there for me yet, and it won't be 'till I've done something to make it feel real." Sipping his drink, he added, "But what's really got you tweaked is my kill sheet." Cade shrugged. "Can't change those numbers. Can't undo the conversion, either. Seems to me that if I turn out to be a big mistake, you'll have to kill me rather than let me run loose in the world. Fair enough, ma'am. Are you ready to go see what they have next door?" For a long moment, Mandi simply stared at him, then she swung her legs from beneath the table and stood up. Cade did the same and they walked around the hedges between the restaurants to another chain burger joint. "There's a Mexican restaurant the other way," said Mandi. "That's why I didn't go that way. You like Mexican food?" "I just mentioned it, Ed. It's there, that's all." "Yeah, and it can damned well stay there. I wasn't hungry enough to eat Mexican food when I woke up today." Mandi snickered and asked, "You really don't like Mexican food, huh?" "No, ma'am, I really don't. The stuff's a health hazard." "It won't be a problem for you after the conversion." "Great, but I still won't want any." At the end of the hedges a loud rustling sounded as a guy in his twenties jumped in front of them and said, "Gimme your money," as he aimed a stiletto at them. Cade opened his jacket and put his hand on his Glock as he said, "You don't get to keep the knife. Drop it, then get lost." "You aren't going to arrest him?" asked Mandi. The guy had spread his arms and leaned as if to put the knife on the ground. He suddenly leaned the other direction and took off running. Cade ran after him, caught up with him almost instantly, and grabbed his knife arm. Bones snapped and crushed in his grip. The guy screamed and the knife fell from his hand to the pavement as he stared at Cade in shock and agony. "Damn it," muttered Cade, "That's the second time... You. Get the fuck out of here. Now." The guy seemed about to faint as his gaze fell to his crushed forearm. Cade raised his voice a bit. "Now!" Without a word, the guy slowly backed away, then slipped into the hedges between the restaurants, disappearing into the darkness beyond. Mandi walked up as Cade picked up the knife. "It happened again," he said. "I mashed the holy shit out of his arm." "So I noticed. Look on the bright side; at least you didn't kill him, right?" Glancing at her, Cade said, "I didn't arrest him, either. What does a double negative do to my ratio?" Giving him a droll look, Mandi said, "Very funny. Ha, ha." Cade stopped at the restaurant's dumpster and snapped the knife's blade in a lid hinge, then tossed the broken parts in the dumpster as he said, "About a week, right? Then I'll be as strong as I'm going to be and I can start learning how to handle things so they don't break?" "You could start now," said Mandi.