Misplaced (129 page)

“
Wh
a
t
?
”

“Mieley!”

The
y
reacte
d
a
s
one
,
divin
g
deepe
r
int
o
th
e
assembly
.
Khara
kep
t
he
r
focu
s
ahead
;
elbow
s
sprea
d
wide
,
painfull
y
a
w
are
that
the
path
she
w
as
forging
w
as
making
it
easier
for
Mieley
to
catch
up.

“D
o
yo
u
remembe
r
ho
w
t
o
ge
t
t
o
th
e
hotel?
”
V
ictoria
shouted
from
behind.
Much
of
the
gathering
w
as
behind
them
now.

Khara nodded.

“G
o
ther
e
a
s
fas
t
a
s
yo
u
ca
n
an
d
w
ai
t
fo
r
m
e
i
n
th
e
lobby
.
I
’
ll
try to head him off.
Hurry!”

I
n
a
n
instant
,
V
ictori
a
turne
d
north
,
movin
g
a
t
littl
e
more
than a trot to lure him a
w
ay.

Thankfully, the fireworks
had stopped.
As Khara exited the
park,
she
could
hardly
see
her
hand
in
front
of
her.
Thank
you,
Isis.
She
ran,
her
footsteps
echoing
through
the
empty
streets.
Whe
n
s
h
e
w
a
s
c
ert
a
i
n
n
o
o
n
e
ha
d
f
o
ll
o
w
e
d
her
,
s
h
e
pau
s
e
d
t
o
catc
h
he
r
breath
.
Th
e
vie
w
o
v
erlooke
d
th
e
plaza
.
Sh
e
w
as
safe,
but
what
of
V
ictoria?
Had
Mieley
taken
the
bait,
or
had
he
captured her?
A
w
a
v
e of worry
w
ashed o
v
er her.

Soo
n
Khar
a
hear
d
churc
h
bells
.
Th
e
Lorett
o
Chape
l
w
as
closer
than
she
’
d
thought!
W
ith
luck,
V
ictoria
would
soon
join
her.
Th
e
bel
l
chime
d
ele
v
e
n
o’cloc
k
a
s
sh
e
ra
n
past
.
Th
e
hote
l
cam
e
int
o
view
,
an
d
wit
h
it
,
a
ne
w
plan
.
Sh
e
woul
d
no
t
w
ai
t
inside, it
w
as
better
to
remain
in
the
shadows
where
she
could
make sure that
V
ictoria arri
v
ed alone.

Chapte
r
Forty-seven
Vic
t
oria

H
e
w
ant
s
th
e
bracele
t
an
d
nothin
g
els
e
sh
e
tol
d
herself,
though she no longer belie
v
ed it.

V
ictori
a
ha
d
place
d
hersel
f
bet
w
ee
n
Miele
y
an
d
Khara,
knowin
g
tha
t
he
r
heigh
t
mad
e
he
r
th
e
easie
r
target
.
T
o
keep
him distracted, she continually shifted direction. Her plan had
worked
,
an
d
Khar
a
ha
d
bee
n
abl
e
t
o
sli
p
a
w
ay
.
No
w
sh
e
looked
for a
w
ay to lose him so she could rush to the hotel.

The instant before Mieley’s hand closed around her upper
arm
,
sh
e
fel
t
hi
s
ho
t
breat
h
o
n
he
r
ear
.
“Wher
e
i
s
she?
”
he panted
.
Somethin
g
sh
e
assume
d
t
o
b
e a
pisto
l
w
a
s
jammed
into her back.

She
w
as on the
v
erge of a smartass remark when he dro
v
e the
air
out
of
her
lungs
with
an
elbow
to
her
ribs.
She
stumbled for
w
ard; he grabbed her by the collar, slapped her hard across the bridge of her nose, and co
v
ered her mouth. His hand
w
as smooth and damp. The taste of his flesh
made her gag.

“Wher
e
ar
e
th
e
polic
e
whe
n
yo
u
nee
d
them?
”
h
e
questione
d
sarcastically
,
a
s
i
f
readin
g
he
r
mind
.
“G
o
ahead
,
screa
m
for
he
l
p
.
E
v
er
y
la
w
e
nf
orcem
e
n
t
a
gen
c
y
f
r
o
m
he
r
e
t
o
Ca
i
r
o
ha
s
you
r
photo
.
A
worth
y
ad
v
ersar
y
turn
s
eac
h
setbac
k
int
o
a
vi
c
tory,
M
i
s
s
B
arrón.
Now
that
y
o
u
’
v
e
s
eparate
d
,
you
ha
v
en
’
t
a
chance. Game o
v
er.”

V
ictoria’
s
hea
d
s
w
am
.
Sh
e
ha
d
t
o
ge
t
t
o
th
e
hotel
.
What
would Khara do if she didn’t show?

Miele
y
pushe
d
th
e
barre
l
o
f
th
e
gu
n
agains
t
he
r
spine,
dragged
her
under
the
shadow
of
a
large
tree,
and
sho
v
ed
her
violently
against
the
trunk.
The
fireworks
that
had
been
in
the
sky
now
exploded
behind
her
e
y
es.
She
struggled
to
keep
her
footing
as
Mieley
pointed
the
gun
at
her
chest
with
a
puniti
v
e
look.

“
I
hope
,
fo
r
you
r
sake
,
tha
t
sh
e
stil
l
ha
s
it
.
No
t
tha
t
it’
s
going
to
change
anything.
Really,
you
could
ha
v
e
made
this
so
much
easier.”

V
ictoria pushed
a
w
ay the pain and
took a moment
to study
him
.
Hi
s
e
y
e
s
w
er
e
no
t
nervou
s
anymore
;
the
y
w
er
e
hungry.
H
e
mo
v
e
d
clos
e
t
o
he
r
an
d
brough
t
hi
s
han
d
close
,
opening
it
as
though
he
might
fondle
her
breast.
Instead
he
placed
the
muzzle
at
the
center
of
her
chest
and
pulled
it
slo
w
ly
down
to
her
w
aist.

A
t
least
he
hadn’t
put
his
filthy
hands
on
her;
in
fact,
Mieley
ha
d
resiste
d
touchin
g
her
.
I
n
court
,
sh
e
calle
d
i
t
flinching,
an
d
cu
t
attorney
s
wh
o
di
d
i
t
t
o
pieces
.
I
t
w
a
s
a
n
opportunity
V
ictoria knew would not be repeated.

“No
,
no
t
here,
”
h
e
whispered
,
lickin
g
he
r
earlobe
.
“I’m
goin
g
t
o
tak
e
m
y
tim
e
wit
h
you.
”
H
e
y
anke
d
he
r
a
w
a
y
from
the
tree
and
mo
v
ed
behind
her.
V
ictoria
knew
it
would
be
her
only
chance.
She
threw
her
w
eight
back
w
ard
against
his
torso, tripping him on a root.
Scrambling
t
o
brea
k
hi
s
fall
,
h
e
droppe
d
th
e
pisto
l
t
o
th
e
groun
d
wit
h
a dull
thud.
In
less
than
an
instant she
had
snatched
it
up.
It
fit easily
into
her
palm,
and
V
ictoria
w
as surprised
by
how
little
it
w
eighed.
Hardly
a
gun
for
a
man
,
she thought.
She
realized
that
Mieley
would
not
ha
v
e
used
it
to
kill her, but to maim her instead.