@@@@@When she'd said the others from the raid 473
@@@@@When she'd said the others
from the raid were unloading and cleaning up, there was a false note to her voiceI thought I
remembered her eyes flickering to the right, back toward that tunnel
?Hey, kid! Hey, Trudy!? Ian had caught up to us
?Hi, Ian,? they greeted him at the same time
?What happened here??
?Fell on a knife,? Jamie grunted, ducking his head
?I don't think it's funny,? I told him, my voice tightMelanie, frantic with worry in my head,
imagined slapping him
?Could happen to anybody,? Ian said, planting a light punch on Jamie's arm
?Right,? Jamie muttered
?Where's everybody??
I watched Trudy from the corner of my eye as she answered him
?They, uh, had some unloading to finish up This time her eyes moved toward the southern
tunnel very deliberately, and Ian's expression hardened, turned enraged for half a secondThen
Trudy glanced back at me and caught me watching
Distract them,Melanie whispered
I looked down at Jamie quickly
?Are you hungry?? I asked him
?Whenaren't you hungry?? Ian teasedHis face was relaxed againHe was better at deception
than Trudy
When we reached our room, Jamie sank gratefully onto the big mattress
?You sure you're okay?? I checkedDoc says I'll be fine in a few days
I nodded, though I was not convinced
?I'm going to go clean up,? Trudy murmured as she left
Ian propped himself against the wall, going nowhe
