Page 115 of The Circle

Lars.

Zander.

Shooting.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

I cough. I can’t help it. I don’t throw up, but I cough as if I’m going to.

And that’s what causes Anton to spin around and face me, sniper rifle pointed directly at my chest.

“Ah, Ms. Keene. This is certainly familiar, is it not?”

DANNY

The barrel of the riflewhips away from above so that I can no longer see it.

On the ground: Alec, Andra, Zander, two big guys with guns.

On the roof…

Christine.

I don’t see her. I don’t know for sure that she went up there. But I do. I can feel her.

I glance at Theo to make sure he’s still breathing and then I take off through the open door to the stairs…

And I run up.

Up.

Up.

Up.

To where I can feel that she needs me.

ALEC

As I start walkingtoward my old father, the okes with the guns get obviously nervous. I don’t know why, exactly. There is nothing my father could have possibly offered them that I would not also be able to provide if they were to ignore whatever orders he has given and come along with me instead.

But they can’t know that.

And, even if they do, loyalty is usually one part obligation and two parts habit. The devil you know being the one you stand by and all that.

I hold my arms out to the sides like some sort of Antichrist landing on the earth to scorch it all into oblivion and walk forward, talking as I go. As long as I can keep the conversation active, there may remain a chance. “My gun is down, man. What now?”

The man who would call himself Father looks at me warily.

“What now, man?” I repeat. “I am here. You said this is what you wanted, yeah? Me here. Them not. What would you have now?”

I am standing very close to him. Not unlike the way in which I approached Brasil Lynch on the bridge in Belfast. Much about this is the same, in fact. The only difference is that Zander is holding in his arms a valuable asset that must be accounted for.