I turn to Tracy. “Let me guess. Your old cop gun, right?” Tracy says, “It’s a big bad world out there. A lady needs to know how to defend herself, doesn’t she, Fi?” “Herself and her loved ones. You two need to leave.” Allegra is frozen in her seat. I think it’s been kind of a long day for her. I take her arm and pull her to her feet. “Okay, we’re going. You be careful with that.” Fiona cocks it. “Go to hell.” Allegra tugs on my coat. “Let’s go.” We start for the door, Fiona behind us, an angry righteous mom defending her brood. “Fi?” It’s Johnny calling. “Yeah?” Fiona pushes us the last few feet and throws the dead bolt to let us out. “I think I want to go.” “No you don’t, Johnny. It’s dangerous and you can’t trust these people.” “I think I want to go.” “Let’s talk about it after they’re gone.” “I don’t think I want to talk about it. I want to go.” Fiona keeps the gun on us. She looks back at Johnny standing in the doorway to his room. He says, “I want to go.” “You can’t.” “Stark’s right. I’m one of the special ones. Sometimes I get to say what I do.” She sighs and says, “Johnny, the twenty-seven thing is made up. It’s a way to keep you smart ones together and controlled.” “I still want to go. We’ll go tonight. It’s too bright out now. It hurts my eyes. Come back tonight. When is it dark, Tracy?” “It gets dark late, honey. And you want it real dark if you go out. Don’t go out before eleven.” “Come back at eleven,” says Johnny. “I’ll be here.” Johnny goes back into his room and for a second I think that Fiona might shoot us on principle. Finally she puts the gun on the kitchen counter. Tracy puts her arm around her. “Get the fuck out,” she says. When we get outside, Allegra wants to run but I hold her back. Even with people, running makes you look like prey and we don’t want to look like prey to an angry mom with a .45.
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