She was reaching out to him. Hands touching. Her cool hand. Her tears— His mother. Her hands, reaching— He grasped them. In one hand he held Jan’s hand, in the other his mother’s hand. He touched them. It was done. It was done until McVries’s arm came down around his shoulder again, cruel McVries. “Let me go! Let me go!” “Man, you must really hate her!” McVries screamed in his ear. “What do you want? To die knowing they’re both stinking with your blood? Is that what you want? For Christ’s sake, come on!”
