Page 160 of Johnny

Just listening to the sound of the ocean lapping against the side of the yacht. “Where are we,

anyway?”

“Oh, yeah. That reminds me. We need to talk.”

“So talk.”

“You are not really mad at me about this. Right? I mean… are you really mad at me?”

“I’m not mad. It’s just… I was so sad about setting you up and then you turned it into a big joke.”

“Aww,” I say, slipping an arm underneath her and pulling her close. “Come here. I have to tell you

the whole story. I was going to anyway, even before we got dirty. Because I liked you. That’s why

I…”

“That’s why you let me live?” she asks.

“That’s why I brought you here. To this place.”

“What place? Where are we?”

“I’ll take you up top and show you in a minute. But first I need to tell you the rest of the story. And

maybe you know this, but I get the feeling you don’t. Because you let a few things slip back in the

restaurant last night and I don’t think you’d have done that if you really knew what you were doing.”

She’s silent for a moment.

“Are you listening to me?”

“I’m listening. But now I’m worried too. What don’t I know? Or maybe I do know and when you

find out I do know, then you’ll be disappointed in me.”

“Well… I guess we’re going to find out. So… how much do you know about those rats?”

“The rats?” She covers her face with both hands. Like she’s trying to hide. And for a moment I’m sure she knows. She knows everything and I should shut up now. Because I don’t know if I could take

it if she was a willing participant in their grand scheme.

But I can’t shut up. I have to find out who she is and where she stands. One way or another.

So I continue. “Because you said… eternal life. Like a couple times, at least.”

She peeks at me through her fingers. “What?”

“The rats? The longevity experiments? Ringing any bells?”

“Yeah. But what about them?”

“I think I’ve figured it out.”

“Which part?”

“The whole thing. All of it. The money, the wars, the people in the camps—”