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"I heard three shots You said there were four guys"

"Knife"

"This knife?"

"That knife This is his blood on my hands, not mine"

"Oh, thanks" I scrub my cheek where he touched me I decide to just co on "You’re a Silencer, aren’t you?"

Silence How ironic

"Or are you human?" I whisper Say human, Evan And when you say it, say it perfectly so there’s no doubt Please, Evan, I really need you to take the doubt away I know you said you can’t make yourself trust--so, damn it, make somebody else trust Make me trust Say it Say you’re human

"Cassie…"

"Are you human?"

"Of course I’m human"

I take a deep breath He said it, but not perfectly I can’t see his face; it’s tucked beneath his elbow Maybe if I could see his face that would o I pick up soin to clean his blood--or whoever’s--from my hands

"If you’re hu to "

"Just the parts that matter"

"Those are the parts I haven’t lied about"

"Did you kill those three people on the interstate?"

"Yes"

I flinch I didn’t expect hi so paranoid Instead I get a soft, simple answer, as if I asked him if he ever skinny-dipped

Next question is the hardest yet: "Did you shoot ?"

"Yes"

I shudder and drop the bloody wipe between , Evan?"

"Because I couldn’t shoot you in the head"

Well There you have it

I pull out the Luger and hold it inthat puzzleslike a leaf and the one at hernow," I tell hi to leave you to bleed to death the way you left me under that car"

I wait for hi," he points out

"I’ to hear what you have to say"

"This is complicated"

"No, Evan Lies are co people on the highway?"

"Because I was afraid"

"Afraid of what?" I ask

"Afraid they weren’t people"

I sigh and fish out a bottle of water froainst the fallen tree, and take a deep drink

"You shot those people on the highway--andout every night hunting animals--because you already knew about the 4th Wave I’m your Crucifix Soldier"

He nods into the crook of his elbow Muffled voice: "If you want to put it that way"

"If you wanted me dead, why did you pullme freeze to death?"

"I didn’t want you dead"

"After shootingme to bleed to death under a car"

"No, you were on your feet when I ran"

"You ran? Why did you run?" I’ it

"I was afraid"

"You shot those people because you were afraid You shot me because you were afraid You ran because you were afraid"

"I ht have so me to the farer and wash my hair and teach me how to shoot and make out with me for the purpose of…what?"

He rolls his head around to look at me with one eye "You know, Cassie, this is a little unfair of you"