Page 66 of Natural-Born Cullers

Simon jolted, and before he had time to react, Light shoved him back, and now Simon did react, shoving him away in the same breath.

Only Light went back in close. “You’ll fail. I’ll fucking ensure it.”

Simon searched his look for a moment, so much anger there, then Ray rounded the corner and pulled on Light’s arm, tugging him away a few paces.

“Back off.” Ray tried to square up and break Light’s deadlock with Simon, but Light eased away from the grip, not letting Simon’s look fall.

“C’mon, quit it,” said Ray, this time managing to pull him away. “Your ankle tag needs adjusting before you can leave.”

Chapter 20

Echoes

“Gray, your text a few hours ago said you needed a word?”

Over by the nurses’ station, Gray glanced behind him as Doctor Halliday came over. Simon and Ray kept watch on Light in the X-ray room on the next level, and this was as far as Gray was prepared to go when it came to hospitals.

Gray nodded for Halliday to follow him. He held the door and let the psychiatrist go through to a supply room first as Halliday thumbed through his phone, no doubt for the CCTV feed he’d been sent.

“Brin?” Halliday listed off the chemicals Light had written on the mirror. “Has he done anything like this before?”

Gray shook his head and tapped the phone. “The talking to himself is new too. A few times I’ve seen him cock his ear as if he’s heard someone say his name.”

“That’s not my concern here.” Halliday tapped the phone as Light grabbed Simon by the back of the hair. “His aggression level changed.” Halliday messed with the phone for a moment, then passed it over to Gray. “I don’t like that.”

The clip paused on how Light looked at himself in the patio window reflection.

“He’s been refusing to face his history, himself, yet he does it here, full-on.” Halliday frowned. “Is that why he ended up with a gunshot to his ear?”

Gray said nothing, and it surprised him when Halliday nodded.

“Keep a close eye on him, Gray. Listen out for what he’s saying when he’s alone and see what you can get out of him via communication with chemical symbols. I think he’s trying to find a way to talk, but whatever caused his aggression here, it might counter-react that and push him back into old angers.”

Yeah. It had done just that. Gray slipped his phone away as someone knocked at the door. He moved a moment later, and the door eased open.

“Hey, Gray.”

“Leif.” Gray called Brennan’s Master sub in. “It’s good to see you.”

Leif was tall as the door, more like a praying mantis, but able to shift his long limbs into every available position. He had such a gentle soul with it. It always surprised Gray how he got on so well with Jack, but they’d always had thatlook out for youdrive when it came to each other.

“So good to see you back,” said Leif, winking at Gray. “Jan’s… Jan’s such a sweetheart, but has a… disgustingly strange kink for numbers, and that’s the first time I’veeverkink shamed.”

Gray found a laugh, mostly because it probably was. “There a problem?”

“No on the first thing,” said Leif. “You were right: there’s no major damage to Light’s ear from the call Brennan’s just had.”

Gray nodded. He knew there hadn’t been. “And in the second?”

“Erm.” Leif thumbed behind him. “You kind of know your son’s here, right?”

“I brought him here.”

Leif grinned. “Nope. You kind of knowyourson’s here, right?” Again he thumbed behind him. “He’s back in the waiting room, and Ray’s not looking happy. He wanted to know if he could get Light back before he has to kill people under the don’t-pay-you-to-gawk act.”

That sobered Gray fast and hard. He said a thank you to Halliday before heading out.

Light stood just inside the waiting room door, his look on the coffee machine down the hall, more the echoes of standing around at 1:00 a.m. in the early hours of the morning, a blanket wrapping his and Brin’s shoulders as they huddled against the cold of the hospital corridor. The chemical attack at the rave had taken so many off their feet, but police had only stood outside his, Brin’s, Cath’s, and Lee’s hospital rooms.

---