Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 122097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Amon stares off in the distance for a moment. “Yeah. OK. I think I know who he is, and I did hire him, but I didn’t put him at your gate. He should’ve been back at the compound. Maybe Ryan or Nash sent him up? I’ll ask. And yes, I did background checks on everyone. Penny Rider did them for me.”
“Penny from DC?” My eyebrows go up.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Do you think it’s a good idea to use DC people for this?”
“It’s Penny. She’s like… seventy years old. And besides, she likes me. She did them all for free. I sent her a spreadsheet, she ran it through her big fancy computer program, and two hours later I had my answers.”
“Did you drug-test them?”
“What is up, Collin?”
“I’m just asking. This Siah guy, I just got a feeling about him. He came off as jittery.”
“You think he’s on… what? Meth, or something?”
“I don’t know if he’s on meth, I’m asking you if he’s on meth.”
Amon lets out a long breath. “I didn’t do drug tests. Everybody’s testing positive these days, Collin. You know that. They all got a medical marijuana card.”
I’m shaking my head as soon as he starts talking. “Amon—”
But he puts up a hand. “I know. I feel the same way. But I needed a hundred and fifty men. I want this shit done fast and there’s no good reason to drag it out in phases like we first planned. We’ve got the money, Collin. We don’t have to concern ourselves with a budget. Get it done, get it over with. And if I had drug-tested every single man I hired, we’d have twenty guys, if that.”
“I don’t want these guys around. I don’t like this. There are way too many locals here, Amon. This is an operation, for fuck’s sake. Not a fuckin’ employment office for every goddamned jobless man in West Virginia.”
“Calm down. That’s why I did it this way. They’re gonna be gone in like three weeks.”
“Three weeks? You told me two.”
“Two weeks is a meme, Collin.” He winks at me, but then goes serious. “Shit is getting done. I’m telling you, moving up the timeline makes this worth the risk. I’ll keep my eyes on this Siah guy. And I’ll talk to him. OK? He’s not gonna bother nothing. And in three weeks most of them will be moving on. In five weeks the other men will be here and it’ll all be cool.”
“I hate fuckin’ construction.”
Amon chuckles. “Why the hell do you think I put you over there with Lowyn?” He slaps me on the back. “You’re welcome, by the way.” He gets up. “We done now for real?”
“We’re done. Just… keep your eyes and ears open. See if we can start to figure this shit out without Jim Bob’s help. Because I don’t feel like waitin’ no year for the truth.”
“Will do, Sarge.” Then he salutes, but grins like a fool at the same time, cooling me down before I can yell at him.
When we come back up into the church Lowyn is dragging a huge mirror across the floor, using an old wool blanket to scoot it along the slate floor. She blows out a breath when she sees us, then smiles and points to her treasure. “Look at this. Will you look at this? I love it. Do you think it’ll fit in the Jeep, Collin? I want to take it tonight. I know I won’t be able to start strippin’ it until Monday, but we’re here and we might as well, ya know?”
That’s when I spy a whole pile of junk propped up near the door. “Woman, we’ve been gone ten minutes. How’d you get a pile of shit that big in ten minutes?”
“Shit? Collin Creed! I’ll have you know I found a Hitchcock chair. They are fancy-fancy. I think there might be another one around here somewhere. People usually got them in pairs.” She looks around the church, like this chair is hiding behind a pew or something. “And this mirror? Not famous or nothing. Which is why I’m gonna strip it and paint it. But just look at this thing.” She sighs, lookin’ up at it. “Isn’t it glorious?”
It is a big-ass mirror, that’s for sure. Probably seven feet tall and three feet wide. “There is no way that’s gonna fit in the Jeep.”
Lowyn lets out a disappointed breath and I feel sorry about that. I brought my bad mood up from the bunker with me and now it’s ruining hers. “We’ll pick it up tomorrow, Low. We’ll get your truck and trailer and load it as soon as we can get away from the Revival. OK?”
This makes her smile. Which makes me smile.
“Look at the two of you,” Amon says. “Long-lost lovers, finally reunited.”
I roll my eyes at Amon as I walk over to Lowyn and start tugging the mirror across the floor. We take it over to her pile and prop it up against the wall and I offer her my hand. “Let’s eat. I’m fuckin’ starving.”