“What made you think I was dead?" said Gowdy. "What gave you such a crazy idea?"
"The funeral, for one thing." Leif managed a smirk.
Hannahlee hurried over to check his condition. "Try not to move around too much."
"That's what they told the guy in the coffin." Leif chuckled...then grunted in pain.
Gowdy got up from the table and walked over to the bed. "But where did you first hear it? Who told you I was dead?"
"Your partner, of course," said Leif. "Your second in command, Jeremiah Weed. He said you were in a terrible fire, which is why the funeral was closed-casket."
"Lou Mendez?" Gowdy shook his head slowly. "You mean he didn't tell everyone to go home? He didn't announce the experiment was over, and I'd gone underground to work on a new project?"
"Nope," said Leif. "This is the first time I've heard a word of it."
"Why wouldn't Lou say what I told him to?" said Gowdy. "I don't understand."
Dunne left the table and walked over to stand at the foot of the bed. "Apparently, Weed—I mean Lou—took over when you left. Only I think he gave up on the utopia idea."
"What has he done?" said Gowdy.
Leif hissed between clenched teeth as Hannahlee checked his shoulder wound under the dressing. He relaxed when she replaced the gauze and tape. "Weed told us there was a contest...a reality show kind of thing being shot with hidden cameras. Whoever took over the town—without breaking character—would win the town, plus ten million dollars."
Gowdy looked shaken. He slipped off his ruby-framed glasses and juggled them from hand to hand. "I never told him to do that. He never mentioned it. Why would he do that?"
"So he could turn the place into a living hell and make our lives miserable?" said Leif.
"Sounds like he's been running an experiment of his own," said Hannahlee.
"All I know is, he's been winning the 'game,'" said Leif. "Whoever didn't join him, he's rounded them up. I don't know for sure if he's been killing them, but there are rumors. I do know no one ever sees those people again."
"He's capable of killing," said Dunne. "His people are using live ammunition."
"His own private shooting gallery," said Hannahlee. "Out in the middle of nowhere."
"It just doesn't seem possible." Gowdy stopped juggling the glasses. Dunne could see his fingers tremble as he fiddled with the ruby stems. "This is Lou Mendez we're talking about."
"It's like he became the character he played," said Dunne.
Hannahlee finished checking Leif's second wound and put the dressing back in place. "I guess you did a better job of casting than you thought."
Gowdy rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. "All this time," he said. "I didn't even think there was anyone up there, and all this time, it's been going on right over my head."
Leif took a deep breath and tried to sit up...but he got only halfway. Wincing, he settled back down on the bed instead. "So tell me something."
Gowdy slipped the ruby glasses back on his face. "What's that?"
"Why did you leave?" said Leif. "What made you decide to go underground?"
Gowdy sighed and stared into space. "It's ironic."
"Why is that?" said Dunne.
"I came down here because..." Gowdy faltered and shook his head, looking sheepish...sheepish with an edge of anger and despair.
"Why?" said Leif.
"To save the world," said Gowdy. "I came down here to save the world."