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. LIFE LESSONS 253That set up a resonance in Tony s mind, though.What aboutlight? Something he should look for, lights he should see? Helooked out again through the drapes.Those bright spots remained.Perhaps there were new ones.But if there was something forhim to read or notice about the pattern of the lights, he couldn tdecipher it.And it didn t seem to relate to asking Brad for a favor.What else had Mac said? I don t want to keep you in the dark.Make your day a little brighter.Tony blinked suddenly.Did he wantTony to ask Brad to turn the lights on? How would that help? Thefront drapes were thick and opaque.Then Tony s eyes wanderedback to his side window and quickly away again.Through thosecurtains he could see outside light sources.Which meant if itwere brighter in here, the cops would be able to see in, at leastsome.Then what? Mac had added several other statements.Firesafety and the way I like you best.Now there was a suggestivestatement from a man in the closet.It had to mean something, orMac wouldn t have put it out there.How did Mac like him best?Face down on his bed? He bit back a laugh.Couldn t be that, or couldit? Fire safety stop, drop, and roll.Keep your head down and stay safe.Shit!It all came together, Mac s plan.It had to be right.He wouldbet on it.He was betting on it.Out there in the dark, SWATsnipers were probably in place.If he did this right, they wouldget a chance at Brad.Could he live with it, if he set up one of hisstudents for a sniper s bullet?He thought about the way Mary crumpled forward, killed socarelessly, because she was in the way.He thought about Marty.Hell, yes, he could do it.Brad was uncontrolled violence, justwaiting to let loose on someone else.The hardest part would bedoing this right. Hey, Brad, he said casually. Isn t it hard to count thatmoney with just the TV to see by?Brad looked around at him then glanced at the TV, as if254 Kaje Harperhe had only just noticed it. Nah, he said after a minute. I mnot going to count it anyway.I mean, if they stiffed me a fewthousand, what am I gonna do? Sue them?Tony laughed in appreciation. I guess not.But& I waswondering if you could turn a light on.I guess I m pretty creepedout, and I don t like the dark. Jesus, you are a wuss, Brad said. It s not that dark in here. It s not that light either, Tony said. You could just do it asa favor to me, keep things moving here.You do me a favor, theymight do you another one. Oh, all right. Brad reached over and switched on thetorchiere beside the couch. Good enough for you? Thanks. Tony wasn t sure if that would be enough.Thelight looked like a halogen and it was fairly bright, but it shoneup to the ceiling.How much back light would it take to makethose curtains translucent? He didn t know.With the light on, thecurtains looked much more opaque from this side.The lights hehad seen outside before were no longer visible.Did that mean thevisibility had reversed enough?Tony stood watching Brad, who gave the TV only desultoryattention as he played with the gun.He pointed the weapon atthings on his brother s walls and whispered,  Pow! Pow! He waslike a kid playing shooting gallery, except that the gun in his handswas real.Go for it, Tony decided.It was only a matter of time beforeBrad got angry again, or paranoid, or just decided to try out hisnew toy on something that moved. Hey, Brad, he said. Could you come untie me? I can t sitdown like this and my legs are about to fall off. Forget it, Brad said, without looking at him. You re stayingput.Try a different track. Because you re scared to have me loosein here with you? Tony said. You only outweigh me by fifty LIFE LESSONS 255pounds.I guess you have to be careful.This time Brad looked at him. I m not scared.No one callsme scared. What would you call it? Tony taunted. You have a gun andyou still have me taped up here. Brad shook his head angrily, butthen his attention was claimed by the ball game again. Maybe you like this, Tony suggested. Maybe you re intobondage.Do you enjoy having a man tied up at your feet? Shut up! Well, he had Brad s attention all right.Tony wastreading the fine line between attention and a bullet.Work areminder in here. You need me alive as a hostage, Tony said. But I thinkyou re getting a kick out of this.Sort of a master-slave thing.Isthis how you get a guy s attention? Shut the fuck up. Brad lurched to his feet. I may need youalive but I don t like you.And I don t have to listen to your shit.Brad loomed over Tony before he had time for the rest ofthe plan.The gun pressed into Tony s cheek. Take it back, Bradgrowled. I don t like guys.Take it back. Maybe I got it wrong, Tony rasped as Brad fisted a handin his hair. Yeah you fucking did, Brad said. And maybe I don twant to listen to your shit anymore. He put the gun into hisbelt and whipped out the duct tape.Still gripping Tony s hair, hebegan winding tape around Tony s head, covering his mouth [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]