Chapter 23 Twenty-two, blood everywhere

It was half past twelve in the morning on October 26th when Julia entered Andrea's house.She slipped in, but it didn't have to; she could hear the music coming from Andrea's little portable radio: The Staples Singers' Gospel-swinging song "Pick a Good Church" . Horace came from the living room wagging his hips to meet her, with the closest ecstatic smile a corgi could get. It lay sprawled in front of her, and Julia gave it a quick scratch behind its ears - its favorite spot. Andrea sat on the sofa drinking a cup of tea. "Sorry, the music is so loud," she said, turning the volume down. "I can not sleep."

"This is your home, honey," Julia said, "and it's solid rock and roll for WCIK." Andrea smiled. "They've been playing up-tempo gospel songs non-stop since the afternoon, making me feel like I've hit the jackpot. How's your meeting going?" "Fine." Julia sat down. "Want to talk?" "Don't worry. You just need to focus on feeling better. You know what? You do look better." This is real.Although Andrea's face was still pale and a little too weak, her dark circles had faded a little, and there was a new look in her eyes. "Thank you. I appreciate the compliment."

"Is Horace well?" "Nice. We played ball a bit, then we both took a nap. Maybe that's why I look a little bit better. Nothing improves a girl's appearance like a nap." "How's your back?" Andrea smiled.It was a strange comprehension smile without much pleasure. "My back is perfectly fine, I don't even feel any tingling when I bend over. You know what I think?" Julia shook her head. "I think that whenever drugs are involved, the body and the mind become complicit. If the brain wants drugs, the body will help. The body will say, 'Don't worry, don't feel guilty, it's okay, I'm real. I'm hurt.' I'm not talking about delusional illness, it's not that simple, but..." Her voice became lower and lower, and her eyes drifted away, as if she was looking somewhere.

Where?Julia wondered. Then she came back: "It's human nature to be destructive. Tell me, don't you think a small town is similar to a body?" "Yes." Julia replied immediately. "So it's also possible to throw in the idea that the brain hurts the body so that it can get the medicine it craves?" Julia thought for a while, then nodded: "Yes." "Now old Jen Rennie's the brains of our town, isn't he?" "Yes, dear. I'd say that's exactly what it is." Andrea sat on the sofa with her head hanging slightly.She turned off the little radio and stood up. "I think I should go to bed. You know what? I think I might really get some sleep."

"That's good. Then," without any reason, Julia changed the subject: "Andrea, did something happen after I went out?" Andrea looked surprised. "Why do you ask? Of course. Horace and I played ball for a while." Before, she claimed that it was impossible for her to complete this action-stretched out a hand.Horace ran up to her and let her stroke his head. "His skill at catching the ball is incredible." In the room, Andrea sat on the bed, "Vida" opened the file and read it from the beginning again.This time she read more carefully.When she finally put the document back in the leather envelope, it was almost two o'clock in the morning.

She put the envelope in the desk drawer by the bed.In the drawer was a . 38, a birthday present from her brother Dodge two years ago.She was stunned at the time, but Dodge insisted that a woman living alone should have something to protect herself. At this point, she took the gun out, popped the rotary chamber and checked it.The first chamber the hammer was aiming at was empty, and Crampton told her that if she accidentally fired, the first shot would be empty. The other five chambers were filled with bullets.There are more on the top shelf of her closet, but they will never give her a chance to refill.

His little army of cops would have shot her down the first time. Anyway, if she couldn't kill Lenny with five shots, she probably didn't have much to live for. "After all," she murmured, putting the gun in a drawer. "What am I awake for?" The answer seemed obvious, as oxygen would bring clarity to her brain again.To regain consciousness is to be able to shoot accurately. "God bless me," she said, turning off the light. Five minutes later, she fell asleep. Xiao Zhan was very sober.He sat in the only chair in the hospital room, by the window.He watched the odd pink moon move behind that black smudge on the dome he hadn't seen before.This time, the smudges were wider and higher than the marks left by previous failed missile shots.And while he was unconscious, they used something else to try to destroy the dome?He doesn't know and doesn't care.

Importantly, the dome remains.If the dome were gone, the town would be as brightly lit as Las Vegas and full of GIs.Oh, and there are lights here and there, which means that some people still suffer from insomnia.But on the whole, the town of Chester's Mill has fallen asleep.Good, because he still has some things to think about. About Barbie and Barbie's friends. When Xiao Zhan sat by the window, his head no longer hurt, and even his memory came back.However, he knew that he was very sick, and the left side of his body seemed to be very weak. Occasionally, saliva would flow from the left corner of his mouth.If he rubs with his left hand, sometimes he can feel skin on skin, but sometimes not.In addition, there was a huge black keyhole-shaped shadow floating in the left half of his field of vision, as if the eyeball had been cracked somewhere.He guessed it was right.

He remembered the incredible rage he had felt on Dome Day, how he had chased Angie from the living room to the kitchen, thrown her whole body into the refrigerator, clamped her face between his knees.He remembered the sound, like there was a china plate behind her head and he was trying to smash it with his knee.That anger has now disappeared without a trace, replaced by silk-like anger, flowing from the bottomless depths of his brain through his body, and at the same time, a sense of calmness and sobriety emerges. The old bastard he and Frank met when they searched Chester Pond came over earlier tonight to check him up.The old bastard acted professionally, brought a thermometer and blood pressure monitor, asked him how his headache was, and even tested his knee reflexes with a small rubber mallet.After he left, Xiao Zhan heard the voice of talking and laughing, and Barbie's name was mentioned.Xiao Zhan tiptoed towards the door.

It's that old bastard talking to a nice gringo nurse volunteer who looks like he's last name Buffalo or something.The old bastard reached into her neckline and stroked her tits.She unzips his pants and rubs his cock back and forth, both surrounded by a toxic green glow. "Little Zhan and his friend beat me up," said the old bastard, "but his friend is dead now, and it'll be his turn soon. That's Barbie's order." "I'd love to suck Barbie's dick like a lollipop," said the Buffalo girl, and the old bastard said he'd love to, too.Then, Xiao Zhan just blinked, and the two of them walked towards the hall. The green light also disappeared, and there was no dirty behavior.So, it might all be an illusion.

