Page 33 of Trigger

Thorsenglanced at me over his shoulder.

“Wannasee it?”

“God,no. Gross.”

Iheard him zipping up, and then I went to pee, too. When I returned, he wassitting on the floor with his back resting on the wall.

“We’renever getting out of here, are we?” he said with a sigh.

I satbeside him, wishing I was a lying bastard for once.

“Probablynot.”

“We’regoing to die in this dump.”

“Yeah.Probably.”

Icould feel his eyes on me—ocean blue this time. Would I ever see the oceanagain?

“Howold are you, Carter?” he said, studying my face.

“Thirty-nine.You?”

“Thirty-three.”

“God,you’re a baby.”

Heburst into laughter. “Hardly. And please, don’t make this an age thing. We’reso past that.”

“Stopflirting, Thorsen. I’m not your target audience.”

“Well,there’s no one else here. You smell good, by the way. And it’s not flirting,but a fact. I guess that’s why I fall asleep so easily around you.”

“Juststop talking. At least for a minute.”

“Right.As if that’s going to happen.”

Thorsen

Somethingwas wrong. I felt it as soon as I woke up, after a few hours of restless,feverish sleep. I had a nightmare that I couldn’t remember. Something aboutdying or being chased, but my recollection was faint. The feeling of dreadlingered, intensifying when I felt Carter shaking next to me.

“What’swrong?” I said, propping myself up on my elbow. “Is it your wound?”

Hisback was turned to me so I couldn’t see his face, but he seemed alarminglytense.

“No.It happens sometimes when I get angry.”

Hesaid it matter-of-factly, as if it were a normal thing to experience.

“Whyare you angry?”

“Whatdo you think?”

I letout a heavy sigh, unsure what to say to make him feel better.

“Someonewill come,” I said finally because I needed to hear it, too. “I’m sure of it.”

“Yeah…I don’t think so.”

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