He had only two options; he could go get the clipboard, his anchor, back or he could retreat to HQ—and face everything that was waiting for himthere… and also explain why he’d come back without his company issue documentation device.
Stuck between two impossible choices, Greg chose Dustin.
With some trepidation, he made his way over to the motel room, raised his hand and knocked.
Nothing.
He knocked again.
The door swung open.
Dustin stood in the doorway, fully dressed now, arms crossed. His expression was unreadable.
“You look like shit,” he said.
“I'm dissolving.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel sorry for you?” Dustin's voice was flat. “You tried to kill me.”
“I know.” Greg could hear how weak he sounded. He hated it. “I know, and I'm sorry, but I need my clipboard back.”
“Yeah, Morrith seems pretty worried about you.” Dustin's mouth curved. It wasn't quite a smile. “I've been having a nice chat with him.”
Greg's heart seized. “You've been—what did you?—”
“Relax. I didn't tell him anything useful.” Dustin tilted his head. “Grigoreth, huh?”
“Please.” Greg was not above begging. “I need it back. I'll leave you alone. I'll tell Morrith the assignment can't be completed. I'll?—”
“Who's Sarah Jane Meadows?”
“What?”
“Sarah Meadows. Twenty-three years old. Riverside Park, Boulder. Collection window tomorrow at 3:47 PM.” Dustin’s gaze was fixed on Greg in a way that made Greg want to take a step back. He resisted. Dustin went on. “Morrith sent you a whole list of new assignments while you were hiding in that storage closet. Easy collections, he said. So you'd have something to show for quarterly review.”
No.
No, no, no.
“He sent those to—you saw?—”
“I saw all of it.” Dustin's voice was hard. “I saw the deaths your boss assigned to you like homework.”
“It's not—that's not how?—”
“What's going to kill Sarah Meadows?”
“I don't know.”
“Bullshit.”
“I don't.” Greg's voice cracked. “I don't get that information. I just get the window. I show up, and I wait, and when it happens, I'm there to guide them through. That’s what I do. I’m aguide.”
“And occasionally you try to murder people.”
“That’s not—” Greg struggled to find the words. There was no way he could defend himself from that accusation because it was true. “People shouldn’t die by themselves,” he said lamely. “It’s very difficult for most of them.”
“Of course it’s difficult. Sarah’s twenty-three,” Dustin said with emphasis. “Jessica Torres is nineteen. These are people with lives and families and futures, and you're going to stand there and watch them die because Morrith needs to impress Oversight?”
