Christian had made his way out to the outskirts of Tulsa. He needed to use a payphone, and he'd already been shown the reasons for using one as far away as was convenient.
He got off his bike and stepped into the phone booth, deliberating about what he was going to say. He had to know the situation, and neither Tanya or the Hansons had contacted him since finding out what Tad was supposedly doing.
He picke dup the phone and dialled the station line.
"Yes? Ah... Telepathic Temptress please..."
Tanya and Leroy
Leroy had somehow magicked himself into Tanya's apartment. Oh, okay, he had conned Tanya into letting him look after Kit while she was on a emergancy call out with one of the downside telepaths. She was, at this moment, packing up to leave quickly.
While she was doing this, the phone rang.
"Can you get that?" she called to Leroy, sounding harrassed. "If it's not important, I'm not here."
Leroy chuckled.
"Okay," he said agreeably, and answered the phone. "Tanya's phone."
Christian
Christian froze in the phone booth, his face moving from placid to abgry in half a second.
"Hello Leroy..."
Stuff fooling around. Who knew if he'd already done something to Tanya and that was why he was answering her phone?
Leroy
"Hello..." Leroy replied slowly. "Do I know you?"
The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but it was so hard to tell over the phone.
Christian
Christian took on a change of heart all of a sudden, wondering exactly how much Leroy did know.
"Oh, it's Taylor. Sorry. Can I speak to Tanya?"
He couldn't help but grin.
Leroy
Leroy paused. Tanya didn't want to be disturbed unless it was important. Still, it was Taylor... he wasn't sure if Tanya would want to take his call or not.
"Well," he hesitated. "She's a little busy at the moment - has an emergancy to attend to. I'm not sure if I can catch her. Is it important?"
Dumb question. Everyone always believed their thing was important. Even if it was only a trivial, minor detail.
Christian
Christian frowned again, wondering if she really was.
"When could you say she'd be done?"
Leroy
"I'm afraid, I don't know. She has to go downside," Leroy replied. "Who knows with these teenage boy telepaths? Can I give her a message?"
Christian
"Really..." Christian scratched his chin, "she's coming down, huh? Know where she's going?"
Leroy
"No," Leroy replied. "Were you going to be coming up for a treatment soon?"
If he remembered correctly, this was about the time of the month that Taylor came up. Although the trial might have thrown him off a bit.
Christian
"Something like that," Christian drawled.
"Do you even have a hint of where she's going?"
Leroy
Leroy frowned. What did it matter to Taylor?
"No," he replied. "It's her work, not mine. 'Downside' is all I need to know."
Christian
"Damn," Christian pouted a little.
"It'd just be a lot easier if I met up with her down here, is all. And obviously she's not taking her phone so I can't call and find out..."
Leroy
"She probably would take her phone, but it'll be off until the emergancy is over with," Leroy replied.
He paused and looked in Tanya's direction - she was in her bedroom still.
"Depending on where she's going though, it may not be easier," Leroy pointed out. "With the amplifiers it could be in Canada or England even."
Christian
"Has she even left yet?" Christian rubbed his eyes, beginning to get annoyed.
Tanya and Leroy
At that very moment, Tanya hurried pat, bag slung over her shoulder. She paused, giving Leroy a curious look.
"Taylor," Leroy mouthed, and returned her look with a queriying one.
She hesititated and it was in that hesitation that something occured to Leroy. If Tad was right and Christian was Taylor's clone...
"She's just left," Leroy replied. "Sorry, should have called 10 minutes earlier."
Tanya nodded, waved and swept out the door - having no idea what thought went through Leroy's mind.
Christian
"We've probably been talking for ten minutes already," Christian scowled.
"Thanks for nothing. I'll call back later."
Leroy
"10 minutes earlier than you did call," Leroy emphasised. "Sorry - Taylor - but Tanya wanted me to scan the call for her. She's high in demand, you realised, but sometimes it's just nusiance calls - important to them but not actually life threatening."
He paused, then added in mild rebuke: "You could have opted to leave a message instead of asking questions about the emergancy. That's less your business than it is mine, and I only know because I'm looking after Kit."
Christian
"Well as I told you, I figured it'd be easier if I just met up with her, assuming she was coming down to the States," Christian began sarcastically.
He tried to ignore the fact that he was there alone with Kit.
Leroy
"I hardly think Tanya coming downside was the reason you called," Leroy responded.
