Part 28 (2/2)
”Just house dust,” Sam said thickly through the rubber of the respirator mask. ”It looks much finer than the stuff outside.”
Dodge quickly checked it and nodded his approval when the clicking of the Geiger counter did not change.
They moved through into a kitchen. Vienna tried one of the taps and was surprised to see running water.
Sam was less surprised. ”The water supply in Las Vegas comes in from the east through underground pipes. That explains why everything here is so green. The golf course's irrigation system must still be working.”
”Is it safe to drink?” Vienna asked.
”I don't know,” Sam said. ”Maybe we should run the tap for a few minutes to flush out any water in the pipes, then test it.”
Dodge moved around the house for a few minutes, testing different rooms, while the others waited nervously in the kitchen. It took less than ten minutes before he returned. He took off his mask, and the others followed, including, after a moment, Tyler.
”It's pretty clean inside,” Dodge said. ”Even lower than outside, but both are within safety levels. The water seems fine. This place seems perfect.”
He looked at Sam for approval. Sam looked at Vienna and realized that she was also waiting for his response.
”I agree,” Sam said. ”We wait for things to calm down, then make a run for Cheyenne.”
”The hole's getting deeper by the second,” Tyler said, ”but you guys just keep digging.”
”Shut up, Tyler,” Vienna said.
”Just ignore him,” Sam said.
”Give up-it's your only option,” Tyler said.
”Tyler, I'm getting sick of the sound of your voice,” Vienna said. ”Any more out of you and I'm going to take you downtown and rip your mask off. You can tell it to the dust. Are we clear?”
There was no power on in the house, but Vienna found an emergency generator in a shed at the rear and coaxed it into life with a swift kick and a few strong words.
Sam took a long, slow shower in a bathroom adjoining one of the bedrooms, as much to wash away the stress as the grime and sweat of the last few days.
He yawned in the shower and yawned again, wide, gaping, uncontrollable, painful yawns that stopped only as he shut off the water and dried himself off.
The drawers in the bedroom were full of clothes. Not his taste and not his size, but they were at least clean. He selected a pair of sweatpants and a sweater that didn't fit too badly and joined the others downstairs.
Dodge was rummaging through the cupboards, looking for food, while Tyler was handcuffed to a chair. He scowled at Sam as he entered.
Vienna was nowhere to be seen but appeared a little while later, wearing a luxurious white cotton dressing gown and drying her hair with a towel.
By that stage, Dodge had prepared an exquisite feast consisting of canned tomatoes and fruit.
”What an amazing place,” she said.
”Must have belonged to some millionaire,” Sam agreed.
”Who's hungry?” Dodge asked, and from the sudden interest in their eyes, it was clear that they all were.
They freed one of Tyler's hands so he could eat, cuffing the other to the table leg.
Sam looked up at Vienna between mouthfuls of cold, syrupy peaches and saw her looking thoughtfully at Tyler.
”I've been thinking about Tyler,” she said after a while.
Sam stopped eating and looked at her.
”Tyler really thinks he remembers you attacking Swamp Witch,” she said.
”The memory seems real to him,” Dodge agreed.
”It is real,” Tyler said tiredly. He was struggling a little, Sam thought. Desperate to maintain his sanity, the sanct.i.ty sanct.i.ty of his mind. of his mind.
”But I think that if Tyler examines those memories closely, he may find things that don't quite add up,” Vienna said. ”Something that doesn't ring true.”
”Like what?” Sam asked.
”Like facts that don't fit with other memories. If I clearly remembered being in Hawaii this morning but I know I never left Las Vegas, I would know that one of the memories is incorrect.”
”That makes sense,” Dodge said.
”It would be like one of those dreams that seems real, but you know it can't have happened because it just isn't possible,” Sam said.
Vienna nodded. ”Or maybe it's emotions. Memories often carry with them powerful emotions. You know how you smell something that reminds you of when you were little, and suddenly all these feelings that you thought you had forgotten come flooding back?”
”You're wasting your time,” Tyler said.
Vienna ignored him. ”But maybe if a memory was artificially implanted into your brain, it might not have the a.s.sociated emotions.”
”What do you mean?” Sam asked.
Vienna looked at him. ”What's something that affects you emotionally every time you think about it?”
Sam was silent for a moment. A dark breeze rustled the leaves of the trees outside the window.
”I don't know, I...”
”You never felt anything in your whole freaking life?” Vienna rolled her eyes.
”Give him a moment,” Dodge said.
Finally, Sam said, ”I guess...I had a friend. My best buddy since high school.”
”That Derek guy?” Dodge asked.
”Fargas.” Sam stared at the table. ”n.o.body called him Derek.”
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