But from another perspective, it might not be an illusion.One thing's for sure: they're all on the same team, all Barbie's allies. He was still in the cell, but only temporarily, perhaps to gain sympathy.It was all Barbie's plan.Besides, he must think that in the cell, he can avoid Xiao Zhan's tentacles. "Wrong," he said, sitting by the window, looking out at the night with his flawed vision. "wrong." Xiao Zhan finally knew what happened to him. The truth emerges suddenly, even the logic is impeccable.Thallium poisoning, like what happened to those Russians in England. Barbie had thallium dust on the military badge, and Jen had touched the military badge, so he was dying.Since it was his father who sent him to Barbie's apartment, it meant he was part of the plan, and Barbie was also... His...how to call those guys... "Gonna," murmured little James, "just another one of old Jen Rennie's bastards." Once you figure that out—once your mind clears up—it all makes perfect sense.His father wanted to keep his mouth shut about Coggins and Perkins.So, he just got thallium poisoning.Everything is related. Outside, beyond the meadow, a wolf strode across the parking lot.And on the grass, there are two naked women giving each other oral sex in a 69 position.69 at lunchtime!When he and Frank were kids, he would yell like that whenever he saw two women walking together.But at the time they didn't know what that meant, only that it was pretty rude.One of the two blowjob women looks like Sammi Boucher.The nurse—her name was Ginny—had told him that Sammi was dead, obviously lying to him.That means Ginny is involved, too, and Barbie's too. Who isn't in this town?Is there anyone he can be sure is not? Yes, he realized, there were two who weren't.The two children he and Frank found at Chester Pond, Alice and Aiden Appleton, were not.He still remembered the frightened eyes in their eyes, and the way the girl hugged him tightly when he picked her up.At that time he told her that she was safe, but she asked you promise?Xiao Zhan replied yes.It felt good to be able to make that kind of assurance, and it felt good to have her trust in him, too. He suddenly decides: he has to kill Dale Barbara. If anyone tried to get in his way, he would kill them as well.Then, he would go to find his father and kill him—although until now, he had never admitted it directly, but this was indeed his dream for many years. As soon as the matter is resolved, he will go to Aiden and Alice. If anyone tried to stop him, he would kill them, too.He would take the children back to Chester Pond and take good care of them.He will keep his promise to Alice.If he could do it, he wouldn't die.As long as he takes good care of those two children, God will not let him die of thallium poisoning. At this time, Angie McCain and Peach Saunders skipped across the parking lot, wearing cheerleading skirts and a big w sweater that symbolized the Mill Wildcats.They noticed he was looking at them and started shaking their hips and raising their skirts. Their faces were rotten, and the carrion was shaking.They yelled rhythmically: "Open the storage room door! Come in, let's do it a few more times! Unite... as one!" Xiao Zhan closed his eyes, then opened them again.His two girlfriends are gone.It was another hallucination, just like the wolf. As for the two blowjob women, he wasn't sure. Perhaps, he thought, he would not have to take the boys to Chester Pond, which was far from town.Perhaps he could take them to the McCain's storage room.It's close and food is plentiful. Of course, it was still dark there. "I'll take good care of you, kids," said Jr., "and I'll keep you safe. As long as Barbie dies, the whole conspiracy will collapse." He leaned his forehead against the glass for a while, and then fell asleep, too. Henrietta Cravard's ass was probably just a bruise and not a fracture, but it still felt like a fucking pain--she figured out that at eighty-four, wherever it hurts, it's gonna fuck It hurt badly—at first, when the first rays of dawn came in on Thursday, she thought it was the pain in her butt that woke her up.However, she only took three painkillers at three o'clock in the morning, and the effects of the medicines seemed to have not expired.Besides, she found her late husband's hemorrhoid pads (John Crawford had hemorrhoid pains) helpful.No, it was something else that woke her up, and it wasn't long before she realized why. The Freemans' Irish setter, Buddy, was barking.Buddy never barked.He was the most polite dog on Battlefield Street, the short alley beyond the Katherine Russell Hospital drive.In addition, the