He wondered what would be the best thing to say to find out if it were Christian. Maybe he was just being paranoid but still...
Christian
"Of course not, because I didn't know?" Christian suggested.
"I obviously called to talk to her. She's not there. i wanted to find out where she was so I could meet up with her. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out."
Leroy
Leroy paused for a moment.
"And as I recall, you still haven't told me what this was about," he said. "In fact, I believe I asked you if it was about a treatment and I got a noncommital response designed to imply the positive. Perhaps if you had given me an actual answer I may have been able to catch her before she left, and we wouldn't be having this ridiculas argument, Chris- Taylor."
He smiled to himself - there was a 50-50 chance if it were Christian he'd slip up - depending on how much on his guard he was.
Christian
Christian frowned at that, before getting a smug look on his face.
"I didn't tell you what I was calling about, because it's none of your business."
His voice was beginning to get that trademarked cynical addition to it.
Leroy
"It is my business when Tanya asks me to find out if it's important," Leroy replied smoothly. "And I did ask. Yet another noncommital response?"
Hmm, tone of voice had changed slightly, although that could just be irritation.
Christian
"Well in that context the urgency of the request is what's important, not the content of the impending conversation," Christian pointed out.
"Perhaps the exhange would be too much for you to handle anyway."
Leroy
"Yet, you failed to convey that particular point, even after I explained I didn't know if I could catch her," Leroy replied. "An effective response would have been something like: 'Is she going to the states? Because it would be easier to meet her there than on the station'. To which I would have no doubt made the, ahem, assumption that it was about 'your' treatment, and would have tried to catch her before she left."
Christian
"Ah, but if you recall, the very first thing I asked was if you knew where she was going," Christian couldn't help but smirk, beginning to wonder exactly why he was still arguing this.
"So in essence you could have turned around and asked her. You never know, I could have met her somewhere other than the States even. But again, that's none of your business. What I want with Tanya and how I get it is between me and her."
Leroy
"Actually, the first thing you asked me was when she would be done," Leroy replied. "And when you did ask me where, you kept harping on repeating it. And no, I couldn't have just turned around and asked her, seeing as she was in a completely different room. And even if I had her first question after answering mine would have been 'who is it, and what do they want?'. Maybe you should have given me a straight answer instead of beating around the bush."
Leroy paused for a moment, considering. Well, if he was wrong, he was wrong. The repercussions should be interesting.
"But then, you wouldn't want to give me a straight answer if you had something to hide, now would you... Christian."
Christian
Christian grinned.
"Are you always a prick to people with mental disabilities? Or did you make a special exception just for me? Because I assure you that Taylor would probably be bawling his eyes out by now had you spoken to him that way. Actually, I'm feeling rather offended myself. Doesn't say much for the station commander. Or whatever you are these days."
Leroy
"Naw," Leroy replied. "Just the ones I suspect are posers. And you being offended so easily certainly explains a few things, huh?"
He knew it.
Christian
"Well in case you can't recognise sarcasm when you hear it, I'll be sure to point it out in future conversations," Christian shrugged.
"But don't keep me in suspense. That's rather mean. Watcha talkin' aboot?"
Leroy
"Oh, I was referring to certain behaviours you've expressed over the last few years," Leroy replied. "But if you want a more specific example, how about the torturous demise of certain other criminals I could mention? There's been a string of them recently, and they all seem to point back to you."
Christian
"Really?" Christian tried to sound surprised.
Taylor's power could have helped with that.
"Well Brownie, before you get your knickers in a twist I considered myself doing you guys a favour. I didn't know all of them, nor was I abused by many. But revenge is always the icing on the cake in certain... instances."
Leroy
"Uh huh," Leroy replied. "And pray tell, why would you want to do the YIRAAS a favour?"
Why indeed.
Christian
"I couldn't give a s**t about the YIRAAS, as I'm sure you know. They don't give a crap about me," Christian shrugged again.
"Perhaps it wasn't you specifically I was assisting."
Leroy
"Well, excuse me if I misunderstood your use of the words 'you guys'. Perhaps you'd like to elaborate?" Leroy replied dryly. "And on not caring, if we didn't care there would be a death warrant on you m'boy, not a rehab one."
Christian
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know," Christian apologised with a full pout, "I didn't realise. I'm beginning to feel all warm and fuzzy inside Mr. Brown."
