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.He dragged his wet things back on, and carried Bast'sclothes back up to the sanctuary and parked them in thegrass.John heard Bast moving inside the enclosure,doing something.John said, "You're stuff's here."Chasing Shadows 149Bast called out, "Wait in the car."* * *Bast returned to the parking lot in a little over anhour, wearing his damp clothes.They clung to his leanframe, outlining the muscles in his healed midriff.He didn't look as thin as he had after John shot him.John asked, "Are you hungry?""I ate," Bast said."Squirrel?"Bast shook his head."Groundhog.Crawfish."* * *Roll Call.29 Sept 2012.0800 Hours.The commander announced, "Our friend Krieg wasfound dead in St.James Cemetery, buried in a shallowgrave in a plot he owns, an apparent hit by the KnightsTemplar.The Templars are silent.FBI's not sure itwasn't an inside job by Krieg's own organization.This isjust FYI.This is not our case.We can put Krieg to bed."The detectives applauded.John spent the rest of the work day jumping out of hisskin.Finally alone with Bast in his car, John hissed athim, "You framed the Templars?"Bast looked really too pleased with himself, his eyesforming merry crescents.He gave a wolfish smile."TheTemplars didn't deny it.They want credit.It makes themlook terrifying.""I don't understand what was Krieg was doing outwithout his bodyguards.He was taking a big risk there."A monumental risk as it turned out."No risk.You keep thinking Krieg had an existenceseparate from the shadow.The shadow was done withKrieg's body.The shadow just wanted to bury me beforeit moved into a new house."Bast took John to his apartment.He walked him tothe front door.John turned on the step."Come up?"Chasing Shadows 150Bast stayed where he was, gazing up at him, mouthopen, as if searching for words.He blurted, "John, Iwant you to move in with me.Madonna wants youthere."John took a step down.He put his arms looselyaround Bast's waist and brushed his lips against his."Madonna does, hmm?"A motion made him look left.A black SUV with dark windows approached fromnine o'clock, too fast.John couldn't see the plate for theheadlight glare."I don't like the look of this -- " Crack!John was crumpling, Crack! Blood flowing between hisfingers holding his belly.Bast was on his cell, calling the codes, his other handtrying to staunch the bleeding.* * *John woke up in ICU, oxygen tubes at his nose.Nicestuff, oxygen.There were more tubes connected tomachines he didn't know what did.There were lots oftransparent tubes with blood in them.He learned thathe'd taken two hollow points.It wasn't like the first timehe'd been shot.That had been an armor-piercing round.That shot had gone straight through, not stopping to pisson anything.Hollow points entered a body, mushroomed out, andstayed to trash the place.They'd done critical damage toseveral vital organs."Should I be shopping for new ones?" John asked thenurse."We're shopping.We'll get you spare parts,Detective.""How many people are in front of me? On the organlist.Lists.""You have priority.""That means I'm hosed," John said.The worst offwent to the head of the class.* * *Chasing Shadows 151An officer from Patrol stopped in to question John."Why did Gustav Brugge shoot you?""I don't know who shot me.I don't know that name."The officer showed him a picture.John recognizedhim.It was Krieg's majordomo."I saw this man once.He works for Krieg.I don't know his name.Why doeshe look dead in this picture?"* * *At last Bast was allowed into John's room.The sightshocked Bast, even though Bast knew what to expect.John gave a weak near-smile.Bast leaned down andkissed him on the lips."Are you in pain?""Nope." John looked at all of his tubes."One of theseis a real nice controlled substance.How are you doing?""Crazy out of my mind.Otherwise, all right.""Patrol was in here, asking questions.I didn't seeanything.""They grilled me too.I got the shooter's plate numberand the make and model of the SUV.Patrol found it.Krieg's majordomo was dead at the wheel.An apparentheart attack, they say.""He had a shadow in him," John guessed."Yeah.And that shadow is in the wind now.I'msorry, John.It should have been me.""Screw that.Are we in trouble? With theDepartment?""Other than being at death's door, you're not introuble.""Are you?""Not with the Department.""Can you stay with me?""Yeah."They talked for a while, nothing of importance,except how was Madonna.They talked circles aroundthe ostrich in the room.Bast broke first.He said, "Themoon is full."Chasing Shadows 152John rolled his head on the pillow toward thewindow."Can't see it
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