“Just tying up a few loose ends,” I said.
I took the second syringe from my pocket and slammed it into Amber’s sister. She stopped in mid- scream.
I immediately felt a stab of my own, in the center of my chest. Through clenched teeth, I said, “Now, what was that about the two kinds of pain?”
“Okay, well there’s the squeezing kind that feels like you’re squeezing a tube of toothpaste. Except that your heart is the toothpaste.”
I staggered, but remained on my feet. I propped myself against the nearest wall to keep from falling. I still had to wipe down the scene before trying for my car.
The doc continued. “The second kind is like an elephant standing on your chest.”
“Bingo.”
“Okay,” he said, “Don’t panic. It’s important that you lie still. Is anyone with you?”
I looked at the two bodies on the floor. “Only in spirit,” I said.
“Okay, that’s not so good. Do you have any aspirin? If you do, take one. But first, give me your location and I’ll send an ambulance.”
“I can’t do that,” I said.
I ended the call and put my hand in my pocket to feel my lucky silver dollar, the one my grandfather gave me when I was a kid.
“Don’t fail me now,” I said to the coin.
I called Darwin back and told him to send a chopper two miles northeast of Camptown, on 706. “And send someone to take my rental car back to Scranton.”
“This isn’t Sensory business. You’ll have to reimburse the expenses.”
“Of course.”
Sensory Resources is the division of Homeland Security for which I work.
I paused.
“What else?” he said.
“Better send a couple of extra guys. I need them to clean a crime scene for me.” I gave him the details.
“It’s going to be very expensive. Shall I call you back with the total before you commit?”
I sighed, which caused a new round of pain to surge through my body. On the bright side, the pain seemed to be heading away from the center of my chest.
“I’ll cover the costs,” I said, “but let’s get this thing in motion.”
“You’re not going to die on me, are you?”
His question caught me by surprise. The thought of dying never crossed my mind. Through all the years of being shot at and bombed and targeted by foreign death squads, and all the years I’d been testing weapons for the Army—it suddenly dawned on me that I’d never considered the possibility of dying.
And still didn’t.
I forced a laugh. “I’m immortal, Darwin.”
He paused, processing the comment. Paused long enough for me to wonder if he might be thinking this could be the perfect time to ambush me. I’m Darwin’s top guy, I control Callie and Quinn and Lou Kelly and a half-dozen other trained killers.
On the other hand, I know a lot about the government that wouldn’t look good on
“Anyone else know about your current situation?” Darwin said.