He stopped, dropping his hand from his chest.
"Why, exactly, isn't there? I've never fully been briefed on the topic. Someone of your... status, should know."
Leroy
"Sometimes I think Wayne just owes Tanya a favour," Leroy replied, "but, no, that's not it."
He paused considering.
"There are... a lot of different factors - and we're not into 'textbook case'ing people. And there's a lot to take into consideration for you inparticular, having such a colourful history. Actually, you should feel privlaged - you've about the oldest person we've ever had on a rehab warrant."
Christian
"Oh I do," Christian nodded to himself, "I feel very special."
Then he frowned.
"You're definitely not the first to call my history 'colourful', though I'm sure you don't know the half of it."
Leroy
"Well, it has been colourful," Leroy pointed out. "Being raised by the Spider makes things interesting all by itself. And I don't doubt that I don't know everything about your history. But then, I also doubt that you know everything about mine."
Christian
"I don't particularly care to know," Christian admitted, face turning sullen at the mention of Craig.
"Any particular slimeball you'd like me to go after for you? Although I've pretty much wiped off the list... Hope you enjoy punishing old Kaleb. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, will you?"
Leroy
"I rather imagine that would be a very short list," Leroy replied wryly.
He found himself a nearby chair and sat down, wondering if he could find a way to get Christian to give up his position.
Christian
Christian chuckled and scratched his eyebrow.
"You've done your research at least," he said.
"So what's old Brownie up to apart from hunting my ass and watching over my namesake?"
Leroy
"Running the space station for one thing," Leroy replied. "And going to the usual YIRAAS Council meetings, of course. What about yourself? You know, other than killing other criminals?"
Christian
"Other than killing criminals..." Christian thought for a moment.
"Working on the retrieval of stolen property. And looking out for friends of course. Guess you wouldn't have expected that from me."
Leroy
"Mmm, no I wouldn't say that," Leroy replied. "Honour amongst theives, as they say. A little ironic, that saying, and certainly not applicable to everyone, but still, the sentiment is right. I think we'll find there are surprisingly few people who are completely immoral."
He wondered what stolen property he was talking about.
Christian
"Oh no, I can guarantee that there are - were - plenty," Christian corrected himself.
"But I'm working on evening out the balance, so to speak."
Leroy
"Hmm, don't misinterpret my definition of completely immoral," Leroy said. "For example, humans tend to keep criminal guilty of pedophila in seperate facilities from the other criminals. Why? Because the other criminals will beat them up for their crimes against children. And so on and so forth."
Christian
"That's rather contradictory," Christian pointed out.
"Exactly which category would you put me into?"
Leroy
Leroy frowned.
"Why is that contradictory? Just because someone is jailed for armed robbery doesn't mean he will molest a child. Just because we call them all criminals doesn't mean that they would commit all kinds of crime. That would suggest that most people aren't completely immoral."
Leroy opted to ignore Christian's question for the time being. He wanted to phrase his answer right - after all, he did want to bring him into rehab.
Christian
"You didn't answer my question," Christian attempted to remind him, interested in what his answer would be.
"But I assure you, you don't know the half of the crimes those I persecuted are guilty of committing."
Leroy
"I'm sure I don't. Nonetheless, I'm sure even they have some standards, low though they probably are," Leroy responded. "And I'm not neccesarily thinking of the 'big crimes' as it were. I count the little things in my assessment of someone who would be completely immoral. But that's neither here nor there."
He was silent for a moment.
"So, you would like to know how I classify you? How about as intelligent troublemaker with homocidal tendancies."
Christian
"Troublemaker?" Christian's eyebrows rose.
"Well that's a first. I'll remind you that anything before these excecutions dating back to possibly... September 2003 were not my doing."
Leroy
"And even if we do discount the things that happened in that time period," Leroy said smoothly, "there is still the things before Setpember 2003 that you were responsible for. I imagine you've been called worse things."
Christian
"Oh no, I didn't mean it was an insult... well, it kind of was," Christian stopped himself as he thought it over.
"But it was certainly tame compared to anything I've ever recieved before. Almost sounds like you're trying to be nice."
Leroy
"Hmph."
Leroy was silent for a moment before continuing:
"I've tangled with worse than you, boy," he said gruffly. "And that would have to be the case if Wayne is still willing to rehabilitate you."
