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era dangled from one hand； mud…spattered as well。 Mike was nowhere in sight。
Laura turned； death rays emoting from her eyes as Kirk stumbled down the stairs。 〃Alright！〃 she yelled。 〃I want some goddamned explanations here！〃
He blew past Gary in a shot； muttered something incoherent； and beelined for the edit room； disappearing around the corner。 The camcorder carelessly went crunch against the doorjamb。 Gary felt the blood drain out of his face。 The signal in his head was clanging like a klaxon horn。 Wrong！ Wrong！ Wrong！ Wrong！
〃GODDAMMIT！〃 Laura bellowed； storming across the room。 〃Where the hell have you been？ Why didn't you maintain radio contact？ Where's Mike 。。。 ？〃
〃Mike's dead；〃 he said flatly； still banging around。
WHAT？！！ Gary thought。
〃WHAT？！！〃 Laura cried incredulously。 〃What 。。。 how 。。。 〃 She stopped； collected herself。 〃Kirk； what the hell are you talking about？〃
Kirk's face suddenly appeared around the er； crazed； shell…shocked； and feral。 He clutched a videocassette in his hand as if it were a piece of the One True Cross。 He waved it before her； stopping her dead。
〃C'mere；〃 he said。 〃I gotta show you something。〃
〃Jesus God； this is awful；〃 Laura gasped。 She and Kirk stood in front of the monitor； features aglow from the screen。 Mike's chair was conspicuously empty。 Gary hovered at the doorway； watching Kirk as if he were some strange and unpleasant form of bacteria。
The tape's sound was turned mercifully down。 It didn't help。
The visuals were bad enough。
〃Did you call the police？〃 Laura asked。
〃No；〃 Kirk replied； his voice very small。
On the screen； the truck was ramming through the dead branches in a burst of chaotic choreography 。。。
〃Did you call EMR？〃 she asked。
〃No；〃 Kirk said； teeth clenching。 The truck； bouncing in and out of the jangling frame； bearing down on the camera 。。。
〃Did you call ANYBODY？！〃 she asked； exasperated。
〃No！〃 The truck； swallowing everything。
〃Are you crazy？ Why the hell not？〃
〃BECAUSE I FORGOT； OKAY？〃 he screamed； leaning too far into Laura's face。 〃I WAS KINDA FUCKIN' BUSY！〃
The screen； reduced to static。
〃MIKE DIED FOR THAT FOOTAGE 。。。 ！〃 Kirk bellowed： his nose almost touching Laura's； her hair blowing back。 The spark of terror in Laura's eyes was all Gary needed to see。
〃Whoa；〃 Gary said； stepping closer。 He liked Laura fine； had thought the world of Mike； was none too fond of Kirk。 〃Boy；〃 he said； stepping deftly between them； one big hand ing up to land in the center of Kirk's chest。 Kirk was maybe two inches taller。 It didn't mean a thing。 〃Time for you to calm down。〃
〃Hey 。。。 ！〃 Kirk began； already folding。
Gary shook his head huh…uh； laid a sharp； flat…palmed love thump on Kirk's hollow breastbone。 It made a resonant thud； knocked him back just a step。
〃I think the question we're asking here；〃 Gary continued； 〃is what did you do about Mike？〃
Kirk's eyes flickered from side to side； as if the answer were written on a cue card somewhere just outside of his visual range。
〃You just fuckin' left him there； didn't you？〃 Gary pressed； his anger mounting； a black tide within him。
Behind him； Laura went； 〃Gary。 No。〃
〃Just fuckin' left him in the mud；〃 Gary snarled； backing him into the folding chairs。 They collapsed with a clatter that did nothing but stoke Gary's rage。 〃No cops； no nothing。 Just race back here to cash in on your big fuckin' story； forget all about the guy who fuckin' died so you could even have it 。。。 ！〃
There were hands on his shoulders now； holding him back。 〃Gary！ ENOUGH！〃 she shouted。 Gary tensed for a second； his fury threatening to blow back on her。 Then he stopped in his tracks and swallowed it whole。
Before him； Kirk's mouth opened and closed； opened and closed。 He was trying for his wounded…puppy look； but fish metaphors kept getting in the way。 Gary guessed it was his wounded…guppy look。
〃It just got all fucked up；〃 Kirk sniveled； the tears ing now。 〃And when Mike got k…k…killed 。。。 〃
〃It's okay；〃 Laura said。 Gary shot her a look like you're kidding； right？； she just kept watching Kirk。
〃 。。。 the only thing I could think was get the tape back； get the tape back！〃 He smashed the desk with his fist…once； twice…his features contorting with anguish。 〃So I dih…hih…hid 。。。 〃 His voice decaying into unquestionably heartfelt sobs。
When the picture came back on the monitor again…a disjointed shot of dirt and grass…Kirk reached over and clicked it off。 A dramatic gesture。
