None of the boys said anything.
“I better damn sure get an answer,” Connrad growled, leveling the Mossberg. “Otherwise, I’m going to shoot me some fish in a barrel.”
“Live!” Ethan Perry said, blood tracking a split lip. The other boys took up the cry.
Dean, who’d said nothing, found himself being prodded with the shotgun muzzle. He thought about trying to grab the barrel but decided against it. Even if he managed to get it away from the man, there was nowhere to go.
“What about you, kid?” Connrad demanded.
“I want to live,” Dean answered.
Connrad flashed him a cruel grin, eyes shadowed by the night’s darkness. “Smart kid.” He withdrew the Mossberg.
Dean sat up, sidling out of reach of an arm through the cage. “What do we have to do to live?”
“Chill a few people. Nothing big.”
“Who?”
“Does it matter?” Connrad’s gaze was direct and forceful.
Dean dropped his arms over his folded knees. “Not really.”
Connrad looked over his shoulder at Solomon. “I like this kid, Payton.”
Solomon nodded. “Knew you would. Like to talk about the jack you owe me for training these kids for you.”
Connrad waved a dismissive hand, turning his gaze back to Dean. “You’re kind of the runt of the litter, kid. Way you heard from Solomon, I paid him some good jack for finding ten of you here at the school and putting you together as a team. Promised him more when he delivered you.” He grinned. “Been thinking about that, though. Saunders!”
Instantly the gruff man beside the phys-ed teacher put a gun to Solomon’s head, then quickly relieved him of his weapons. “Put your hands up and keep them there,” Saunders ordered.
“What the hell is going on?” Solomon demanded.
“Got to thinking about it,” Connrad said. “You don’t want to go to Vegas with us, and that leaves me kind of exposed. You might tell some of Brody’s people about this transaction. Mebbe old Brody is an ornery enough cuss to send somebody looking for us. Can’t have that.”
“Wait a minute,” Solomon said. “If I sell you out, I’m writing my own death sentence.” Desperation filled his face. “Even if you didn’t hunt me down, Brody or one of those townsfolk would.”
“Mebbe. And mebbe you’d cut some kind of deal if you got caught getting out of this territory. Townsfolk get kind of soft, forget those hard roots that got them as far as they are. If you came with us, I’d know you got free of the situation. But you didn’t want it that way.”
“I’ll go!” Solomon said in a strained voice. “I’ll go with you! It’s not that big of a deal!”
Connrad fixed Dean with his stare. “You believe him?”
Dean looked deep into the phys-ed teacher’s eyes, thinking about the way Solomon had betrayed Nicholas Brody, the school and the nine other boys sitting in the cage behind him. “No.”
Connrad smiled, honest pleasure showing. “Lad after my own heart. You figure ol’ Solomon would up and split the first chance he got?”
“Yeah.”
“So do I.” The baron glanced at the teacher. Solomon was pale, shaky. “You think I should just shoot him and be done with it?”
“Up to you,” Dean said.
Connrad abruptly passed the flashlight to another man, then worked the shotgun’s slide to eject five shells. “Got one left in there. You hard enough to shoot Solomon for what he done?”
Dean returned the baron’s flat gaze full measure. Nothing stirred inside him; it was all about survival now. “Yeah.”
“Cawdor!” Ethan Perry exploded. “You can’t do that! You coldhearted little son of a bitch!” The boy erupted from his seat and came at Dean.
Dean rose to his feet to defend himself.
“Sit down!” Connrad barked. He wielded the Detonics in his other hand, pointing it directly at Perry’s head. “Or I’ll blow your bastard head off!”
Other boys, including Moxen and Louis McKenzie, reached up for Perry and pulled him back down. Perry put up a struggle, but it was mostly show. There wasn’t any way he was going to go up against the baron’s pistol.
Dean smelled the raw stink of fear filling the wag cage.