Christian
A grin spread across Christian's face as he registered the tone of Leroy's voice.
"The very thought that I've crossed your path without your knowledge eats you to the core, doesn't it?" he said suddenly, knowing that Leroy knew he'd been to the station.
Leroy
Leroy figured he may as well give Christian that one.
"Hmm," he said. "Yes. But at least now I'm aware of a flaw in my security system - doesn't take clones with legitimate reasons for not having their mind scanned by a telepath into account. Don't worry, we're working on that."
Christian
"Of course with... Dad no longer around, you don't exactly know what I have at my disposal to amend new procedures," Christian pointed out.
"And next time I pay a visit will not be the last."
Leroy
"I'm sincerely hoping that the next time you 'visit', it will be to turn yourself into rehab," Leroy replied. "In which case, after your rehab is completed, you'll be able to legitimately go to and from the station all you please."
Christian
Christian almost snorted.
"What, when I'm eighty? When I'm too f***ing old to be considered a threat? Exactly how long do you think it would take?"
Leroy
"That largely depends on you," Leroy replied. "Some people are out between 3 to 6 months. Others take a couple of years. But we have never held someone there until they're eighty. We haven't even been on the planet that long. But rehab is about getting you back into society. It's not jail."
Christian
"It's just ripping to shreds my complete mindset," Christian glared across the road, aimlessly.
"Everything I was brought up to be. My natural instinct. You want to take my life away so I really don't see the difference."
Leroy
"We want to turn you into a productive member of society," Leroy replied. "Sometimes that involves breaking bad habits. Like drugs. Or reckless behaviours like serial killing."
Christian
"You can't take away something my body needs," Christian emphasised.
"It's my mindset, it's in my blood. You'll never take that away. And if you fail, as you surely will, what do you plan to do then? Incarcerate me?"
Leroy
"If you've gotten yourself addicted to killing people, it needs to be taken away before you destroy yourself, and everyone around you," Leroy replied.
He paused for a moment, then added:
"Tanya, for example. Or Kit."
Christian
Christian tried to stop his face going red.
"How dare you ever accuse me of that," his voice lowered substancially.
"You have no idea of our connection because you've never seen it. If you ever, ever threaten their happiness as you surely are starting to do at this point in time, I don't care how long it takes - I will f***ing hunt you down. Regardless of whether you're Kit's father or not. You have no idea what I've given up for her."
Leroy
"I believe the key word was 'if'," Leroy replied smoothly. "Although, I find your threatening of me rather interesting. I, myself, have no intension of harming Tanya or Kit. Why would I do that? No, I was simply saying that addiction has a habit of not only destroying the life of the addict, but also their friends and family, if only through association with the addict."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Tanya - and Kit - mean a lot to me too," he said. "What I'm worried about is her association, affliation, friendship with you may destroy her life. She wants to protect you too, you know."
And Leroy wanted to protect Tanya.
Christian
"Well I hope you keep in mind that through threatening me you're threatening her happiness, considering all she wants is to protect me," Christian pointed out.
"My killing people has nothing to do with them, and it never will."
Leroy
"Maybe not directly," Leroy replied omniously. "And I haven't threatened you at all. Merely explained my desire for you to go into rehab."
Christian
"That is a threat to me, because you want to take my life away," Christian shook his head incredulously.
"I'm sorry if you can't see it that way."
Leroy
"And I don't see it that way," Leroy replied. "What I see is a young man who has been badly corrupted in his youth and denied a proper childhood. And it's spilling into his adulthood, and one day, perhaps sooner than we think, he'll look at himself in the mirror one morning and see a monster."
Christian
Christian fell instantly silent for a moment, remembering back to his time with Spook.
"I already see that," he said suddenly, "but there is nothing you or anyone else can do to change that."
Leroy
"Will you at least give it a try?" Leroy asked. "I promise no ones going to subject you to shock therapy or anything archaic and stupid like that."
If only he could persuade Christian to come in. That would end the misery for all of them.
Christian
Christian put his head in his hand, leaning against the glass of the booth.
"You have no idea how many times I've contemplated it," he began.
"But I can't."
Leroy
Leroy was intrigued, and encouraged. So, he had thought about it, huh?
"Sure you can," he said. "C'mon, Christian. I've been in that world. In some ways, I still am, although I imagine that I have never been in as deep as you are. You're always hunting, or being hunted. And trust is a rare commodity. Good friends, are even harder to find."