〃So；〃 Gary said； turning to Laura。 〃Now what？〃
She just stood there； quietly thrumming； her features knit in intense concentration。 He sympathized； it was an extremely tough call。 He just hoped that she'd make the right decision。
〃We run with the story；〃 she said at last。
〃Alright！〃 Kirk exclaimed； scarcely daring to believe it。
〃Score： Cannibals； one； Humans； nothing；〃 Gary muttered； scowling。
Laura picked up the phone and punched an inside line to the studio。 〃John？〃 she said。 〃Laura。 Listen； get on the line and get me another cameraman 。。。 yeah； I know it's Sunday； dammit！ Something's cooking； and it looks like it might break early 。。。 〃
She paused； suddenly。 Gary watched her face turn a little bit green。 〃Um 。。。 Mike？〃 she said slowly。 〃Mike's out of mission 。。。 never mind what happened！ Just get me another shooter in here； pronto！〃
She finished； ringing off。 Gary faced her squarely。 〃Aren't you forgetting something？〃 he said。
Laura took a deep breath。 〃The HazMat people will be out there any minute。 Not to mention more cops； if they're not there already。 Now； we can spend the whole day tied up； answering their questions； or we can get to the bottom of this。 As far as I'm concerned； it's not even an issue。〃 She looked him straight in the eye。 〃They'll take care of Mike。〃
〃Aw； bullshit 。。。 ！〃
〃Kirk。〃 Laura focused on him； turned away from Gary。 〃I want to know whose truck that was。 I want to know everything about them。〃 Kirk nodded； recuperating with astounding speed。 〃Then； as soon as we get another shooter； we'll…〃
〃WHAT？〃 Kirk cried out。 〃What do you mean； 'as soon as we get another shooter'！ I know how to work the camera！ I'm ready to go now！〃
Laura looked to Gary； as if to say can we？ Gary shook his head。
〃We can't do that；〃 she decided。 〃The union would flip。〃
〃The union；〃 Gary concurred； 〃would lose their fucking minds。〃
〃FUCK the union！〃 Kirk barked。 〃We're sitting on the biggest story of the year； and you want to wait for a goddamned cameraman？〃
〃Rules are rules；〃 Laura said。
〃FUCK THE RULES！！〃 Kirk wailed。
〃Now； you listen；〃 Laura turned； recouping herself。 〃And listen good。 I'm not going to risk my job and bring a strike down on us just because you've got a fire in your pants。 So you either sit tight； and we do it by the book； or you just kiss it goodbye。 You got that？〃
Kirk looked away； conceding nothing。 Laura headed back to her Rolodex； started pulling important numbers。
〃Well； great；〃 Gary said； radiating contempt as he turned to leave。 〃Hope it all works out for you guys 。。。 〃
〃Wait；〃 she said； stopping him at the door。 〃I need your help。 Do you think you could run A。D。O。 on that tape？〃
He turned back； looking at her as if she had just said would you eat barbecued baby butt？ 〃You're serious；〃 he said。
〃You bet your ass；〃 she replied。 〃Can you do it？〃
〃Sure； I can。〃 Gary nodded incredulously； making no pretense of niceness。 〃But you forget： I'm outahere。 Besides；〃 he added； 〃what do you need digital effects for？ You got your action footage。〃
〃The police report said that the vehicle was stolen；〃 Laura countered。 〃That means it could have been anybody。 We need to isolate the face of the driver； give us a recognizable still。〃 Beat。 〃If we're gonna nail this guy； we need your help。〃
Gary paused。 The bitch of it was； she had a point。 Ampex Digital Optics processing could show the bugs stuck to the bumper； if Mike had shot it right。 And Gary'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious。
〃Please；〃 she entreated。 〃Do it for Mike。〃
Ooh。 He felt his blood freeze in his veins。 You manipulative bitch。
But her gaze didn't waver。 And the facts didn't change。
〃Okay；〃 he conceded at last。 〃But just for the record； this utterly sucks。〃
〃For the record； noted。〃 She nodded； handing him the tape。 〃Oh； and Kirk？〃 she began； turning toward the edit room。 〃Kirk 。。。 ？〃
〃Oh； shit。〃 Gary got it at the very same time。
〃Kirk！〃 she yelled； turning back to the stairs。 〃Oh； you son of a bitch！〃
Both Kirk and the camera were gone。
And it was twelve o'clock。
Seventeen
At twelve…fifteen； the HazMat team pulled onto the Black Bridge road。
Deitz noticed the atmosphere shift at once。 It immediately got ten degrees warmer； and close： a sticky； subtropical humidity that clung to the inside of the lead truck's cab。
The last thirty years； he knew； had seen radical shifts in global climate patterns； accelerating as the carbon dioxide levels increased。 And the weather had always been a quirky； temperamental thing at best。
But this； he noted；