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“Sort of, sure.”

“Harrrrrr. I knew it musta been something.”

“So are you up for it? While you’ve got the jacket you’ll have to move fast, but I don’t think they’ll do anything to you, especially out on Connecticut. It’s more a surveillance kind of thing.”

“Ah fuck that.” Zeno brayed his harsh bray. “It won’t be no worse than the cops. Parole officers stick that shit right into your skin.”

“Yeah that’s right. Okay, well thanks then. We’ll come through in about ten minutes.”

“We? Who’s this we?”

“Another spook. You know how it is.”

“A lady spook? You got a lady in distress there maybe?”

Sometimes it was alarming how quick Zeno guessed things. “Are the rest of the bros there with you?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Maybe they can add to the confusion. When we pass through and hand off the jacket, have them—”

“We’ll beat the shit out of them!”

“No no no.” Frank felt a chill. “They could be armed. You don’t want to fuck with that. Maybe just go off in two or three groups. Give you some cover, create some confusion.”

“Yeah sure. We’ll deal with it.”

“Okay, thanks. See you soon. We’ll come in from the creek side and just pass right on through.”

Frank pushed the end button. He looked at the chip wand. “Could this wand be chipped itself?”

“I don’t know. I guess so.”

“We’ll leave it here. You said in the elevator you were training for a triathlon, right?”

“Yes?”

“Is your husband a runner?”

“What? No.”

“Okay.” He took her by the arm and led her off the path, up into the trees. “Let’s run. We’ll go past my park friends and give them your jacket, then take off on the ridge trail north. He won’t be able to keep up with us, and after a while he won’t know where you are.”

“Okay.”

Off they ran, Caroline fast on Frank’s heels. He ran up Ross to site 22, then turned up the trail that ran to the Nature Center, hurrying the pace so that they would gain some time. Behind him he heard the faint crackle of the pursuit.

They crossed the frisbee golf course, and then Frank really pushed it. At a certain point her husband wouldn’t be able to keep up. Once you were winded the will counted for nothing, you had to slow down. As animals he and Caroline were stronger, and out here they were animals. Down the narrow fairway of hole five, leading her between the trees to the left so they wouldn’t be seen. Running almost as hard as he could in the dark, Caroline right behind.

Then he was in site 21 and the bros were all standing around, wide-eyed and agog at the sight of them. Even in the midst of his adrenaline rush Frank saw that he would never hear the end of this.

He gestured to Caroline, helped her out of her jacket.

“Hi guys.” He met Zeno’s eye. Now more than ever Zeno looked impressive, like Lee Marvin in his moment of truth.

“Thanks,” Frank said, tossing the jacket at him in their usual aggro style.

“Where do you want me to go again?”

“Delhi Dhaba. Drop the jacket in the laundromat next door and get the fuck out of there.”

“Sure thing.”

“The rest of you wait a second and then wander off. Stick together though.”

“Yeah man.”

“We’ll beat the fuck out of him.”

“Just keep moving. Thanks boys.”

And with that Frank took Caroline by the hand and they were off again into the dark.

Running down the hole seven fairway he pulled off his down jacket, then passed it back to her. “Here, put this on.”

“No I’m okay.”

“No you’re not, you were shivering already.”

“What about you?”

“We run the course out here in T-shirts all the time. I’m used to it. Besides you’ve got to keep on going after this, right? Whereas I can go home.”

“Are you sure this isn’t chipped too?”

“Yes. I’ve owned it for twenty years, and no one else has been anywhere near it.”

“Okay, thanks.”

She pulled it on as they jogged, and then they started running at full speed again.

“You okay?” Frank said over his shoulder.

“Yeah fine. You?”

“I’m good,” Frank said. And he was; his spirits were rising as he got on the ridge path and led her north on it. Frozen