Christian
"And what makes you think I'd be any less hunted?" Christian shook his head, his eyes narrowing.
"You have no idea how many people are after me. From both sides of the spectrum."
Leroy
"Well, for one thing, you'd have less people after you," Leroy replied. "And if you decided to live on the station, it also... limits their ability to get you. Of course, it also depends on what field you'd like to get into. Somehow I doubt 'Crime Lord' was your occupation of choice when you were a kid."
Christian
"You'll never understand," Christian frowned almost sadly.
"No less people would want my head on a platter. I've done too many things to too many people. And that's not including those that just want me as a trophy because I'm the son of The Eye."
He shook his head.
"All I wanted as a kid was to stay alive and make him proud. And I'm still fighting for it."
Leroy
"Wanting and being able to get are two different things," Leroy pointed out. "Also may I add that old axiom 'My enemy's enemy is my friend'? We both want to be rid of certain members of the criminal underworld. In some ways we're already working together to that end. Now, it would be naive to think we could deal with all of them, but if we could at least be rid of this generation of them... In any case, the rehab centre has been moved to the station, so no one could get you while you were with us. After that, well, you could stay on the station, and/or we could give you a new identity, or alternatively, you could join us and work with a properly trained team of people to bring down those who are after your head."
Christian
"And 'ambush' never comes to mind?" Christian's eyebrows rose.
"Forgetting that if I ever went into rehab everyone would know about it in a second flat."
Leroy
"No doubt," Leroy replied, sardonically. "And probably faking your death and other such things wouldn't work so well either. Seems to me that you're in between a rock and a hard place, and sooner or later you are going to have to choose."
Christian
"No s**t," Christian rolled his eyes.
"And sorry if you think you're making your side of the bargain look appealing."
Leroy
"One day the rehab warrant will become a death warrent, and then you'll have more people after your head," Leroy pointed out. "Meanwhilst, coming forward would allow you to see Tanya, and Kit, without having to pretend you're Taylor. And without putting Tanya in any further trouble by associating with you."
Christian
"As if she's not going to be anyway," Christian frowned.
"And as if I'm not already used to everyone after me. Bar a certain few."
Leroy
"I believe the keyword there was 'further'," Leroy replied. "I am certainly not going to allow the council to be accused of being corrupt due to my involvement with Tanya and hers with you. I'm also not interesting in any petty games of cat-and-mouse with you either. I'm sorry if you think that having a roof over your head, good food, a bed to sleep in, oh and how about a life is so repungant. I'm also sorry if you think that you can never get away from the life you currently live. Once that was true for YIRAAS agents. The trick is making yourself unreachable, but aparently, you can't seem to grasp that. Or maybe you just don't have the knack, or the resources."
Christian
"I have a f***ing life," Christian scowled.
"And I'm not interested in playing cat and mouse either. Leave me the hell alone and we'll get on just fine. And as much as you think you do, you don't have any f***ing idea of what kind of life I lead. You don't know what I have and what I don't, so don't even pretend to."
Leroy
"Maybe I don't know what you personally have," Leroy countered. "But I know exactly what people in your... field generally have. And I know what Craig had."
Christian
"Well guess what? I'm different," Christian scorned.
"In more ways than one. And when he died, I got a lot more than Craig had."
Leroy
Leroy sighed.
"Everyone says they're different, Christian," he admonished, "but there really isn't anything new under the sun, as they say."
Christian
"You know more than you're letting on, Leroy," Christian amended.
"I know what Tad's been sending you. Half of it is probably s**t he's made up even. After all, you only have his word to work from..."
Leroy
Interesting.
"I find it intriguing that you know about Tad," Leroy replied. "Which would imply that he's telling the truth about you having contact with Taylor."
Christian
"Why would I need contact with him to find out about that asshole?" Christian worded carefully.
"There are many, many other ways for my sources to get their information, I assure you. But please, please ask me to do away with him... it would make things much more pleasant for all involved."
Leroy
"And just who is involved that you would like to make things more pleasant for?" Leroy inquired, then, after a moments pause, "I know you were in on Blakesley's capture. Tanya played me the message you left for her. And as I recall corrrectly, the night that Taylor snuck away from Tad's supervision was the same night he was brought in. Also, I believe that you had a deal with Taylor about bringing Blakesley in?"