generator at Freeman's house stopped.Perhaps, Henrieta thought, it was what woke her up, not the dog.The sound of the generator's operation helped her fall into a deep sleep last night.The generator wasn't one of those noisy machines that billowed blue smoke into the sky; the sound of Freeman's generator was a low, vibrating sound that had a calming effect.Henrietta thought the generator would be expensive, but the Freemans could definitely afford it.Will has the Toyota franchise once coveted by James Renney Sr., and while most car dealerships have been having a rough day lately, Will seems to be the exception.Just last year, he and Louise added a very nice and elegant addition to the house. But that screams.The dog sounded like it was injured.In the case of a pet being injured, good people like the Freemans should have come out to investigate right away... Why haven't they come out yet? Henrieta got out of bed (shivering with pain as her hips left the snug little circle of the hemorrhoid pad) and walked to the window.Although the sky was gray and not as clear and bright as it usually is on late October mornings, she could still see the Freemans' split-level house clearly.At the window, she could hear Buddy's barking more clearly, but she didn't see anyone moving nearby.The room was completely dark, and there were not even a gas lamp in the window.She thought they had gone somewhere, but both cars were parked in the driveway. After all, under the current circumstances, what else is there to do in this town? Buddy kept barking. Henrieta put on her house dress and slippers and went outside.No sooner had she stepped onto the sidewalk than a car pulled up.The driver was Dodge Dunchel, and he must be going to the hospital.His eyes were swollen, and when he got out of the car, he was still holding a cup of coffee in his hand. The takeaway cup had the logo of Rose Rose restaurant printed on it. "Are you all right, Mrs. Crawford?" "It's all right, but the Freemans have something to do. Did you hear that?" "Ok." "Something must have happened to them. That's where their car was parked, so why didn't they come out and stop it?" "I'll go and have a look." Cramp Dun took a sip of his coffee and put the cup on the hood of the car. "You stay here." "Dream less," said Henrietta Crawford. They walked along the sidewalk about twenty yards and turned into the Freemans driveway.The dog kept barking, even in this kind of sweltering morning, the barking still made Henrita feel a little chill. "The air is terrible," she said. "It smells like it did when the paper mill was running when I first got married. It's not good for you." Crampton snorted in agreement and rang the doorbell of Freeman's house.After waiting for a while, seeing that there was no response, he knocked on the door first, and then began to knock on the door. "See if the door is unlocked," said Henrietta. "I'm not sure the right thing to do, Mrs. Crawford—" "Oh, stop talking nonsense." She squeezed past him and turned the doorknob directly. The door was unlocked, so she opened it.There was silence inside the door, shrouded in the thick shadows of the early morning. "Will?" she called. "Louise? Are you home?" No one responded except the dog barked harder. "That dog's in the backyard," Crampton said. It would have been quicker to go straight across the house, but neither of them wanted to do that, so they walked out together into the driveway and down the hallway between the house and the garage to the backyard.Instead of Will's car, it's his toys in the garage: Two snowmobiles, an off-road ATV, a Yamaha motocross bike and a huge Honda Gold Wing. The backyard of the Freemans' house was enclosed by a high wall, with a door higher than the height of the passage.Crampton pulled the door open, and the seventy-pound Irish Setter threw him to the ground instantly.He screamed in fright, and raised his hands to resist, but Buddy didn't want to bite him, but was completely in the "please save me" situation.Its front paws picked up dust on Crampton's last clean coat, and it drooled all over his face. "Stop!" Crampton yelled.He pushed Buddy away, and Buddy backed away, then came running back, leaving fresh stains on Crampton's coat, and sticking out his long pink tongue, he began to lick Crampton's cheek. "Come down, Buddy!" said Henrieta, commandingly. Buddy left immediately with his hips between his legs, whining, his eyes constantly moving back and forth between the two of them, and the piss spread out in a pool under him. "Mrs. Crawford, things don't look very good." "That's right," Henrietta agreed. "Perhaps you'd better stay