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“You’re testing my patience, Jackal,” she begins, when Nordice comes barreling into the room.
“We have company,” she says, out of breath. “I tried to stop—”
Milly stands up, looking flustered herself.
Sean strolls in, hands in pockets, looking every bit the smug politician he is. What the fuck. I should have knocked him out when I had the chance.
“Ms. Oppenheimer,” he says, shaking Milly’s hand. “And Doctor Hildenburg...so nice to have you in our Region. Welcome.” He steps forward and leans across the table, holding his hand out to me. “And there you are, Favorite End Man of the Blue…”
I take his hand tentatively and shake it. “It’s a day full of surprises,” I say.
“Indeed, it is. I hope I’m not interrupting, but it’s even better with you all here,” Sean says. “I have news that you’ll appreciate.”
He squeezes Milly’s shoulder and she folds her napkin and sets it in her lap. Sean turns to me.
“The Blue Region has decided to erect a statue in your honor, Mr. Emerson. For giving us joy in these oppressive times, and for being a constant source of hope and goodwill in the midst of the unrest our Regions are experiencing.” He looks at Milly again. “He’s probably too humble to tell you, but when I say he has kept the Blue Region together since he’s been here, I would not be exaggerating.”
Milly’s head tilts as she listens, her bewilderment growing. Along with mine. I don’t know where the hell he’s going with this.
“At your earliest convenience, we need you to sit for the artist.” His smile grows when he looks at me and then he puts his hand to his mouth. “Well, after your appointments, that is. I suppose since I’m the governor, I can give some leeway there, right?” He laughs at himself and we all stare at him.
“We were actually done with this meeting.” I stand up, put my arm around his shoulder, and hold my hand toward the door. “Right, ladies? So lead the way, Governor.”
Milly eyes me stonily, but she waves a hand toward the door, as if giving me full permission. I grin.
As we walk away, I lift my hand and wave, not bothering to look back.
When I’m in the car with Sean, I give him a long, searching look. He stares back at me.
“Can I keep my clothes on for this statue?” I ask. “Can’t be alarming the Blue with the sheer magnitude of my unveiled dick,” I add. “It’s already going to be falling forward all the time because of that. You might want to invest in quality rope to keep things secure. I know someone who specializes in rope…”
His laugh bounces around the confined space. He turns the car on and backs out of the compound driveway. “If anyone’s getting a statue, it will be me, thank you very much.”
“Are you going to take me and murder me somewhere, leaving my body in the Hudson?”
“I’ve thought about it, but I have a feeling there’s this girl we both care about who would never forgive me,” he says.
My eyes widen and I can’t speak for a few moments.
“It’s time I do the right thing, that’s all. For as long as you’re in the Blue, I’ll do my best to protect you. And hey, maybe in the long run, it’ll even help me get the girl.”
“It’s not too late for me to knock you the fuck out.”
“She’s gone, isn’t she?” he says quietly.
“Let’s hope so,” I say.
I lean my head against the back of the seat and imagine her surrounded by green trees, mountain peaks, and clear blue water.
THIRTY-FOUR
FOLSOM
Shingleback lizards will stay with the body of their dead lover for days.
The smoke appears above the trees, an angry cloud of black hanging in the air. I pick up my pace. From what I can tell, it’s coming from about a mile southeast.
I maneuver through the brush, pushing the branches out of my way until I get to a clearing. What is supposed to be a beautiful farmhouse with a barn positioned to see an outstanding view of the river, is now the charred remains of what used to be a house. One wall still stands, the enclave of the fireplace blackened like a gaping mouth. There are cars in the driveway and pulled helter-skelter on the grass. The fire trucks look like they arrived too late to do anything except say they were there.
