Page 20 of Laying Low

Boys?

Reg snorted.Code name, Romeo and Julian.

There was a long sequence of ellipses and then,Dios mio.

Same.But they’re good kids.We want to keep them safe.

The next word was eloquent.

How?

Reg looked at Dean, who said, “May I?”with a pointed glance at the keyboard.

“Sure, but if I say move, move,” Reg said.“They almost made us, like, six times in the last five minutes.We don’t want theCorazones de Sangreto descend on Mom and Dad’s house like the plague, do we?We’ve already had ICE!”

“No, no,” Dean muttered, muscling in on Reg’s space in front of the computer, using his own office chair.“Don’t go far.I hear you.”

How?The word repeated.

How do you feel about Canada?Dean typed.

Is very cold.

Yes, but it still has less ICE than here.

Again that blinking cursor.

You need me to come?

No.Believe it or not, we just want them safe.

I believe you.I was very glad to hear that plane crash didn’t end you.Honorable men are hard to find.

Agreed.We’re glad to be alive.We’ll keep being honorable if you will.

Same.Let me know when the sweaters arrive up north.

I will.But they should be allowed to get lost up there.

Blinking cursor, blinking cursor, blinking cursor, and Reg realized what Dean was saying.At least by sending his son to his sister in California, Gael Barerra had knownsomethingabout how the boy was doing.Dean was proposing cutting off all contact.

Please tell him to be safe.

I promise.

Use the same handle to contact me when it’s done.

Dean chuckled.

Give me three steps.

Take the north door.

Done.

Dean shoved the keyboard at Reg, and this time when the alarm pinged, Reg shut the whole thing down and killed all ethernet and internet access with a few quick keystrokes.

“Did he get in?”Dean asked.