leave their collaborators alive to tell tales?”
“Looks like Longbranch, DeVries, and the others don’t think it’s a waste of time,” Jonah persisted. “Maybe they know something we don’t.”
Gabriel just kept shaking his head.
Jonah jackknifed to his feet. “They murdered Jeanette.
Now we’re just going to sit here and do nothing until they come after us?”
“Jonah,” Gabriel commanded, “Sit down. You’re out of control.”
Jonah didn’t sit.
“Anyway, we’re not doing nothing,” Gabriel said, an edge in his voice. “We’re going to upgrade our security and extend our eyes and ears.”
“So we’re going to hide in our bunkers like we’re guilty ?”
Jonah demanded.
Gabriel surged to his feet, “I know you’re tired, and we’re all grieving for Jeanette, but I expect you to stay on task and on mission and to recognize no when you hear it.
“Now,” Gabriel said, turning away. “I mean to do every thing in my power to avoid another Thorn Hill. We have no reason to think they’ll come here, if we don’t draw their attention. If what you said is true, and they don’t view us as much of a threat.”
Why not? Jonah thought. Why aren’t we more of a threat? “If they’re planning a massacre, you can bet we’re not the targets, or at least we shouldn’t be,” Jonah said. “After all—if they wait a while, we’ll die off on our own.”
He strode to the door and yanked it open, then turned to fire a parting shot. “You know what I think? I think you’re scared they’ll come after you. I think you’ve lost your nerve.” And he slammed out of the office.
Chapter Six
Kenzie
Safe Harbor—the skilled care unit at the Anchorage—was homey in a warehouse kind of way, with exposed bricks and beams and battered wooden floors polished to a warm shine. Next to each of the “residences” was a brass nameplate. Permanent. Those who lived at Safe Harbor rarely ever moved to a different building.
“Safe Harbor,” Kenzie liked to say. “Where nobody gets out alive.”
Jonah came in through the back door—the one with the disabled alarm. He climbed the stairs to the second floor, only to find Kenzie’s room empty. Jonah swore softly. He’d hoped to find his brother at home. The tablet display outside his door said, I’m in the gym. Rescue me.
So it was back down the stairs, toward the skylighted gymnasium. Residents at Safe Harbor generally used the specialized gym located in their own building, since it was too hard to transport them to the main gym.
Jonah heard raised voices, clear down the hall.
“Kenzie, could you just give it a try.” The therapist sounded pissed. “We need to loosen up those tight muscles.”
“Let’s not and say we did,” Kenzie said. “I’ll never tell.”
“You know as well as I do that we need to stretch out
those legs. Now. Let me know if you feel any pain, all right?”
When Jonah walked into the gym, he found Kenzie strapped into a chairlike device designed to stretch out his arms and legs. The therapist stood beside Kenzie, coaching him as she manipulated the levers. “Extend, then release. Extend, release. Keep breathing.”
“That’s one I’m good at,” Kenzie gasped. “Breathing.” His red-brown hair was plastered down with sweat, so they must have been working out for a while.
The therapist knelt beside the machine, adjusting the weight setting.
Kenzie spotted Jonah. “Jonah! Thank God you’re here! They’ve got me on the rack again!”
“It looks good on you, Kenzie,” Jonah said, brushing the damp hair off his brother’s forehead. “Let’s tighten up those screws a little, shall we? That will no doubt loosen your tongue.” Kenzie rolled his eyes. It was an old joke between them.
“We’ll be another fifteen minutes,” the therapist said briskly, without looking up. “Shall I call you in when we’re finished?”
Jonah knew most of the therapists, but he didn’t know this one. She seemed
“Looks like Longbranch, DeVries, and the others don’t think it’s a waste of time,” Jonah persisted. “Maybe they know something we don’t.”
Gabriel just kept shaking his head.
Jonah jackknifed to his feet. “They murdered Jeanette.
Now we’re just going to sit here and do nothing until they come after us?”
“Jonah,” Gabriel commanded, “Sit down. You’re out of control.”
Jonah didn’t sit.
“Anyway, we’re not doing nothing,” Gabriel said, an edge in his voice. “We’re going to upgrade our security and extend our eyes and ears.”
“So we’re going to hide in our bunkers like we’re guilty ?”
Jonah demanded.
Gabriel surged to his feet, “I know you’re tired, and we’re all grieving for Jeanette, but I expect you to stay on task and on mission and to recognize no when you hear it.
“Now,” Gabriel said, turning away. “I mean to do every thing in my power to avoid another Thorn Hill. We have no reason to think they’ll come here, if we don’t draw their attention. If what you said is true, and they don’t view us as much of a threat.”
Why not? Jonah thought. Why aren’t we more of a threat? “If they’re planning a massacre, you can bet we’re not the targets, or at least we shouldn’t be,” Jonah said. “After all—if they wait a while, we’ll die off on our own.”
He strode to the door and yanked it open, then turned to fire a parting shot. “You know what I think? I think you’re scared they’ll come after you. I think you’ve lost your nerve.” And he slammed out of the office.
Chapter Six
Kenzie
Safe Harbor—the skilled care unit at the Anchorage—was homey in a warehouse kind of way, with exposed bricks and beams and battered wooden floors polished to a warm shine. Next to each of the “residences” was a brass nameplate. Permanent. Those who lived at Safe Harbor rarely ever moved to a different building.
“Safe Harbor,” Kenzie liked to say. “Where nobody gets out alive.”
Jonah came in through the back door—the one with the disabled alarm. He climbed the stairs to the second floor, only to find Kenzie’s room empty. Jonah swore softly. He’d hoped to find his brother at home. The tablet display outside his door said, I’m in the gym. Rescue me.
So it was back down the stairs, toward the skylighted gymnasium. Residents at Safe Harbor generally used the specialized gym located in their own building, since it was too hard to transport them to the main gym.
Jonah heard raised voices, clear down the hall.
“Kenzie, could you just give it a try.” The therapist sounded pissed. “We need to loosen up those tight muscles.”
“Let’s not and say we did,” Kenzie said. “I’ll never tell.”
“You know as well as I do that we need to stretch out
those legs. Now. Let me know if you feel any pain, all right?”
When Jonah walked into the gym, he found Kenzie strapped into a chairlike device designed to stretch out his arms and legs. The therapist stood beside Kenzie, coaching him as she manipulated the levers. “Extend, then release. Extend, release. Keep breathing.”
“That’s one I’m good at,” Kenzie gasped. “Breathing.” His red-brown hair was plastered down with sweat, so they must have been working out for a while.
The therapist knelt beside the machine, adjusting the weight setting.
Kenzie spotted Jonah. “Jonah! Thank God you’re here! They’ve got me on the rack again!”
“It looks good on you, Kenzie,” Jonah said, brushing the damp hair off his brother’s forehead. “Let’s tighten up those screws a little, shall we? That will no doubt loosen your tongue.” Kenzie rolled his eyes. It was an old joke between them.
“We’ll be another fifteen minutes,” the therapist said briskly, without looking up. “Shall I call you in when we’re finished?”
Jonah knew most of the therapists, but he didn’t know this one. She seemed
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