Chapter Twenty-Two
Chief
The letter from Douglas arrived by special messenger, about an hour before lunch. Inside was a contract, just as he had promised. Brandy and I read it together on the table in my motel room.
Behind all the wherefores and provisos it basically boiled down to three specific parts: first, that she and I would swear unswerving loyalty to him. This loyalty meant that we would never betray his trust or give him any reason to mistrust us in any way shape or form. Second, we were to swear to obey his every command, on pain of death. If we did not, or if we violated the first commandment, a prepaid bounty on both our heads would go into effect, offering a million dollars—each—for our deaths. Third: that we would agree to live in peace with him, as a loving family.
In