here with this dog—" After Henrietta said "cut the bullshit" again, she walked directly into the backyard of Freeman's house, so Crampton had to hurry up to follow.With his head down, Buddy quietly followed behind them, with his tail between his legs, wailing sadly all the way. In the backyard there is a stone patio with BBQ.The grill was covered with a flat green tarp, and it read: KITCHEN CLOSED. A little beyond the terrace, at the edge of the lawn, is a redwood deck with a hot tub on it.Crampton guessed that the towering walls were designed so that they could sit naked in the bathtub, and even have a good time if they suddenly felt the urge. Will and Louise are in the tub, but those cool off days are over.Their heads are completely covered with transparent plastic bags, and the openings of the neck bags are fastened with hemp rope or brown rubber bands. There was fog in the bag, but not so much that Crampton could still see their purple faces.On the edge of the mahogany platform, between the dead Will and Louise Freeman, stood a bottle of whiskey and a small medicine jar. "Stop," he said.He did not know whether the words were addressed to himself or to Mrs. Crawford.Since Buddy lets out another bereavement wail, it's also possible that it was addressed to Buddy.In short, it would never be about the Freemans. Henrietta didn't stop.She walked toward the hot tub and took two steps onto the platform, her back straight as a soldier.She looked at the discolored face of her perfectly good neighbor (or perfectly normal neighbor, she had to say), glanced at the whiskey bottle, and saw it was Grullyville (at least they walked very close. has his own style), then picks up the small pill jar labeled Sanders' hometown pharmacy. "Is it Ambien or dexzopiclone?" "Ambien," she said, thankful that the words coming out of her parched throat sounded normal. "It's the wife's. But I think she must have shared it with her husband last night." "Is there a suicide note?" "I don't see it here," she said. "It might be in the house." But not in the house, at least not in any obvious place, and besides, there was no reason for such a thing to hide a suicide note. Buddy followed them into room after room, and although he didn't continue to wail, he still whimpered in the back of his throat. "I'll probably take it home with me," said Henrietta. "You've got to take it. I can't take it to the hospital. I'll call Stuart Bowie over and take . . . them." He gestured behind him with his thumb.His stomach was churning, but that wasn't the worst part; worst of all, depression had crept into him, casting a shadow over his normally cheerful soul. "I don't understand why they would do that," said Henrietta, "if we were trapped under the dome for a year...or even a month...well, maybe. But only for a week? It's not mature How a person reacts when faced with trouble." Crampton thinks he understands, but he doesn't want to tell Henrita: things will last for a month, and even a year.It might be even longer.With no rain, scarce resources, and dirty air, if the most technologically advanced country in the world can't figure out what happened to Chester's Mill by now (let alone solve it), then things probably won't work. be resolved in the short term. Will Freeman must have known this well.Maybe it was Louise's idea.Or maybe that's what she said when the generator stopped: Honey, let's get out of the dome before the hot tub gets cold, and get out of the dome while our stomachs are still full.What do you think? We take another bath, drink a few glasses of wine, and give ourselves a good goodbye. "Maybe it's the plane thing that's pushing them too far," Crampton said, "that's the thing about the Aer Lingus crashing into the dome yesterday." Henrietta didn't answer a word; she sucked in a mouthful of phlegm and spat it into the kitchen sink.This negative behavior is extremely surprising.They went back outside again. "More people will do it, won't they?" she asked as they reached the end of the driveway, "because suicide is sometimes airborne, like a cold virus." "Some people have already done it." Twitch didn't know if suicide was as painless as a certain lyrics said, but under normal circumstances, it was indeed possible to be contagious. Perhaps, even more so in this unprecedented situation.After all, there was no breeze this morning, it was unnaturally hot, and at the same time the air was so cloudy. "Suicide is an act of cowardice," said Henrietta, "and that is the truth, without exception, Dodge." Crampton's father had been dying of stomach cancer for a long time, so he had some doubts about this, but