the helicopter thrum as if it were going to come unglued at any second.
She didn’t answer him, but she didn’t take her eyes off him, either. The guy behind the machine gun glanced over at the sound of Keo’s voice before returning his gaze out the hatch as the helicopter caught up to another flock of birds.
“Can I get some water?” he asked the woman.
She stared but still didn’t say anything.
“Towel?”
Nothing.
“I smell jerky in the air. I wouldn’t mind some of that. I’m famished. Haven’t eaten all day and most of yesterday.”
“Shut up,” the man sitting to his left said.
Keo ignored him and said to the woman, “Ever heard the idiom ‘You catch more flies with honey?’”
“If I give you some jerky, will you shut up?” the man sitting to the woman’s left said.
“Absolutely,” Keo said.
“Too bad. I finished it off this morning. Chased it down with some coffee and an oatmeal cookie.”
“Sounds like fine dining.”
“It ain’t the Hilton, but it’ll do.”
He turned back to the woman. “Maybe you can tell one of these gentlemen to give me some water.”
“What makes you think she’s in charge?” Beef Jerky Guy asked.
“Oh, come on. It’s obvious she wears the pants around here.”
Something that looked almost like a smile flickered across the woman’s face, but it only lasted for a blink of an eye before vanishing.
“Right?” he said to her.
She ignored him, said instead, “What happened here?” and traced one side of her face with her forefinger. “Looks like it must have hurt.”
“It did,” Keo said, remembering the cold steel of Pollard’s knife as it sliced its way into his flesh. “You should see the other guy.”
“Prettier than you?” Beef Jerky Guy said.
“Not even a contest.”
“Considering how you look, that’s saying something.”
“I still have nightmares about it.”
“I bet.”
“Where we going?” he asked the woman again.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said.
“Give a guy a hint.”
She didn’t answer.
“Then can I at least get some water?” Keo asked.
“You already asked that,” she said.
“Figured I didn’t have anything to lose by asking a second time.”
She nodded at the man sitting next to Keo. The guy produced a canteen and leaned over. Keo opened his mouth gratefully and took as much water as he could, then swished it around to wash away the blood clinging to the walls of his mouth before swallowing the whole thing down.
“Thanks,” he said to the woman.
“Next thing you know Slaphappy Jerry here’ll want a change of clothes,” Beef Jerky Guy said.
“I’m Keo,” he said to the woman.
“Good for you,” she said.
He couldn’t help but smile back at her even though doing so made the entire lower half of his face hurt, as if someone were punching it repeatedly.
“Where we going?” he asked for the third time.
“Ask that again and I’m going to throw you out the hatch,” the woman said.
“I’d like to see that,” Beef Jerky Guy grinned.
“Only if you buy me dinner first,” Keo said.
“Smart guy, huh?”
“It’s my disguise. I’m actually very dumb. Hence my current situation.”
“Yeah, you really bungled that one, didn’t you?” He chortled. “Man, what were you doing showing up by yourself like that?”
Being the world’s biggest idiot, or something pretty goddamn close , Keo thought, but said, “You sure you’re out of those jerky?”
“Pretty sure,” the man said, and smacked his gums for effect.
“Too bad. There’s nothing better than two guys bonding over some meat.”
Beef Jerky Guy stared at him like he didn’t know how to respond to that. The woman next to him, Keo noticed, barely managed to suppress a snort.
----
A COMBINATION of pain and lack of sleep took its toll and he dozed off soon after, and didn’t wake up a second time until someone was nudging him on the shoulder. A gruff male voice half-shouted, “Wake up, Sleeping
She didn’t answer him, but she didn’t take her eyes off him, either. The guy behind the machine gun glanced over at the sound of Keo’s voice before returning his gaze out the hatch as the helicopter caught up to another flock of birds.
“Can I get some water?” he asked the woman.
She stared but still didn’t say anything.
“Towel?”
Nothing.
“I smell jerky in the air. I wouldn’t mind some of that. I’m famished. Haven’t eaten all day and most of yesterday.”
“Shut up,” the man sitting to his left said.
Keo ignored him and said to the woman, “Ever heard the idiom ‘You catch more flies with honey?’”
“If I give you some jerky, will you shut up?” the man sitting to the woman’s left said.
“Absolutely,” Keo said.
“Too bad. I finished it off this morning. Chased it down with some coffee and an oatmeal cookie.”
“Sounds like fine dining.”
“It ain’t the Hilton, but it’ll do.”
He turned back to the woman. “Maybe you can tell one of these gentlemen to give me some water.”
“What makes you think she’s in charge?” Beef Jerky Guy asked.
“Oh, come on. It’s obvious she wears the pants around here.”
Something that looked almost like a smile flickered across the woman’s face, but it only lasted for a blink of an eye before vanishing.
“Right?” he said to her.
She ignored him, said instead, “What happened here?” and traced one side of her face with her forefinger. “Looks like it must have hurt.”
“It did,” Keo said, remembering the cold steel of Pollard’s knife as it sliced its way into his flesh. “You should see the other guy.”
“Prettier than you?” Beef Jerky Guy said.
“Not even a contest.”
“Considering how you look, that’s saying something.”
“I still have nightmares about it.”
“I bet.”
“Where we going?” he asked the woman again.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said.
“Give a guy a hint.”
She didn’t answer.
“Then can I at least get some water?” Keo asked.
“You already asked that,” she said.
“Figured I didn’t have anything to lose by asking a second time.”
She nodded at the man sitting next to Keo. The guy produced a canteen and leaned over. Keo opened his mouth gratefully and took as much water as he could, then swished it around to wash away the blood clinging to the walls of his mouth before swallowing the whole thing down.
“Thanks,” he said to the woman.
“Next thing you know Slaphappy Jerry here’ll want a change of clothes,” Beef Jerky Guy said.
“I’m Keo,” he said to the woman.
“Good for you,” she said.
He couldn’t help but smile back at her even though doing so made the entire lower half of his face hurt, as if someone were punching it repeatedly.
“Where we going?” he asked for the third time.
“Ask that again and I’m going to throw you out the hatch,” the woman said.
“I’d like to see that,” Beef Jerky Guy grinned.
“Only if you buy me dinner first,” Keo said.
“Smart guy, huh?”
“It’s my disguise. I’m actually very dumb. Hence my current situation.”
“Yeah, you really bungled that one, didn’t you?” He chortled. “Man, what were you doing showing up by yourself like that?”
Being the world’s biggest idiot, or something pretty goddamn close , Keo thought, but said, “You sure you’re out of those jerky?”
“Pretty sure,” the man said, and smacked his gums for effect.
“Too bad. There’s nothing better than two guys bonding over some meat.”
Beef Jerky Guy stared at him like he didn’t know how to respond to that. The woman next to him, Keo noticed, barely managed to suppress a snort.
----
A COMBINATION of pain and lack of sleep took its toll and he dozed off soon after, and didn’t wake up a second time until someone was nudging him on the shoulder. A gruff male voice half-shouted, “Wake up, Sleeping
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