Misplaced (132 page)

Brake
s
screeche
d
a
s
th
e
Jee
p
cam
e
dangerously
clos
e
t
o
runnin
g
he
r
o
v
e
r
o
n
th
e
side
w
alk
.
I
n
spit
e
o
f
that,
Khar
a
looke
d
anythin
g
bu
t
apologetic
.
W
ithou
t
a
word
,
V
ictoria
jum
p
e
d
in. T
he
dri
v
e
r
e
x
ecu
t
e
d
a
slo
ppy
Ut
ur
n
an
d
t
hu
n
dere
d a
w
ay into the night.

Chapte
r
Forty-eight
Kha
r
a

Khara
shifted
slightly
in
the
dri
v
e
r
’s
seat,
in
the
grip
of a
dream.
E
y
es
closed, she
urged
her
mind
to
v
anquish
it.
Her nose
and
cheeks,
and
e
v
en
her
fingers,
w
ere
numb
with
cold. Nearby, someone sighed softly.
V
ictoria. She is al
w
ays here…

V
aguely
,
sh
e
recalle
d
pullin
g
th
e
Jee
p
of
f
th
e
roa
d
an
d
to
a
seclude
d
spo
t
befor
e
he
r
atten
t
io
n
shifte
d
t
o
th
e
v
aporous
being
s
rea
c
hin
g
f
o
r
h
e
r
.
Khar
a
co
ul
d
n
o
t
tel
l
w
hethe
r
they
meant
her
harm,
or
whether
her
fear
came
from
being
caught
i
n
a
n
e
v
er-shrinkin
g
circle
.
Sh
e
di
d
no
t
thin
k
o
f
the
m
a
s
human.

Forget about them. Tomorrow you are going home.

Cold
stung
her
e
y
es
as
she
woke
and
focused
on
the
clock.
It
w
as
se
v
en
thirty.
The
day
w
as
dawning
rough
and
dull,
the
colo
r
o
f
slate
,
throu
g
h
a
thi
n
la
y
e
r
o
f
fros
t
o
n
th
e
windows.
W
ith
her
slee
v
e,
she
cleared
the
inside
of
the
dri
v
e
r
’s
window
and
peered
outside.
A
pair
of
probing
blue
e
y
es
met
hers and she screamed.

Th
e
authoritie
s
ha
d
foun
d
them
.
Sh
e
looke
d
a
w
ay
,
choosing
to
stare
at
the
speedometer
as
though
ignoring
the
knocking
at
the
window
would
make
it
go
a
w
ay.
After
that,
she
looked
into
he
r
lap
,
a
t
he
r
whitenin
g
knuckles
.
Instantl
y
a
w
ake
,
V
ictoria
w
as s
w
earing under her breath.

Other
s
surrounde
d
th
e
Jeep
,
bu
t
Khar
a
refuse
d
to
ackno
w
ledg
e
them
.
Sh
e
w
atche
d
V
ictoria
,
whos
e
mout
h
w
as
movin
g
i
n
slo
w
motion
.
I
t
w
a
s
impossibl
e
t
o
mak
e
ou
t
anything
she
said.
Khara
suddenly
remembered
her
promise
to
Nandor
the
day
when
he
had
streaked
her
face
with
dirt
and
gi
v
en
her
his best smile.

Whe
n
s
h
e
lo
o
ke
d
up
,
V
i
c
tori
a
w
a
s
out
s
i
d
e
.
A
fte
r
a
m
inut
e
or
two,
she
came
to
the
dri
v
e
r
’s
side
and
opened
the
door.
“It’s
all
right,” she said, smiling
w
eakly. “Just act normal.”

Feeling
for
Nando
r
’s
pouch
underneath
her
s
w
eater,
Khara
grudgingl
y
steppe
d
fro
m
th
e
securit
y
o
f
th
e
v
ehicle
.
I
n
the
distance
,
a
donke
y
bra
y
ed
.
I
t
w
a
s
a
soun
d
fro
m
home
,
an
d
perhaps a good omen.

“
Are you all right, ma
’
am?”

“Of
course,”
she
ackno
w
ledged
tensely.
“It’s
only
that
you
frightened me.”

“W
e
mus
t
ha
v
e
misse
d
a
n
exit,
”
V
ictori
a
lie
d
gracefully.
“
W
e
’
re supposed to be in
T
aos.”

A
roun
d
o
f
snickerin
g
cam
e
fro
m
th
e
grou
p
o
f
mostly
prepubescen
t
boys
.
Thre
e
w
er
e
older
,
mayb
e
sixtee
n
or
se
v
enteen
,
bu
t
i
n
th
e
w
a
y
the
y
looke
d
a
t
her
,
Khar
a
sense
d
their
innocence.

“I
’
l
l
sa
y
you
’
r
e
lost
.
That’
s
almos
t
sixt
y
mile
s
fro
m
here,
”
the
tallest boy told her, grinning. “Where
’
d you come up from?”

“Albuquerque,”
V
ictoria lied again.

“
Y
ou
’
r
e
absolutel
y
sur
e
tha
t
you
’
r
e
al
l
right?
”
on
e
o
f
the
smalle
r
boy
s
asked
,
pullin
g
a
hinge
d
bo
x
emblazone
d
wit
h
a
white
cross
from
his
pack.
Proudly,
he
displa
y
ed
the
contents.
“I’
v
e got aspirin, bandages, and this cool stretchy stuff.”

“So
I
see,”
Khara
responded
gently,
reaching
down
to
ruffle
his light brown hair.