--XIX--

"They just love killing each other."

Caleb looked at me, the steam from the coffee cup he held obscuring Wyatt's face.

"What?" Kaylee's voice barely penetrated the film of disgust in my head; the revulsion at the lunacy of those that find entertainment, in the suffering of others- and think only of themselves. "Who?"

I didn't even look up from the paper.

"I don't need to answer that," I said. "You read my mind all the time." Slowly, one page at a time, I tore the newspaper- each paragraph a fatality of paper just like the words printed on them. The sound of the ripping was almost enough to satisfy me. "Did you get that from one of the dads or from your brother?"

"What's with the attitude?" said Caleb.

"I thought you didn't mind." Kaylee pushed a paper cup of strawberry ice cream toward me. "And your mind is a nice place."

"Ha-ha," I said. "So funny."

"She means it," said Caleb.

"I'm confused." It was about an hour after the SRA and I was really feeling the ligaments in my left forearm and wrist complaining; it felt like my left hand was on fire. It wasn't a new feeling, though. "We have a killer to catch and all you can think of is making fun of me."

"They're not."

We all turned to Wyatt. It was the first thing he said since we got here.

He shrugged. "Your mind is a nice place."

I was ready to jump away.

"He wouldn't know that!" interjected Kaylee. "He won't believe us."

"So he really never reads people's minds?" said Wyatt. His eyes shifted from Kaylee and back to me. "Sheesh. No wonder you weren't considered for working interro-"

"What happened to me isn't a secret to you guys," I interrupted. "Let's move on. And it's not like I'm the only one with seriously messed up memories."

I dropped my gaze to the torn pieces of paper on the tablecloth. Stories of planes dropping bombs, a tank crushing cars with families of innocent people in them, images of dead bodies. Shootings. Stories of more people killed, raped, manipulated.

All completely pointless.

"Memories aren't the only thing you are, Chris." Caleb put the coffee cup down, beside the ice cream, on top of the torn sheets so I couldn't see all the words anymore.

I looked up at him.

"You're a lot more than that," he said. "Anyone can see that."

Anyone could see that a child was murdered. Anyone could see that I didn't care about myself.

Maybe that was a problem.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to be rude."

Caleb laughed. It was a sound that always took me back to the present. Suddenly I wasn't surrounded by monsters. Kaylee was here, Wyatt was here.

And Caleb was here.

I could believe there was good in people again.

I smiled. "What's so funny?"

No one had to answer me. I was stupid and it was funny. I took the ice cream cup.

"We'll need someone fast on the team," I said. "This might be as dangerous as last time."

"Faster than you?" Connor's voice. I didn't bother to look around.

"Meadows," I said.

"Midnight," he replied.

"What are you doing here?" said Caleb.

"Y'all are planning a thing and I want in," said Connor. He sat down next to me.

"It's Sunday," I said. "Go be at home with the wife."

"As I'm sure you've gathered," he said, "We don't exactly have a functional relationship."

"I don't read minds," I said.

"Well, he doesn't have kids so you have nothing to feel too awful about, Chris!" said Kaylee. As with ninety-percent of the time she knew what I was thinking, of course; it saved us some time. "He could be a good teammate here."

"Can we get Sam to come with us?" I said.

"Chaquille's sister?"

"Get her to come with us, Kayles."

"I..." she said. "I'll try."

"Thanks," I said. I got up.

Caleb laid a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll meet you guys outside the Lowdown. Don't worry about me."

"And where are you going?" said Caleb.

I looked at everyone.

"You already know," I whispered.

"We still wanna hear it," said Connor. "You know, talk."

I shook my head and gave them a small smile before turning away.

I had to go bury the dogs.