walls.! Large,!
overstuffed! couches! and! chairs! formed! comfortable! seating!
areas! around! the! room! without! entirely! dominating! or! filling!
the! space.! Braided! rugs! and! animal! skins! covered! a! dark!
hardwood! floor! worn! smooth! by! years! of! traffic.! Tall!
bookshelves! lined! the! walls! on! either! side! of! the! entry! to! the!
hall,! the! shelves! bowed! with! the! weight! of! hundreds! of! old!
hardbound!volumes.!
!
Picture!windows!on!the!side!facing!the!water!opened!onto!
a!view!of!Hood!Canal!and!let!in!lots!of!light.!Yet!the!cabin!was!
dim! compared! to! the! nuclear! incandescence! outside,! and!
cooler! for! it,! insulated! by! the! thick! log! walls.! A! ceiling! fan!
slowly! stirred! the! heated! air,! circulating! musty! scents! of! old!
leather,!mildew,!wicker!and!dusty!chintz.!
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!
True!to!his!word,!Wink!fetched!a!pitcher!of!iced!tea!from!
an! ancient! round6shouldered! refrigerator! and! grabbed! three!
tall! glasses! from! a! cupboard.! He! brought! them! to! the! dining!
table! and! gestured! at! the! empty! chairs.! Reyna! acknowledged!
him! with! a! nod,! walked! over! to! the! fireplace! first! and! leaned!
the!shotgun!against!the!stone!hearth.!!
!
“Nice!place,”!she!said.!“Family!vacation!home?”!
!
She!gazed!around!the!room,!eyes!finally!lighting!on!Wink.!I!
stared!at!her,!mind!racing!with!dozens!of!questions!I!wanted!to!
ask.!She!refused!to!look!at!me,!as!if!she!wanted!to!prolong!my!
confusion! and! discomfort.! My! forearm! rested! on! the! table.!
Unbidden,!my!fingers!quietly!drummed!the!wood.!
!
“It!was!in!my!mother’s!family,”!Wink!said.!“I!came!here!a!
few!times!as!a!kid.!It—”!
!
“What!are!you!doing!here?”!I!blurted.!
!
Reyna! gave! Wink! an! apologetic! look! before! she! slowly!
turned!her!gaze!on!me.!
!
“If!he!hadn’t!asked,!I!would’ve,”!Wink!said.!!
!
I!pressed!my!lips!together!and!nodded.!
!
“I!mean,!why!is!the!Navy!interested!in!me?”!Wink!went!on.!
!
“We’re!not,”!Reyna!said.!She!didn’t!say!more.!
!
She’d!lost!me,!but!Wink’s!face!cleared!as!if!she’d!explained!
everything.!
!
“Care! to! tell! us! why! you’re! here?”! Reyna’s! jaw! tightened,!
steel!evident!in!her!voice.!
!
“Where!else…?”!Wink!closed!his!mouth!and!reconsidered.!
“They! let! me! out! early.! For! good! behavior,! they! said.!
Commuted!my!sentence.”!
!
“Why?!Why!now?”!
!
Wink!pulled!his!brows!down!in!annoyance.!“Why!not?!I!did!
enough!time.”!
!
“The!Feebs!must!have!been!pretty!pissed,”!she!said.!“They!
just!let!you!go!without!a!fight?”!
!
“You’d!have!to!ask!them.”!
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!
Something!in!the!way!Wink!said!it!made!me!think!he!was!
holding!back,!but!Reyna!didn’t!pursue!it.!!
!
“You!had!houseguests!when!all!this!started,”!she!said.!!
!
Wink! pulled! his! shoulders! up! around! his! ears! and!
wrinkled!his!nose.!“You!might!say!that.”!
!
“You!think!they’re!somehow!responsible!for!you!going!to!
prison?”!
!
“I!think!they’re!involved,!yes.”!!
!
“You!think!there’s!more!to!it!than!that.”!
!