he didn't say anything. Henrietta leaned over Buddy, propping her hands on her knees.Buddy craned his neck to sniff her. "Furry little friend, follow me to the next door. I still have three eggs, you'd better eat them before they go bad." She took a few steps, then turned towards Crampton again. "They're all cowards," she said, emphasizing every word. Old Jan Rennie left Katherine Russell Hospital sound asleep in his own bed and aroused refreshed.It's just that he would never admit to anyone that part of the reason for this was knowing that Xiao Zhan was not at home. It's eight o'clock in the morning, and his black Hummer is parked a building or two away from Rose Rose's (it's parked right in front of the fire hydrant, but what the hell, there's no fire department in town right now anyway) and he With Peter Randolph, .Breakfast with Marvin Thurs, Fred Denton and Carter Thibodeau.Carter sat at his post, which was on Lao Zhan's right.This morning, he carried two guns. The one he wore around his waist and under his arm by the shoulder strap was a Beretta pistol that Linda Everett had just returned. The five-person team occupied the ghost table at the back of the restaurant, showing no embarrassment to the regulars who usually sat there.Rose didn't want to go near there, so Anson was sent to serve them. Lao Zhan ordered three fried eggs, two sausages, and slices of bread fried with bacon.This cooking method is a home-cooked dish that his mother often makes. He knows he should cut back on his cholesterol, but today, he needs all the energy he can get.Seriously, it's only a few days before everything is back under control, so the cholesterol thing is a good time to talk about it (a fable he's been telling himself for a decade). "Where's Brother Bowie?" he asked Carter. "Didn't I sweetly ask Brother Bowie to come over here? Where are they?" "They got the call and went to Battlefield Street," Carter said. "The Freemans killed themselves." "That fucking guy cut himself off?" Old Zhan exclaimed. A few customers — most sitting at the counter watching CNN — turned their heads, then looked away. "Well, well! I'm not surprised at all!" Now, he could have exclusive rights to Toyota...but why would he want it?An even bigger prize has fallen into his hands: the entire town.He has begun drafting a list of executive orders that, if he can move quickly, could give him full executive power.This will happen tonight.Besides, that flattering bastard Freeman and his big-breasted, brainless, witch-like wife were the objects of his hatred for several years. "Guys, he and Louise are having breakfast in heaven now." He paused, then burst out laughing.It wasn't smart to do that, but he couldn't help it. "I dare say the place must be in the servants' quarters." "There was another call when the Bowie brothers went over," Carter said. "There was also a suicide at Dansmore Farm." "Who?" Sheriff Randolph asked. "Oden?" "No, it's his wife Shelley." This is really a pity. "Let us observe a minute of silence together." Lao Zhan said, stretching out his hands.Carter held one, Marvin the other; and Randolph and Denton held the five of them together. "Oh God please bless these poor souls Jesus is in the upper Amen." Old James said, looking up, "I have something to explain, Peter." Peter took out his notebook, but Carter had already laid his own next to the dinner plate.Lao Zhan liked this kid more and more. "I found the missing propane," James Sr. announced, "at the WCIK station." "Jesus!" Randolph said, "we'll have to send some trucks back!" "Yeah, but not today," Old James said. "Tomorrow, when everyone's visiting their relatives. I've already started to deal with it. The Bowie brothers and Roger will go over again, but We need some more police. Fred, you and Marvin. I'd say we need four or five more. Carter, you don't have to go, I want you to come with me." "Why do you need the police to deliver that propane?" Randolph said. "Uh," Old James said, dipping a slice of fried bread into the egg yolk. "It's back to our friend Dale Barbara, and how he's planning to hit this town. There's two men in full armor, looking like they're guarding a drug factory or something. I think Well, they had that place built long before Barbara showed up in town; it was all planned. One of those two guards was Phil Boucher." "That scum." Randolph snorted. "The other one, I'm sorry to tell you, is Andy Saunders." Randolph was spiking a piece of fried potato, and when he heard this, the fork dropped from his hand, and there was a "dang". "Andy!" "Sad, but true. Barbara sent him over to handle the drug business—I have