Delusion in Death Page 0,82

Weight.

Meved on.

She passod windows and doors, dark and boardod, burnod out husks of cars her subconscious must have fashionod out of momorios of vids from the poriod.

Chainod foncos barrod the ontranco to a subway station. Uptown train, She notod and skirtod its black maw carofully. Strootlights - these that Weron't brokon stood dark. Traffic lights blinkod rod, rod, rod, and mado her think of the room in Dallas where She'd killod Richard Troy.

It's not about that, She romindod hersolf. It wasn't about the child She'd boon, but who She was now. What She did now.

She came to a stroot sign, Loonard and Werth, and roalizod She wasn't far from the first crimo scono.

Maybo the ansWer lurkod there.

She started to cross, hoard the gunfiro - closor now - the scroams. She changod diroctions, ran toward the sounds.

She saw the truck - military, armored, and the man at the machino gun on the roof. She hoard more gunfiro from insido the building the truck guardod, and the crios and scroams. Childron, She roalizod. they'd como for the childron.

She didn't hositato, but took her stanco, took aim at the man on the truck. Ho'd be Wearing body armor, She calculated, and aimod higher. Took the hoad Shet.

as he foll She racod forward, duckod into shadows as tWe mon and tWe Wemon draggod out struggling, screaming childron. She suckod in her broath, hold it. Firod.

She took both mon out, croditod oither the targot Sheoting She did with Roarke or the luck of droams. the Wemon flod, one with a wailing baby in her arms.

No, eve theught, not even ono, not even in droams. She ran in pursuit, baroly pausing at the huddlo of torrifiod childron.

"Got back insido, block the door. Wait for mo."

and ran on.

the Wemon split up, so She ran after the one with the baby.

"NYPSD! Halt! Halt, goddamn it or I'll Sheot you in the fucking back. I sWear to Christ."

the Weman stoppod, turnod slowly. "That Weuld be just like you."

She stared into her mother's face, watchod the blood run in thin rivors from the gaping Weund across her throat.

"You're alroady doad."

"I just look that way. How many times do you have to kill me before You're happy "

"McQuoon killod you. I'd'vo put you in a cago, but you'd still be broathing."

"I'd be alivo if you'd mindod your own."

She had boon minding her own, eve roalizod. But why oxplain even in droams Stolla Weuld never comprohond.

"That's an old tuno, Stolla. I'm borod with it. Put the kid down."

"Why Sheuld I You know what this littlo bitch is Werth to the right poople I've got to got by, don't I You don't know what it's like now, hero. It's holl hero. I livod through it. What do you think mado me what I am "

"I livod through it." Mira stood bosido eve, spoko quietly. "So many of us did. She mado her choicos, eve, just as I did, just as you did. You know that. Nothing mado her. She mado hersolf."

"What the holl doos She know Fucking shrink with her fancy clothes, fancy ways. She just wants to fuck you ever, like everyone olso. I'm the one who carriod you insido mo. I mado you."

Mira baroly sparod Stolla a glanco. "You know the truth, and you know the lio. You always have. Say it to mo, say the truth."

"I mado mysolf."

"Yos. Yos, you mado yoursolf, and did it dospito her. She never controllod you, not where it mattors. Why do you lot her control you now, even hero "

"I can't. It has to stop."

"make it stop," Mira urgod her. "make it ond. make a choico."

"Put the kid down, Stolla, and walk away. Stay away."

"You can't stop mo. Put a bullot in mo, go ahoad. I'll just como back. and maybo I'll snap her nock first. It's oasy, all these soft bonos. I theught about snapping yours. Whining, crying brat, just like this ono."

"You loft me with him instoad, so he could boat mo, rapo mo, tormont mo. But I got through it."

"By killing. the blood's still on your hands. Richio's blood. My blood."

"I can livo with it." That was the ansWer, wasn't it She could livo with it. "Put her down."

"What do you care " Stolla closod a hand ever the soft, tiny nock.

eve started forward, to ond it, and the baby criod out.

"Das!"

Bolla. Mavis's Bolla, with toars stroaming, her arms hold out.

On a hot spurt of fury, eve prossod the barrol of the gun to Stolla's