Wink!rubbed!his!mouth.!“I!‘invited’!them!here!to!talk!about!
it.!They!denied!knowing!much!more!than!the!fact!that!it!wasn’t!
their!idea,!but!they!bought!into!it!and!set!it!up.”!
!
“You’re! talking! about! Clayt! and! Connie! Jones,”! I! said,! to!
make!sure!I!was!on!the!same!page.!
!
Wink! looked! at! me.! “I’m! talking! about! Colin! and! Corinne!
Wilson.!Student!radicals!back!in!the!’Sixties.!Jones!is!the!name!
they!use!now.”!
!
“Her!maiden!name,”!I!said.!
!
His!eyes!widened!briefly.!“You!figured!it!out.”!
!
“I!didn’t!know!for!sure.”!I!paused.!“Fitch!seemed!to!be!the!
connection.”!
!
He! nodded.! “I! thought! so,! too.”! He! stared! at! his! hands!
clasped!on!the!table.!
!
“What!happened!back!then,!Wink?”!I!had!to!know.!
!
He! glanced! at! me! sharply,! then! stared! into! the! distance,!
collecting!his!thoughts.!
!
“I!told!all!this!at!the!trial.”!
!
“I!wasn’t!there.”!
!
“No,! duh.”! His! peeved! expression! turned! thoughtful.!
“Maybe!you!really!don’t!know.”!
!
The! way! he! notched! that! arrow! I! thought! he’d! let! it! fly!
straight!at!the!target!labeled!guilt!pinned!on!my!chest,!but!he!
simply!stated!it!as!a!fact.!
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!
He! went! on,! playing! back! the! details! on! a! holographic!
screen! in! the! middle! of! the! large! room! only! he! could! see.! “I!
went!in!the!building!and!up!to!the!lab!like!I!said!I!was!going!to.!
I!got!the!tubing,!stuffed!it!in!my!backpack!and!was!on!my!way!
out! when! I! heard! noises! in! the! hall.! Guys! in! black! sneaking!
through!the!door!to!the!stairwell.!Two!of!them.!I!got!worried,!
and! hunkered! down! for! a! few! minutes! until! I! was! sure! the!
coast!was!clear.!I’d!just!made!up!my!mind!to!leave!when! boom,!
the! sky! fell.! I! didn’t! know! what! to! do.! I! froze,! I! guess.! I! don’t!
know! how! long,! but! I! eventually! realized! I! heard! someone!
screaming.!It!sounded!far!away!until!I!figured!out!that!I!could!
barely!hear!over!the!ringing!in!my!ears.!
!
“I! knew! someone! was! hurt,! so! I! went! out! in! the! hall! to!
figure!out!where!the!screaming!was!coming!from.!Then!I!heard!
two!gunshots,! bam,*bam! !I!ducked!back!into!the!lab!where!I’d!
been!hiding!and!waited!a!few!more!minutes.!I!finally!got!up!the!
courage!to!go!look!in!the!lab!they!bombed.!Christ,!what!a!mess!!
I!found!the!girl!in!the!office!next!door.!The!gun!lay!on!the!floor!
next! to! her.! I! don’t! know! why! I! picked! it! up.! To! look! at! it! up!
close,!maybe.!Doesn’t!matter.!You!know!the!rest.”!
!
“So,!you!didn’t!kill!her,”!I!said.!
!
His! eyes! narrowed.! “You! really! think! I! could! have! done!
that?”!
!
I! shifted! in! my! chair! and! looked! away.! “I! thought! about!
how! much! pain! that! girl! must! have! been! in.! So,! yeah,! I!
wondered.”!
!
Wink!looked!at!Reyna!and!waved!a!hand.!“There’s!loyalty!
for!you.!Some!friend.”!
!
I!clamped!my!jaw!shut!to!dam!up!the!flood!that!threatened!
to!spew.!Reyna!saved!me.!
!
“The!Wilsons!are!pretty!popular!folks,”!she!said.!“Someone!
else!wanted!their!company,!too—badly.!Why?”!