He thought back to other things that Tad had written in his reports. If Christian was going to accuse Tad of making things up, then it made it all the more interesting to verify his claims with the source.
Christian
"Just because the guy 'snuck away', it doesn't mean he had something to do with it. He could have been out having some freedom for once," Christian shrugged, "heck, don't ask me. I don't know the guy."
He held back a smirk, knowing that was true even though Leroy probably thought he was lying.
"But yes, I did bring Blakesley in. I don't mind taking the fall for that, I'm sure you must all be secretly thanking me."
Leroy
"Uh huh," Leroy replied. "What about Taylor and Isaac rescuing you from Guffrey? I suppose that was a fabrication too? That being, of course, when the deal was made."
Leroy was intrigued as to why Guffrey would be interested in Christian, although it could be, as he had suggested, just be a trophy thing.
Christian
Christian hesitated. He hadn't known about that one...
"Just because they asked me to doesn't mean they came along," he said finally.
"And I would have gone after him eventually anyway."
Leroy
"And why the interest in Blakesley?" Leroy asked. "Personal vandetta, or was he just on your hit list?"
Well, that was a good enough response to validate that claim of Tad's.
Christian
Christian frowned for a moment, before replying.
"You don't know," he realised finally.
"Kaleb is the only person in history to lay claim of holding me against my will for longer than a couple of weeks. Twice even."
Leroy
"Ahh I see," Leroy nodded. "Well, I can certainly see why you would go after him again."
He considered briefly before asking the next question:
"Did he know you were a clone? Or was it just a coincidence that Taylor was assaulted by the same man?"
Christian
"He knew," Christian admitted, "f***ing Taylor told him, so he knew."
He paused for a moment, beginning to ownder exactly what else Taylor had told the man.
"He came after me long after he found out."
Leroy
Christian's "Tad is lying theory" wasn't looking too good. Heh.
"Well, I can certainly see why you would want the man dead. Planing on going to the trial? Or don't think you could diguise yourself well enough?"
Christian
"Ha. Funny. I never knew you were a comedian," Christian rolled his eyes again.
"It wouldn't be the first time I've missed something significant to save my own ass."
Leroy
"That must suck," Leroy responded. "I wonder if there's a way to get around that. Like, for example, making some powerful friends?"
Christian
"Powerful friends?" Christian raised an eyebrow.
"I have a lot of those already. Though when I get my property back - and I will - the only person more powerful than I will probably be Guffery himself."
Leroy
"There are many ways of measuring power," Leroy replied. "Not all of them involve knowledge, abilities or resources."
Christian
"So are you referring to yourself? Or 'your side'?" Christian almost scorned.
"It certainly sounds like an assumption you want me to make."
Leroy
"I am simply saying that there are other sources of power," Leroy replied. "And I think you can safely assume, Christian, that I want you to turn yourself into us. At least you can be rest assured we're not interested in having you a a trophy, or killing you. How long that remains the case, however, depends on you."
Christian
"Well I for one have no doubt that as soon as it got to the stage - theoretically - that you realised it was useless, I'd be on death row anyway."
He shook some hair out of his eyes.
Leroy
Leroy's eyes narrowed.
"People who don't go through rehab as well as we hope are not routinely executed. And before you ask, how they are dealt with depends on the individual. However, most who go through do come out unscathed and go on to live productive lives."
Christian
Christian held back a chortle.
"I like the keyword there. 'Most'. You know yourself that my case will be different to anyone you've had before."
Leroy
"Christian," Leroy said patiently, "unlike humans, we don't consider anyone's 'case' to be anything but unique. Yes, we employ similar techniques to everyone, but ultimately, the approach it catered and customised to fit the person. We're not into 'text book' casing anyone."
Christian
"As you've said before..." Christian murmured as he focused his attention on his watch.
He'd already been talking for way too long, and knew that if the call had been tracked they'd probably almost be on him.
"Well it's been a long time since we last spoke," he smiled slightly, remembering the day Craig had acquired the collar, "but I must be off. Sleep well, won't you?"
And Christian hung up. He stepped out of the phone booth, scowling to himself, before getting on bike and beginning the ride back into Tulsa.
Leroy
Leroy slowly put the phone down, uncertain as to whether anything he had said at hit home. Well, he hoped that he had given the boy something to think about.
He moved towards Kit's room to check up on him.
Yes, he hoped something had gotten through. For all their sakes.