pretty solid sources, but don't ask me who they are; he asked to remain anonymous." Old James sighed, then added The piece of bread stained with egg yolk was stuffed into his greedy mouth. Dear God, I feel so good this morning! "I guess Andy needs the money. I know the bank is going to pay off his pharmacy. He's never had a business mind." "He doesn't know how to run the town," said Fred Denton. Lao Zhan usually doesn't like to be interrupted by his subordinates when he is talking, but this morning, he enjoyed everything. "Unfortunately, that's the way it is," he said, leaning as far as he could against the table, his fat stomach holding him back. "Yesterday, he and Boucher shot one of the trucks I sent there and blew out the front wheel. Those two fucking guys were dangerous." "Poison bugs with guns," Randolph said. "Law enforcement nightmares. Whoever goes there has to wear bulletproof vests." "good idea." "I can't keep Andy safe." "God bless, I know. Do what you have to do. We need that propane. This town pretty much needs it. Tonight, at the town meeting, I'm going to announce that we've found new propane." "Mr. Rennie, can I really not go?" Carter asked. "I know you're disappointed, but I want you to stay with me tomorrow and never leave that party where the townspeople are visiting their relatives. I think, Randolph, don't go either. Someone has to coordinate this, or it's easy Turned into a muddy mess. We'll have to try not to huddle and get trampled on. Maybe a few people will get hurt, though, because crowds don't know how to behave. Best to talk to Duncan first. Say something to Chell and tell him to drive the ambulance there and stand by." Carter wrote it down. As he wrote, Old James turned to Randolph, with a long face and a look of grief: "I really hate to say this, Peter. But according to my sources, James Jr. may also Involved in the drug factory." "Xiao Zhan?" Marvin said, "Stop making trouble, Xiao Zhan won't do it." Lao Zhan nodded, and wiped his dry eyes with the heel of his palm: "It's hard for me to believe this, and I don't want to believe it. But, do you know that he is in the hospital now?" They all nodded. "It's an overdose," Lennie whispered, leaning closer to the table again. "That seems to be the best explanation for his malaise." He straightened up and said to Randolph again, "Don't take the main road, they'll be wary. There's a side road about a mile east of the station—" "I know the trail," said Fred. "It used to be slob Sam Widreau's woodland, and it was taken by the bank. I think it's St. Saviour's land now." Lao Zhan nodded with a smile, but the land actually belonged to a company in Nevada, and he happened to be the chairman of that company. "Take that road and approach the station from the back. That road is pretty much deserted, and you shouldn't have any trouble." Lao Zhan's cell phone rang.He looked at the phone screen, almost letting the phone ring and go to voicemail, and then thought: Never mind.This morning, he's been feeling it again, so it might be fun to hear what Cox has to say. "I'm Lenny. What's the matter, Colonel Cox?" He listened for a while, and the smile on his face faded a bit. "How do I know if what you said is true?" He listened for a while, then hung up without saying goodbye.He just sat there frowning for a while, thinking about what he had just heard.Then, looking up at Randolph, he said, "Do we have a Geiger counter? Maybe in the fallout shelter?" "Well, I don't know. Al Timmons might know." "Go to him and ask him to confirm." "Is this important?" Randolph asked, and at the same time Carter asked, "Is it radiation related, boss?" "It's nothing to worry about," Old James said. "Just like Little James always said, he was just trying to scare me. I bet that's all right. Still, check to see if you have a Geiger counter. If If there is—and it works—bring it to me." "No problem," Randolph said, looking terrified. Now, James wished he'd let that call go straight to voicemail, or hadn't said anything.Searles will go on and on and spread the word about it.Damn, maybe Randolph will talk nonsense.Or maybe it's nothing at all, it's just the fucking officer trying to mess up a good day.Maybe today is the most important day in his life. Still, at least Fred Denton kept his attention on the problem at hand: "Mr. Rennie, when do you want us to raid the radio station?" Old Zhan turned his mind back to the schedule he had set for Visitation Day, and then smiled.It was a genuine smile, and his oily chin and fat cheeks were lifted slightly, revealing his small teeth. "It's twelve o'clock sharp. That's when everyone's going to gossiping on 119 and the rest of town is pretty empty. So, you go there in the middle of the day, and get out of those two fucking guys. Get our propane back online, just like that old Western." At 11:15 a.m. on Thursday morning, the Rose Rose's van was headed south on Highway 119.Tomorrow the highways will be full of traffic and the stench of exhaust fumes, but today it will be eerily deserted.Rose herself in the driver's seat, Ernie Calvert in the passenger seat, and Nolly on the hood between the two of them, clutching a skateboard with stickers of long-defunct punk bands Stickers such as "POW Camp 17" and "Death Milkman" and more. “空气好难闻。”