quinn-gaither

Quinn came forward and Sam pulled him aside. His old friend looked tortured and sad.__hat__ up, brah?_ Sam asked.Quinn couldn__ speak. He was choked with emotion. __ude . . .___ou want to stay in town.___y crews . . . my boats and all . . .__am put a hand on his shoulder. __uinn, I__ glad you found something so important to do. Something you really like.___eah, but . . .__am pulled him into a brief hug. __ou and me, we__e still friends, man. But you have responsibilities.

Hi, Albert,_ Quinn called back. He seemed distracted. And Albert was sure that he__ seen Quinn motion for someone to stay down.__ow long is this supposed to go on?_ Albert asked.__ntil we get justice,_ Quinn said.__ustice? People have been waiting for justice since the dinosaurs.__uinn said nothing and Albert cursed himself for indulging in sarcasm. __hat is it you want, Quinn? I mean in practical terms.___e want Penny gone,_ Quinn said.__ can__ afford to pay you any more,_ Albert shouted back.__ didn__ say anything about money,_ Quinn said, sounding puzzled.__eah, I know: justice. Usually what people really want is money. So why don__ we get down to it?___enny,_ Quinn said. __he leaves town. She stays gone. When that happens we fish. Until it happens, we sit._ He sat down as if to emphasize his point.

About time,_ Brianna said.__ey, sorry, we were kind of busy,_ Quinn snapped. __nd I didn__ exactly realize I was on a schedule.___ don__ like what I have to do here,_ Brianna said. She handed Quinn the note.He read it. Read it again.__s this some kind of joke?_ he demanded.__lbert__ dead,_ Brianna said. __urdered.___hat?___e__ dead. Sam and Dekka are off in the wilderness somewhere. Edilio__ got the flu, he might die, a lot of kids have. A lot. And there are these, these monsters, these kind of bugs . . . no one knows what to call them . . . heading toward town._ Her face contorted in a mix of rage and sorrow and fear. She blurted, __nd I can__ stop them!__uinn stared at her. Then back at the note.He felt his contented little universe tilt and go sliding away.There were just two words on the paper: __et Caine.

Penny rolled over, got to her feet, trying to get control of her scattered mind, but Quinn was behind her now and had his powerful arm around her neck.__ will snap your neck, Penny. I swear to God, I will snap your neck. Nothing you can do will stop me.__enny went limp. __ou think the king will let you get away with this, Quinn?_ she hissed.__nyone messes with me, Penny, you or anyone else, and I go on strike. See how well you enjoy life without me and my crews. Without food.

Go, Breeze,_ someone yelled.But another voice yelled, __uit showing off, stupid mutant.__rianna stopped dead. Her dress settled back into place. __ho said that?__il. The same jerk who had picked on Jack over the phones.__e,_ Zil said, stepping forward. __nd don__ bother trying to look tough. I__ not scared of you, freak.___ou should be,_ Brianna hissed.Suddenly there was Dekka, up off her chair, hand extended between Brianna and Zil. __o,_ she said in her deep voice. __one of that.__uinn joined her. __ekka__ right, we can__ be having fights and stuff here. Sam will shut this place down.___aybe we should have two different clubs,_ a seventh grader named Antoine said. __ou know, one for freaks and one for normals.___an, what is the matter with you?_ Quinn demanded.__ don__ like her acting like she__ so cool, is all,_ Zil said, stepping beside Antoine.__ou should be on our side, Quinn. Everyone knows you__e a normal,_ another kid, Lance, said. __ell_kind of normal. You__e still Quinn.

You can't let him get away with this!" Penny shrieked. Caine wasn__ having it. __ou stupid witch,_ he yelled back. __o one told you to let it go that far!___e was mine for the day,_ Penny hissed. She pressed a rag to her nose, which had started bleeding again.__e tore his own eyes out. What did you think Quinn would do? What do you think Albert will do now?_ He bit savagely at his thumb, a nervous habit.__ thought you were the king!__aine reacted without thinking. He swung a hard backhand at her face. The blow did not connect, but the thought did. Penny flew backward like she__ been hit by a bus. She smacked hard against the wall of the office.The blow stunned her, and Caine was in her face before she could clear her thoughts.Turk came bursting in, his gun leveled. __hat__ happening?___enny tripped,_ Caine said.Penny__ freckled face was white with fury.__on__,_ Caine warned. He tightened an invisible grip around her head and twisted it back at an impossible angle.Then Caine released her.Penny panted and glared. But no nightmare seized Caine__ mind. __ou__ better hope Lana can fix that boy, Penny.___ou__e getting soft._ Penny choked out the words.__eing king isn__ about being a sick creep,_ Caine said. __eople need someone in charge. People are sheep and they need a big sheepdog telling them what to do and where to go. But it doesn__ work if you start killing the sheep.___ou__e scared of Albert._ Penny followed it with a mocking laugh.____ scared of no one,_ Caine said. __east of all you, Penny. You live because I let you live. Remember that. The kids out there?_ He waved his hand toward the window, vaguely indicating the population of Perdido Beach. __hose kids out there hate you. You don__ have a single friend. Now get out of here. I don__ want to see you back here in my presence until you__e ready to crawl to me and beg my forgiveness.

Where are you going, Albert?__lbert said nothing. How rare, Quinn thought: Albert speechless.__ot really your concern, Quinn,_ Albert said finally.__ou__e running out.__lbert sighed. To his three companions he said, __o ahead and get in the boat. The Boston Whaler. Yes, that one._ Turning back to Quinn he said, __t__ been good doing business with you. If you want, you can come with us. We have room for one more. You__e a good guy.___nd my crews?___imited resources, Quinn.__uinn laughed a little. __ou__e a piece of work, aren__ you, Albert?__lbert didn__ seem bothered. ____ a businessman. It__ about making a profit and surviving. It so happens that I__e kept everyone alive for months. So I guess I__ sorry if you don__ like me, Quinn, but what__ coming next isn__ about business. What__ coming next is craziness. We__e going back to the days of starvation. But in the dark this time. Craziness. Madness.__is eyes glinted when he said that last word. Quinn saw the fear there. Madness. Yes, that would terrify the eternally rational businessman.__ll that happens if I stay,_ Albert continued, __s that someone decides to kill me. I__e already come too close to being dead once.___lbert, you__e a leader. You__e an organizer. We__e going to need that.__lbert waved an impatient hand and glanced over to see that the Boston Whaler was ready. __aine__ a leader. Sam__ a leader. Me?_ Albert considered it for a second and shook the idea off. __o. I__ important, but I__ not a leader. Tell you what, though, Quinn: in my absence you speak for me. If that helps, good for you.__lbert climbed down into the Boston Whaler. Pug started the engine and Leslie-Ann cast off the ropes. Some of the last gasoline in Perdido Beach sent the boat chugging out of the marina.__ey, Quinn!_ Albert shouted back. __on__ come to the island without showing a white flag. I don__ want to blow you up!