'This is seriously a nasty weather. If they broke my leg and I had to crawl all the way back home, I wouldn't stand a chance. That place is isolated, with that highway cutting through where wild animals roam. I'd be toast,' he thought with a grimace. 'And that Jardin, he's downright cruel!' The sharp pain in his leg was a harsh reminder of Zach's aggressive behavior.

Zach put out his cigarette in the downstairs ashtray and headed back up once the scent had faded. At the far end of the third-flo