“What are you up to?” Her tone was worried, drugged voice lacking full enunciation.
“What do you think? Rescuing kids.” I gave a dreamy sigh. Flipped hair off my forehead and clucked my tongue. “'Cause that's what I do now.”
“I have a bad feeling… Whatever you're doing, you need to stop.”
I pictured her in the clinic bed, battered, bandaged and beautiful, wishing she was at my side. I told her what I planned.
She sighed. “You're doing it again.”
“Huh?”
“Vice hidden in virtue.”
“Oh, here we go…”
“Fearless domination of obstacles will give you capacity to skilled leadership,” she pressed on, with yet another phrase that pointed out my errors in decision making. She had a new one every week. “But it can also enable criminality and violence.” She paused for effect. “And waste talent.”