诺莉说。 “是普雷斯提溪，亲爱的，”萝丝说，“本来溪水会流到莫顿镇那里，现在却变成了一个巨大陈旧的臭沼泽。”她知道事情不只如此，那气味同时也是溪水即将干涸的味道，但却没说出口。 他们还是得呼吸，然而现在可不是担心自己可能会吸进什么气体的时候。“你跟你妈妈说过吗？” “嗯，”诺莉闷闷不乐地说，“她会去，不过她不是很喜欢这点子。” “等时候到了，她会把手上所有的生活杂货全带过去？” “会。已经放在后车厢里了。”诺莉没补充说。 乔安妮·卡弗特最先放进去的是酒，接着才胡乱塞进食物。“萝丝，辐射的事怎么办？我们没办法在每辆车上都贴满防水布。” “要是只穿过一两次的话，应该没有问题。” 萝丝已从网络上查过，并确认了这件事。她还发现，关于辐射质安全性的问题，其实取决辐射线的浓度，不过看起来，他们也没这必要去担心自己无法掌控的事。“最重要的是别在辐射线下暴露过度……就跟小乔说的一样，辐射地带其实不宽。” “小乔他妈不想去。”诺莉说。 萝丝叹了口气。她知道这件事。探访日这件事有好有坏。这或许有助于掩护他们躲到山上，但穹顶另一边的亲属们，却肯定很想见到他们。 或许只能算是麦克莱奇家运气不好吧，她想。 前方就是伦尼二手车行，以及那块大大的招牌：你有车开，全因跟老詹做了交易！可提供贷款！ “记得——” “我知道，”萝丝说，“如果有人在，就马上回转，直接开回镇上。” 但伦尼二手车行的员工专用车位全是空着的，就连车辆展厅里也空无一人，大门上还挂着写有暂时歇业的白色牌子。萝丝快速绕至后头，那里有一排排的汽车与卡车，窗户上贴着标价，以及类似价格漂亮、来源正派与O，再看我一眼（那个O字还加上了女孩性感的长睫毛）等标语。老詹这座停车场，全是些外表不怎么样的工作用车辆，不像店前头那些漂亮的美国车与德国车展示品。在停车场最远的尽头处，有块地方划分出老詹的商品与置放废弃零件的场所。那里有一排电话公司的货车，其中几辆上头还有美国电话电报公司的商标。 “就是那几辆。”厄尼说，伸手到座位后面，拿出他带来的一块长形细薄金属片。 “这是偷车用的。”萝丝说，虽然很紧张，但还是被这东西给逗笑了。“你怎么会有这东西，厄尼？” “我还在美食城超市工作时就有了。你一定很惊讶有多少人会把自己的钥匙锁在车子里。” “爷爷，你要怎么发动引擎？”诺莉问。 厄尼无力地笑了笑：“我会找到方法的。在这里停车，萝丝。” 他走出车外，朝第一辆货车急行而去。以一个接近七十岁的男人来说，他的动作惊人得敏捷。 他看着窗内，摇了摇头，接着走到那排货车的下一辆处，随即走至第三辆——不过这辆有个轮胎没气了。而在他朝第四辆货车车内看过一眼后，转身对萝丝比了个大拇指。“走吧，萝丝。快点。” 萝丝觉得，厄尼这是不想让孙女看见他使用那个金属片的模样，因此有些感动，于是没说任何话，便把车开到前头。她在店前方再度停车。 “你还可以吗，亲爱的？” “没问题，”诺莉说，走出车外。“要是他发动不了的话，我们就走路回镇上。” “那有接近三英里的路。他行吗？” 诺莉脸色苍白，但仍挤出微笑：“爷爷跟我都没问题。他每天都会走四英里路，说这样可以保持关节灵活。趁现在没人过来，还没发现你以前，你还是赶快离开吧。” “你是个勇敢的女孩。”萝丝说。 “我可感觉不到什么勇气。” “真正勇敢的人都感觉不到，亲爱的。” 萝丝朝镇上驶了回去。诺莉一直看着她离开，直至车子驶出视线后，才开始在前面的停车场练习起滑板动作。路面有些倾斜，所以她只能尝试翻板动作……只不过她分明精力充沛，认为自己就算踩着滑板一路爬上镇属山，也完全不会感到地面有任何倾斜。好吧，现在就算她摔个屁股开花，可能也不会有任何感觉。要是有人来了怎么办？呃，她只是陪爷爷过来看一下有没有可以买的卡车，只不过是在这里等他，然后一起走回镇上。爷爷很喜欢散步，大家都知道这件事。这么做可以保持关节灵活。只是，诺莉不认为这是全部的原因，甚至还不是最主要的原因。他是从奶奶开始头脑不清楚时（虽然大家心里有数，却没人直接说出那就是老年痴呆）以后才开始散步的。 诺莉认为，他是在借散步排遣悲伤。散步真的办得到这种事？她认为可以。就像她知道自己只要站在滑板上头，从牛津那里的滑板公园楼梯扶手上一滑而下，心房就会把所有东西都赶出去，只留下喜悦与恐惧感。喜悦会占据她的心房，而恐惧则藏在心房后院的小木屋里。 就在感觉无比漫长的一会儿过后，她爷爷开着电话公司的旧货车从建筑物后方驶了过来。诺莉把滑板夹在臂下，跳进车内。这是她第一次坐在偷来的车子里头。 “爷爷，你真是厉害。”她说，亲了他一下。 小乔·麦克莱奇朝厨房走去，想从已经停止运转的冰箱里，拿瓶剩下的苹果汁喝。然而，当他听见母亲说出大包姆三个字的时候，便马上停下脚步。 他知道自己的父母是在缅因州大学念书时认识的。当时，山姆·麦克莱奇的朋友都叫他大包姆，只是妈妈很少这么叫他，而且偶尔这么叫的时候，总会脸红地大笑起来，像是这外号有什么小乔不知道的低级含义。他只知道，妈妈这时会脱口说出这个外号——回忆起过往——一定代表了她正心乱如麻。 他又朝厨房门口走近一些。门是半开着的，他可以看见妈妈与杰姬·威廷顿坐在一起。杰姬今天没穿制服，而是穿着衬衫和褪色的牛仔裤。 要是她们抬起头的话，同样能够看得见他。他其实无意偷看，这么做并不酷，更别说他的母亲还心情欠佳，但此时，她们两个只是一同坐在餐桌前对望，杰姬还握着克莱尔的手。小乔看见母亲的双眼是湿的，使他自己也起了股想哭的感觉。 “不行，”杰姬说，“我知道你想去，但真的不行。只要今晚的事跟他们预料的一样就不行。” “我至少可以打电话给他，告诉他为什么我没有出现在那里吧？或者是写电子邮件给他！我可以这么做的！” 杰姬摇了摇头，表情虽说同情，但却坚定无比：“他可能会说出去，消息就可能会传到伦尼那里。要是伦尼在我们救出芭比与生锈克之前得到风声，那对我们而言，可就真的是场大灾难了。” “如果我叫他严格保密——” “克莱尔，难道你还看不出来吗？这牵涉到两条人命，风险实在太大了。就连我们的命也一样。”她停了一下，“其中还包括你儿子的。” 克莱尔的肩膀垂了下去，接着又挺直身子：“那你带小乔过去，我等探访日一结束就过去。伦尼不会怀疑我的。我根本没见过戴尔·芭芭拉，也不算认识生锈克，顶多就是在街上遇到会打个招呼而已。我都是到城堡岩找哈特威尔医生看病。” “但小乔认识芭比，”杰姬耐心地说，“导弹攻击的时候，小乔设立了转播机制。老詹知道这件事。难道你没想过他可能会把你抓起来，在你招出我们去了哪里以前，都不断地逼问你吗？” “我不会，”克莱尔说，“我绝不会说出来。” 小乔走进厨房。克莱尔擦了擦脸颊，努力挤出微笑：“喔，嗨，甜心。我们只不过是在聊探访日的事，还有——” “妈，他可能不只是逼问，”小乔说，“说不定还会动刑。” 她看起来吓坏了：“噢，他不会这么做的。我知道他不是好人，但他终究是镇上的公共事务行政委员，再说——” “先前他是个公共事务行政委员没错，”杰姬说，“但现在，他已经打算要当皇帝了。早晚大家都会这么说的。你要小乔在某个不知道的地方，想象你指甲被拔出来的模样吗？” “别说了！”克莱尔说，“这太可怕了！” 克莱尔想把手抽回来，杰姬却不让她如愿。 “这件事只有成功跟失败两条路，要是失败了，我们也不可能安然无恙。这件事已经在进行中了，我们得完成才行。要是芭比在没有我们帮助的情况下逃了出来，那么老詹说不定真的会放他一马。毕竟，每个独裁者都需要有人扮演坏蛋的角色。但他并不会靠自己逃出来，不是吗？这代表老詹会试着查出我们的身份，把我们全部抹杀。” “我真希望自己与这件事从来没有瓜葛，真希望我从来没参加过那场会议，也从来没让小乔参加过。” “可是我们得要阻止他才行！”小乔抗议道，“伦尼先生正试着想让磨坊镇变成一个，呃，极权国家！” “我阻止不了任何人！”克莱尔的声音近乎哀号，“我只是个家庭主妇！” “要是这么说可以安慰你的话，”杰姬说，“你或许早在孩子们发现方块的时候，就注定要加入我们的行列了。” “这才不是什么安慰，根本不是！” “从别的角度来看，我们甚至算幸运的了，”杰姬接着说，“至少，目前我们还不需要带着更多无辜的人跟我们一起逃亡。” “不管怎样，伦尼和他那群警察最后还是会找到我们，”克莱尔说，“你还不懂吗？这个镇不过就这么一丁点大而已。” 杰姬露出哀伤的笑容：“等到那时，我们的人数也会变得更多，还会有更多枪可用。到时伦尼也会知道这点的。” “我们得尽快接管电台，”小乔说，“大家需要听到事情的另一面。我们得把真相传播出去。” 杰姬的双眼亮了起来：“小乔，这真是个好得不得了的点子。” “我的天啊。”克莱尔说，用双手捂住了脸。 厄尼把电话公司的货车停在波比百货店的卸货区。我现在是个罪犯了，他想，就连十二岁的孙女也成了共犯。还是她已经十三岁了？这不重要。要是他们真被抓到，他也不认为彼得·兰道夫会把她当成青少年看待。 罗密欧打开后门，看见是他们后，双手各拿着一把枪，走至卸货区。“遇上什么麻烦了吗？” “很顺利，”厄尼说着，走上卸货区的楼梯。“路上半个人都没有。你那里还有其他枪吗？” “嗯，有几把，在里面，就在门后头。诺莉小姐，来帮一下忙。” 诺莉拿起两把步枪，交给祖父，后者则把枪放进货车后方。罗密欧把装有十二捆防水布的推车推至卸货区。“现在还不用卸下来，”他说，“我只是要先裁出窗户的大小。等我们要过去时，就得封住车窗了，到时只会留下一条可以往外看——就像旧型的雪曼坦克那种——好让我们可以开车的缝隙。诺莉，我和厄尼忙这个的时候，你去把另外一辆推车推出来。如果推不动的话，就放在那儿吧，我们等会儿来推。” 另一辆推车载满装有食物的纸箱，其中大多数是罐头食品或露营用的袋装浓缩食品，其中一箱则装满质量低劣的冲泡式饮料粉。