Read Online Reap by James Frey - Free Book Online Page B

said. “How do we even know we’re going in the right direction?”
    â€œBlood,” John said simply, and pointed at the roadway. “The Sumerian is bleeding.”
    I hadn’t noticed, but now that I was looking for it, I could spot it on the street. Not a constant trail, but every ten steps or so there was a drop. As we went farther, the drops got bigger, more the size of smallish puddles. And then they turned into small, patterned impressions, like the blood was now on the bottom of his shoe. He would have to stop somewhere soon and wrap the wound, but—
    Mary’s face came back to me, unexpectedly, filling my mind—just that image of her broken face, a face that I had kissed so many times. A girl who I once thought was mine. I’d been wrong. She’d played me for a fool, but I had still loved her. And now all I could see was her lifeless body, the gaping hole in her cheek.
    I looked over at Kat, who glanced back at me and gave a weary smile.
    The trail took us out of the Olympic Village and into the streets of downtown Munich.
    â€œLook,” Kat said, pointing down a side street to where an ambulance was parked, surrounded by paramedics and one police officer. There was the Sumerian, sitting up, his back against the stone foundation of an old government building.
    â€œDamn it,” John said. “Shit.”
    â€œWhat?” I asked.
    â€œThe trail only leads to him. We don’t know where the others are.”
    â€œIs he alive?” Kat asked.
    We looked down at him, waiting for some movement. The Sumerian lifted a hand wearily.. He seemed to be desperately signaling for help.
    John immediately started walking toward the emergency team, and Kat and I followed.
    â€œWhat are we doing, John?” I asked. “There’s a cop there.”
    â€œWe have to kill all the Players,” he said, anger in his voice.
    â€œYeah,” I said, “but won’t it be easier to track him down at the hospital? Besides, look at him—he’s not going to make it much longer anyway. We should go after the others.”
    â€œDon’t talk,” he said, and put a finger to his lips.
    I exchanged a look with Kat and let go of her hand, getting ready in case I needed to pull the gun from my waistband.
    â€œThe Nabataean and the Harappan can’t be far. They’re trying to kill the Sumerian too, remember.”
    I nodded. The two of them seemed the calmest under pressure. I didn’t imagine one of them would run from the other. They’d face off, sword versus spear, somewhere nearby. An alley, maybe, or a parking garage—somewhere out of the way, out of sight.
    I didn’t know what John expected to do here. Kat’s hand was red with blood and the paramedics would likely want to treat her too. And the cop would be suspicious of the three of us.
    If there was anything helping us today, it was the hostage crisis with the Palestinians and Israelis. The police probably had a lot of manpower surrounding the Olympians’ apartments, which would take a lot of cops off the streets. They were overwhelmed and couldn’t chase Players across the city.
    â€œWhere are we going after this?” Kat asked.
    â€œWe’re going to find the other two,” I said.
    â€œThat’s not what I meant. I mean when we’re done today. Where arewe going? Not back home.”
    â€œYou speak German,” I said. “We could stay here.”
    â€œHow about England?” she said. “Forge some forms and get student visas.”
    â€œIf we’re going to forge papers anyway, let’s just get our citizenship.”
    John again told us to be quiet. “Kat, talk in German. Pretend to be tourists.”
    We were only twenty yards from the cop, and he turned to look up at us.
    â€œGeh weg,” he said. “Dies ist ein Tatort.”
    â€œWir suchen für den Olympic plaza,” Kat replied.
    â€œGehen Sie weg; oder