Court did not respond. He just sipped water from a bottle.
Laura continued. “God is working through you. You should know that.”
The sound that came out of Court’s mouth was something between a chuckle and a gasp. Water dripped down his chin. “I don’t know about that.”
“I am certain. He sent you to watch over us.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
She considered that comment for a long time, looking into his eyes so intently that he was forced to look away from her. “No . . . maybe it is not that simple. But I believe . . . I believe you were sent to us when we needed you.”
“There were about a dozen of you who needed me, and now there are four. What about the others?”
Laura began to cry.
Gentry looked up at the ceiling. Shit. Why the fuck did I say that?
Her sobs softened, and she stood, crossed over to his bed, and sat next to him. Facing him with her legs crossed Indian style. “Do you believe in good and evil?”
Gentry could feel his heart rate increase with her nearness. He looked across the room. “I believe in what I have seen with my own eyes.”
“Which means?”
“I believe in evil.”
“You have seen no good in this world?”
Court looked at her again. Felt blood coursing through his body and warming his face and hands. “I’ve seen good, sure. Just not enough.”
“Well, I believe what I see with my own eyes. And I see much good in you, Joe. You are a good man.”
“I think we should try and sleep. We will be on the road all day tom—”
Laura moved closer. Interrupted Court. “Do you have someone?”
“Wha—what?”
“A wife. A girlfriend?”
“No.”
“You cannot be alone forever.”
He smiled. Looked away. “I won’t live forever.”
“I mean . . . on this earth. God doesn’t want man to live alone.”
Court did not reply.
“I have been alone for five years. Since Guillermo died. I know about loneliness, about how difficult it can be to keep everything inside you because there is no one else to share your life. But I have my faith. If I did not . . . Joe, I do not know how your heart can survive.”
“My heart is fine,” Court knew this because he could feel it pounding in his chest.
“There is not just darkness in the world, Joe. There is much that is bright.”
“I travel in different social circles than the happy stuff.”
She did not completely understand, but she answered as if she did.
“You are doing God’s work.”
“I’m just a guy, Laura. I’m not anything special.”
“No. You are special. The devil is fighting for this earth. He does this with evil. You fight against evil here on earth.” She shrugged again. “You are fighting the devil.” She completed the logic of her thinking. “You are doing God’s work.”
“Thanks,” he said. Sometimes he wondered what the hell he was doing. This girl had her opinion, and it was only that to Court, but it was nice to hear nonetheless.
“We better get some sleep,” he said it again. But she did not get up from his bed.
“May I stay with you? Like last night? May I stay close to you?”
“Sure,” he said it with a phony air of nonchalance, which, he was pretty sure, she had seen right through.
He reached over, flipped off the lights, and laid back, his shoes and pants and shirt still on. His handgun on the table next to him.
She curled up next to him, rested a hand on his chest, and placed her damp head on his shoulder. Even though she was only five feet tall, together their bodies took up the entire twin bed. Soon her leg moved and draped across his lower legs.
The lights were off, but Court’s eyes were open. He stared at a ceiling he could not see and tried to keep his breathing slow and shallow.
“Are you afraid,” she asked him, and he thought she was referring to his pounding heart.
“No,” he answered back quickly. “Not at all.”
“You mean, all the people trying to kill us, and you are not scared? I’m terrified.”
“Oh, that. Yeah. I just . . . I am trained, I guess, to use the energy of fear to my advantage. I am scared when I’m engaged in action . . . but I was trained to channel it and not freeze up.”
“It sounds like some sort of science.”
“It is.” He liked talking about this. It took his mind off of her leg, which was bent at the knee and resting on his thighs now.
“I am lucky to have you protecting me.”
“I saw how you fight. You’ve had some training yourself.”
“Yes, when Eduardo was alive, he took me shooting a lot. It was important for him that even though I was only tourist police, I was ready for anything. I trained in kickboxing as well.”