推车很重，但诺莉往前推动以后，就变得轻松多了。只是，要停下来又是另一回事。要不是罗密欧赶紧从原本站的地方移到货车后方伸手拦住，整辆推车可能会直接从卸货区掉落在地。 厄尼用了很多胶带，把防水布贴到偷来货车的小后车窗上头，擦了擦额头，开口说：“这真是太冒险了，波比——我们是在计划要让一整队该死的车队前往麦考伊果园。” 罗密欧耸了耸肩，开始把装有物资的纸箱搬到货车上，并靠着边缘堆放，留出中间位置，以备之后需要可以载人的空间。他的衬衫背后渗出大量汗水。“现在只能希望我们的行动足够安静迅速，镇民大会也能顺利掩护我们。除此之外，也没别的选择了。” “茱莉亚和麦克莱奇太太的车窗也要贴上防水布吗？”诺莉问。 “嗯。我会在今天下午帮她们弄好。处理好之后，她们得先把车留在店后面，不能就这么开着窗户上贴着防水布的车到处乱晃——别人一定会问的。” “你那辆凯迪拉克怎么办？”厄尼说，“这辆货车载完剩下的物资就没什么空间了，你老婆可以开那辆凯迪拉克过去——” “米凯拉不去，”罗密欧说，“没什么改变得了她的心意。我问过她，只差没跪下来求她了，但还是被当成空气。我猜，我早知道事情会变成这样，因为除了她原本就知道的事情以外，我什么也没告诉她……至少说得不多。只有这样，万一伦尼过去找她，她才不会有麻烦。不过她就是不理我。” “她为什么不理你？”诺莉睁大了眼问，但话才一出口，便看到祖父皱眉的神情，这才意识到这问题可能有些失礼。 “因为她是个倔强的甜心。我说她可能会受伤，但她只回答'那就让他们来试试看啊'。这就是我的米凯拉。唉，真是活见鬼了。要是之后有机会的话，我或许会偷偷跑回镇上，看看她有没有改变心意。大家总说这就是女人的特权。来吧，我们再多搬一点箱子上车。厄尼，别让箱子挡住枪。我们或许会用得上。” “我真不敢相信我竟然会让你参与这件事，孩子。”厄尼说。 “没关系的，爷爷。与其被排除在外，我还是宁可加入。”至少就目前来说，这的确是真心话。 boom.安静。 boom.安静。 boom.安静。 奥利·丹斯摩盘腿坐在距离穹顶四英尺的地方，身旁放着他那个老旧的童子军背包。背包里放着他在前院捡的石头——事实上，石头多得都满出来了。他把包拿过来时，与其说是走路，不如说是拖着步子，一心认为帆布包的底部会裂开，害他的弹药洒得一地都是。由于这件事并未发生，所以此时他就坐在这里，挑出另一颗石头——一颗光滑无比的石头，从某个冰河时代起便被打磨至今——以投球方式朝穹顶扔去。石头似乎撞上了看不见的东西，又反弹回来。他把石头捡起，再度投出。 boom.安静。 一定有什么原理让穹顶可以反弹东西，他想着。这可能就是他弟与母亲丧命的原因。只是，大胡子的耶稣在上，这袋弹药已经够他丢上一天了。 石头回力镖，他想着，然后笑了出来。这是个真心的笑容，只是由于他的脸实在太过消瘦，所以看起来有点恐怖。他没吃什么东西，而且认为自己得过好长一段时间才会想再度进食。听见一声枪响，发现自己的母亲躺在餐桌旁，裙子向上翻起，露出内裤，有半颗头颅被轰飞……这种事会让一个人完全失去胃口。 boom.安静。 穹顶另一侧就像活动中的蜂巢；一个由帐篷组成的城市就这么突然出现。吉普车与卡车飞快地来回行驶，数百个军人在周遭忙碌不已，听从长官大喊出声的号令与咒骂，而号令与咒骂通常都会混为一体。 除了已经搭好的帐篷外，那里还正在搭建三座新的长形帐篷。帐篷前方已先立好了告示牌，分别写着：探访者一号招待处、探访者二号招待处与急救站。另一个长度甚至更长的帐篷，前方的告示牌则写着：餐饮供应站。就在奥利坐下来、开始用收集来的石头扔穹顶的不久之后，有两辆平板卡车载着一排排的流动厕所抵达现场。现在，一排排明亮的蓝色流动厕所已然定位，距离家属与所爱的人谈话、彼此看得见却摸不到对方的地方有足够的距离。 从他母亲头部喷出来的东西就像坏掉的草莓果酱。奥利无法理解母亲为什么会选择用这种方式自杀，又为什么会挑在那个地方。为什么非要挑在他们吃饭的地方不可？她真的忘记自己还有另一个会在那里吃饭的儿子（这得先假设他没饿死的话），可能会因此永远无法忘记地板上那恐怖的景象吗？ 就是这样，他想，她早就忘了。因为，罗瑞一直是她的最爱，她的小宠物。她很少会注意到我就在她旁边，除非我忘了喂牛，或是放牛出去后忘了打扫牛舍。再不然，就是我带了一张写着D的成绩单回家。因为罗瑞从来没有拿过A以外的成绩。 他扔了一颗石头。 boom.安静。 有几个陆军的家伙把一些告示牌立在穹顶附近。他可以看见面对磨坊镇的告示牌那面写着： warn! 为了你自己的安全！ 请与穹顶保持两码（六英尺）距离！ 奥利猜，告示牌的另一面也写着相同的内容。 对另一边的人来说，这或许起得了作用，因为那边会有很多维持秩序的家伙。不过在这边，可能会有八百个镇民，却只有二十几个警察，其中大部分还是刚拿到这份工作的新手。要让这边的人与穹顶保持距离，就像想保护沙子堆成的城堡不被潮水冲到一样困难。 她的内裤是湿的，张开的双腿间还有一个水洼。她要么是扣扳机前就尿了裤子，再不然就是扣了扳机以后。奥利认为后者更有可能。 他扔了一颗石头。 boom.安静。 有个军队的家伙靠了过来。对方非常年轻，袖子上没有任何徽章，因此奥利猜想，他可能只是个士兵而已。他看起来约莫十六岁，但奥利觉得他的年龄一定还要更大些。他曾听说过小孩借由谎报年龄加入军队的事，但他猜，那已经是可以用计算机查出每个人经历之前的事情了。 那个陆军的家伙环顾一下四周，确认没人注意到他，才以低沉的声音开口。他有着一口南方口音：“孩子？腻可以停下来吗？这声音烂我烦死了？” “那你可以去别的地方。”奥利说。 boom.安静。 “不勤啊，我有命在身。” 奥利没有回答，反而又扔了一颗石头。 boom.安静。 “腻为什么要这么啜？”那个陆军的家伙问。 他只是被派来立告示牌的，所以有空跟奥利说话。 “因为，迟早总会有一颗石头不会反弹。只要这件事一发生，我就要站起来，走得远远的，再也不要看见这座农场。再也不要帮牛挤奶。外面的空气怎么样？” “很好。只是很冷。我是从南卡罗来纳州来的。我向腻保证，这里的十月跟南卡罗来纳州的完全不同。” 奥利与那个南方男孩的距离不到三码，但这里很热，而且还臭烘烘的。 陆军的家伙指向奥利后方。“腻干吗不把石头留在这里，去管一下那些乳牛？”他的口音听起来变成了路牛，“把它们带进谷仓，帮它们挤奶或是在它们乳房上涂药膏之类的。” “我们不用带牛。它们自己知道该去哪儿。只是，现在不必帮它们挤奶，更不用说涂油膏了。它们的乳汁都干了。” “干，真的？” “真的。我爸说草出了问题，还说草之所以有问题，是因为空气出了问题。我们这里的空气闻起来很差，就像屎一样。” “真的？”陆军的这家伙看起来被这话给吸引住了。虽然两面均印有文字的告示牌已经够稳了，他还是握紧拳头，朝顶端敲了两下。 “真的。我妈今天早上自杀了。” 陆军的这家伙原本举起手要再敲一下，一听见这话，就把手放了下来。“孩子，你是骗我的吧？” “没有。她在餐桌边开枪自杀。是我发现她的。” “喔，这真是太难过了。”军人朝穹顶走近。 “我弟上星期天死的时候，因为当时他还没完全死掉，所以我们还把他带到镇上。但发现我妈时，她已经死透了，所以我们直接把她埋在山丘上了。我爸跟我一起埋的。她喜欢那里。在每件事还没变得那么讨厌以前，那里很漂亮。” “天啊，孩子！你简直是到地狱走了一遭！” “现在还在地狱。”奥利说。这话就像触动了他体内的开关，使他开始哭了起来。他站起身，朝穹顶走去。他与年轻的士兵看着彼此，距离不到一英尺远。那士兵举起了手，并在电流传到身上的瞬间往后缩了一下，但随即就没事了。他把手贴在穹顶上，手指张开。奥利也举起了自己的手，从他这一侧把手贴到穹顶上头。他们的手看似相互触碰，手指贴着手指，手掌贴着手掌，但其实根本没有。这只是个徒劳无功的举动，并会在隔天不断重复上百上千次之多。 "child--" “艾姆斯！”某个人大声咆哮，“给我滚到这里来！” 士兵艾姆斯就像个被抓到偷吃果酱的孩子，整个人跳了起来。 “我再说一次，给我过来！” “在这里等我一下，孩子。”士兵艾姆斯说，跑步前去挨骂。奥利认为，他一定被骂一顿就没事了。毕竟，你可没办法降士兵的级。当然，他们也不会让他再到这个栅栏边来，好让他能跟动物园里的动物继续说话。我甚至连颗花生都没拿到，奥利想着。 他抬头看了一眼现在没奶可挤的乳牛——它们现在连草都不怎么吃——接着坐回背包旁边。 他翻着背包，找出另一颗光滑的石头。他想到死去的母亲那只涂有指甲油的手向外伸长的模样，以及一旁那只还拿着枪的手，枪管仍在兀自冒烟。 接着，他扔出一颗石头，石头击中穹顶，反弹回来。 boom.安静。 星期四下午四点，新英格兰北部全被云层笼罩，阳光只能从云层里那个袜子形状的洞口洒进切斯特磨坊，就像一盏模糊的聚光灯似的。吉妮·汤林森去检查小詹的状况，问他需不需要头痛药。 他先是回答不用，但随即又改变主意，说想要一点泰诺林或雅维。等她拿回来时，他还从病房另一头自己走过来拿。她在他的病历中写下：走路依旧是跛的，但状况似乎已有好转。 四十五分钟后，瑟斯顿·马歇尔把头探进病房时，房里已经空无一人。他以为小詹到了休息室，但去那里检查后，才发现里头只有心脏病患者埃米莉·怀特豪斯一个人。埃米莉的恢复状况良好。 瑟斯顿问她有没有看见一个深金色头发、走路有些跛的年轻人，她回答没有。瑟斯顿又回到小詹的病房，检查了一下衣橱。里头也是空的。由此看来，那个患有脑瘤的年轻人换了衣服，跳过文书阶段，替自己直接办了离院手续。 小詹走路回家。肌肉一旦再度活络起来，走路一跛一跛的情况似乎就完全消失了。除此之外，漂浮在他左边视线的黑色锁孔状阴影，也已缩小到一颗弹珠的尺寸。或许他并没有吸入足够的铊剂量。这很难说。不管怎样，他都必须实践对上帝的承诺。只要他照顾好艾普顿家的孩子，上帝就会眷顾他。 他离开医院时（走的是后门），计划中待办事项里要做的第一件事就是杀了他爸。但当他走到家时——他的母亲就死在这栋房子里，莱斯特·科金斯与布兰达·帕金斯也是——却改变了主意。要是他杀了父亲，特别召开的镇民大会就会因此取消。小詹不希望这样，因为镇民大会可以有效掩护他更想完成的任务。大多数警察都会在那里，这会让鸡舍变得更为容易潜入。他只希望自己手上有那个涂了毒的军籍牌。他一定会很乐意把军籍牌塞进芭—比垂死前的喉咙里。 不管怎样，反正老詹也不在家。屋子里唯一活着的东西，是他凌晨看见的那头大步跨过医院停车场的狼。它就位于楼梯中间往下看着他，胸中发出咆哮的声音。它毛皮蓬乱，双眼是黄色的，脖子上还戴着戴尔·芭芭拉的军籍牌。 小詹闭上眼，默数到十。他再睁开眼时，那头狼已经不见了。 “我现在是狼了，”他对着闷热的空房子低声说，“我是个狼人，亲眼看见了朗·切尼与皇后一起跳舞。” 他走上楼，没注意到自己又开始跛了起来。他的制服放在衣柜里，就连枪也是——一把贝雷塔九二金牛座手枪。警察局里有十几把枪，经费大多是国土安全局出的。他检查贝雷塔手枪的十五发子弹弹夹，里头全都装满了。他把枪插入枪套，束紧系在瘦削腰部的腰带，走出自己的房间。 他在楼梯顶端停了一下，思考起镇民大会顺利进行、他可以开始行动以前，自己该去哪里才好。他不想跟任何人说话，甚至也不想被看到