Page 52 of Shadow of Death
Agents were taking Riley Franklin out to bring him to his new room “with bars” until he was arraigned.
Amy didn’t think a judge would allow him out before his trial, but it was possible a judge would deem him a fine candidate for a mental facility.
“Burn! Burn, burn!” Riley screamed. “You’re all going to burn in the inferno of Hell forever and ever and ever! That’s eternity!”
None of the agents paid him the least attention.
And when he was gone, Amy and Hunter looked at one another and shook their heads.
“We’re out of here,” Hunter said, as he took her hand and led her out.
“So different from what I leaned growing up,” Amy murmured.
Hunter smiled. “Ah, remember what can be learned from wise ones among us, right? There’s nothing wrong with the majority of religions in the world—it’s what men can do with religion that can be bad.”
“And you still have faith,” she murmured.
“I do,” he said, squeezing her hand. “I’m just more on the ‘we’re not supposed to kill’ page than some others.”
“But we both killed people today.”
“To save others. And even knowing that, it bothers us both we had to take lives. That’s why we have appointments with the shrink tomorrow before we can go on. That was what...just as it was turning dark? Oh, wait, I keep forgetting that it is tomorrow. We need sleep. And while many things may bother us, remember we both do this for what good we can do.”
They hadn’t quite reached the car, and she turned and almost tripped them both by hugging him.
“I...uh, what? That was nice, but—”
“Brian. Seeing him, I know that had to hurt you.”
“I do feel badly about the whole thing. I just keep trying to wrap my mind around the fact his folks were going to just watch a murder.”
“I think they really believed they could save a sinner.”
“That’s what’s so terrifying—what people can believe.” He shook his head. “There are even massive cults online these days. Luckily, most of the time they get only a little crazy, but history shows us some very bad things happen as well. But I feel good. Brian is an exceptionally smart and intuitive kid. He knew what they were doing was wrong. But he also loves his parents.”
“Will they do time?” Amy asked. “Anyone brought in was arrested as an accessory to attempted murder.”
“That’s up to a judge and the courts. Anyway...sleep! Car is here, let’s get in it.”
They drove to the hotel and waved to the night clerk as they headed to the elevator. In the room, Amy realized she could barely stand the physical state of herself; she had to shower.
“I’m exhausted, but I don’t think I could sleep with me after crawling around the cliffs in the woods and hiding in the dirt and... I mean, if you’re too tired, you don’t have to shower. I can stand you, just not myself. I am tired. None of that is coming out right! Just...um...whatever!”
Amy dropped her bag and started stripping as she headed to the shower.
She was grateful the hotel had good hot water and really decent water pressure.
She heard the door open and felt movement of the shower curtain as Hunter stepped behind her. She was so tired, and yet...
She closed her eyes, blissful, as she felt his hands move along her back and then her rib cage and her buttocks. She turned into his arms, reaching for the soap, sliding it over his body, feeling the ripple of movement and the growth of another body part.
Smiling, she kissed him as the hot water poured over them.
A few minutes later, they were thoroughly soaped and steaming from the fall of the water. But Amy pulled away, laughing. “I think we’re too big for this little shower and for anything wild and exotic as the music of the rushing water plays!”
“Not only that, I’d feel real badly if I had to call Andy and tell him we weren’t working at all tomorrow—later today—because we slipped and fell—together somehow—and have broken limbs!”
Laughing, Amy stepped out and grabbed a towel, tossed one to Hunter as he came out after her. But he used his towel on her which made her use her towel on him, and they managed to laugh and push one another out, almost tripping over one another, before falling onto the bed.
