— There are others here like this? Chained up?
— Just six.
— Oh no.
— No one’s hurt.
— Everyone’s alive?
— Of course everyone’s alive. I’m a moral man. Sara, you have to understand that this has been a certain week when I stopped time and asked questions. I’m just a normal man but I was able to do this and you have to admit that means some other force was at work, right? The first person I brought here was an astronaut. That means something’s happening, right? Doesn’t it mean that I’m touched in some way? That there’s something like destiny at work?
— I have no idea.
— I would never believe in this kind of thing, either. Believe me. There’s no way. But too many things have happened this week, and now I have to submit to all this.
— Submit to what?
— This design. This order of events. I think all of these opportunities were presented to me, in this order, so I could answer the questions I needed to answer, settle all that needed settling, and then start anew.
— I don’t know what you’re talking about.
— I know it’s a lot. And there’ll be plenty of time to explain later. But the thing is, I think this is the end. Time’s running out.
— The helicopters. I knew something was up. They were looking for you.
— Maybe. Someone’s coming soon, sure. With the congressman here it was only a matter of time. And once it gets dark, I figure this is it. We have just tonight to make it out of here. I have a way to get to the water, and I have a strong boat that will take us to the next place. And once we get there, we’ll be free.
— But I don’t want to go away somewhere.
— I know. I know you have a life here. And you don’t know me very well. All I’m asking is that you take this small leap of faith. That you acknowledge the presence of something extraordinary here.
— This isn’t extraordinary. It’s debased. It’s ugly.
— I told you: I didn’t want it this way. I wanted to leave from the beach and that’s why I took your hand. But that didn’t happen, so this did. This is just a means, just a temporary thing. You can see my side of things, I hope. How else would I have a chance to tell you all this?
— I think you’ll have to leave me behind.
— No. I don’t think it’s supposed to be that way. I think the way it’s supposed to end is that you and I go together, away from here. I can’t see how it could be any other way. I mean, I hadn’t planned it this way; I thought I’d leave here alone. But then you were there, on the shore, alone every day, this ray of light. And I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence. For once in my life there was logic, and an orderly procession of events, one leading to the next, every time I had an idea it worked out. I wanted the astronaut and found him. I wanted the congressman and I found him. And the cop— I mean, it couldn’t be chance. It couldn’t be random, especially given at the end of it all I found you. I didn’t even seek you out. I didn’t know I wanted you, but it’s all so obvious now that it was all leading up to this, to us. Now we just have to complete it.
— Not we.
— Yes we.
— I think you’re right that you have to leave soon. Otherwise you’ll be caught, or more likely killed. But you have to leave without me. If you get away, write me a letter. We can start over that way.
— No. I don’t want that.
— Please.
— No. I don’t know how to convince you, but this has to be. It has to be now. Everything depends on it.
— Or what?
— Or I don’t know.
— See, now you’re scaring me.
— I thought you would understand.
— I don’t understand. I’m not some part of your bizarre plan.
— It’s not my plan. It’s the plan.
— No. No. It’s your plan. You did all this. Yourself. This is criminal behavior.
— You know that’s not true. I’m a criminal because I held your hand?
— You’re a criminal because you kidnapped me and brought me here and have me chained to whatever this is.
— It’s a holdback for a cannon, I think. Every one of these buildings has one. They’re incredibly strong.
— I don’t care!
— But you stopped and you talked to me. You smiled a certain way.
— That beach is empty. It always is. You’re the only person for miles. And I talked to you. Anything beyond that was your imagination.
— But why couldn’t I expect that you would be interested in me?
— I don’t know. I just wasn’t. Now look at you. I would venture that I’ve shown pretty good judgment.
— But why else would I be there? Why would you be there? For a second it all made sense. This is the edge of the continent and we’re there alone.
— Right. And even that first day, I saw something sharp and desperate in your eyes, and the fact that you currently have me chained up in an Army barracks answers your own question, doesn’t it?
— There’s no way you knew all that the first day.
— Did I know you were kidnapping people? No. You’re right, it was beyond my imagining. But it seemed very much that your head had been screwed on one turn too tight.
— Wait. You’re the second person to say that. The congressman said it, too.
— What congressman?
— The one I have a few buildings over.
— Please don’t kill me.
— I won’t. I haven’t harmed anyone. Jesus, Sara, I didn’t hurt the astronaut and I won’t hurt you. The only one who says she’s hurt is my mom but she’s always bitching about something.
— I can’t believe I’m here.
— Like I said, it could have been different. And it’s not too late.
— Not too late for what? For you and me to fall in love?
— It doesn’t have to be right away.
— No.
— You think my head’s on too tight. What does that mean?
— Forget it.
— Please. You should just talk to me. I’m getting sort of desperate now. I don’t want to threaten you but I had to do that with the others and I’m tired of the threats.
— You’re tired of the threats.
— Just assume I can threaten you and it’s better if you answer my questions. Why do you think my head’s on one turn too tight? What does that mean?
— It means that they put a capable brain in your skull, and then when they put the cap on, they turned it one turn too tight. It makes for bad outcomes. I think of graduate students stuffing their colleagues into crevices, shooting professors, that kind of thing. People like you. Smart but nuts. One turn too tight.
— How is that my fault?
— How is it not your fault?
— You have no idea what they did to me.
— I really don’t care what they did to you. I care what you did to me. What you’ve done to all the others.
— I haven’t harmed anyone. The congressman’s been here days and he’s fine. He’s great actually. He’s the only one who ever came close to keeping a promise to me. I thought you’d be the one who would really do it, would do something real and pure. And just looking at you now I still think you could. I’ve learned so much that I know I would treat you well. You’d live an honorable life with me. I’d be true to you always.
— What the fuck are you talking about? You’d keep me in some dungeon probably.
— No. No. I wouldn’t. That isn’t something I would do.
— But is this something you would do?
— No. Not normally.
— So this behavior is anomalous.
— Sara. I was pushed to a certain point, so I picked up the astronaut. We talked for a while, and that went well, and it helped me a lot. I think it helped him, too. And that led to the congressman. And that led to my mom and Mr. Hansen and a couple of others and now you. And all these means are justified, because I met you.