Nine

“Just cut me down,” Kit said. “I can use my arms to help roll and break the fall.”

But instead Alex also held on to him as he cut, so that Kit’s weight didn’t hit the ground all at once. They managed clumsily but without further damage. He handed Kit the knife and then used the flashlight to look for Cameron’s rifle.

“I’m sorry,” Kit said, cutting his ankles free, then rubbing his calves and ankles as circulation painfully returned to them. “I should have been more careful.” Alex saw him pick up the stone tortoise.

“Could have happened to either of us. Are you going to be able to walk?”

“I’ll be all right in a moment. I know we have to hurry. Everett will wonder where Cameron is. And he’ll wonder why you haven’t shown up yet.” He paused and said, “I’m worried about your nephew. If Cameron was willing to kill you…”

Alex frowned. “I see your point. Why keep Chase alive if I’m dead, right?”

“Right.”

He found the rifle and brought it to Kit, who had moved unsteadily to his feet. “You know how to use this, right?”

“Yes.”

Alex turned off the flashlight. In the darkness, he said, “Ciara must have heard the shots. She’s probably called for backup by now. So if you see someone from a SWAT team, lay the weapon down and let them handle whatever happens next.”

Kit didn’t answer.

“Kit-I know you’re thinking about Spooky, but you won’t do her any good if one of our snipers can’t tell what team you’re on.”

“All right. Do you want the knife back?”

“No, you keep it.”

“What about the FBI agent? Did Cameron kill him?”

“No-but he’s wounded. Getting shot by his buddy Cameron seems to have wised him up some. One other thing-although I don’t know if we should believe him. Hamilton told me there are explosives up in the bell tower.”

“As long as we get Chase and Spooky out of here,” Kit said, “Everett can blow up the whole school. Let’s go.”

• • •

The baseball field stayed dark. By the time they were able to move to the buildings, they saw lights on in the administration building and one of the classrooms. It was brighter here, but they tried to stay in the shadows.

Kit cautiously peered through a window into the classroom. He turned to signal to Alex that it was empty, and his eyes widened. Alex looked at himself in the light for the first time since coming from the woods. The front of his suit was covered with blood.

“Hamilton’s and Cameron’s,” he whispered. “Not much of mine. Let’s look in the other classrooms, too, though. Nothing says he’ll have them in a room with a light on.”

They were moving toward the next room when the school’s public address system came on.

“Kit Logan and Alexander Brandon, report to the principal’s office. You have visitors.”

Kit and Alex froze.

“I repeat,” Everett said, “Kit Logan and Alexander Brandon, report at once to the principal’s office. Perhaps you’d like to hear from one of our visitors? Talk to them, my dear.”

“Alex, I’m sorry.” Ciara’s voice, sounding strained. “We heard shots. We tried to sneak in, to find you. This asshole caught us.”

They heard the sound of a blow and then a scream.

Alex paled. He watched Kit take out the little tortoise and roll it between his fingers.

“Christ almighty! This is no time to sit around playing with a toy.”

“We shouldn’t both go,” Kit said.

There was another scream.

Kit seemed not to hear it.

“What the hell are you made of?” Alex asked angrily.

“Ice,” Kit answered. “This is a trap, I think.”

“You think. Heard a lot of screams, haven’t you?”

Alex saw something that might have been disappointment briefly cross Kit’s face.

“Yes,” Kit said. “I’ve heard a lot of screams. Do what you want to do. I’m going to look for Spooky and Chase.”

Alex pulled out his gun. “He wants to see you, you’re coming with me.”

“Bring me to him dead, then,” Kit said. “Shoot me in the back.” He began to run away.

Alex angrily lifted the gun to fire a shot over his head. But just as he started to squeeze the trigger, he heard J.D.’s voice in his mind, saying, Don’t get ex- cited. His hand trembled as he holstered the gun. He did what he could to calm himself.

Maybe Kit was right. He was undoubtedly walking into a trap. Maybe neither one of them should go. He could look for a phone, call a hostage negotiator, and a tactical team-

Another scream.

He didn’t have time. He thought for a moment, then broke a window to let himself into one of the darkened classrooms. He used his flashlight and found what he was looking for-an intercom unit on the wall near the teacher’s desk. He moved the switch to call the office and said, “This is Alex Brandon. Let the women go, and we can talk.”

There was a long silence. He heard a door open and whirled as the lights came on. Everett Corey stood in the doorway, holding a gun to Ciara’s head. He was wearing some sort of commando outfit. Ciara’s hands were cuffed behind her back, and she looked as if she had been in a fight. Her upper lip was swollen on one side, and the skin of her face was scraped.

“I like my idea better,” Everett said. “Drop your weapon and kick it across the floor. Take the Kevlar vest off, too.”

He did as Everett asked.

Everett moved closer to Alex’s gun. He was doing something with the handcuffs. Alex heard them released.

Alex did all he could to keep the smile off his face. Everett was underestimating Ciara.

“Pick it up, Ciara,” Everett ordered.

She bent, picked up the gun, and aimed it at Alex.

“Should I shoot you now,” she asked, “and see if Kit Logan comes ru

51

Malibu, California

Thursday, May 22, 8:37 P.M.

He felt the color drain from his face. He couldn’t hide his shock. But he pulled himself together and said, “Kit’s dead.”

“No!” she shouted, and kicked over a chair. “No!” Just as quickly, she calmed down. “I don’t believe you.”

“You’ve met up with Cameron,” Everett said. “Look at his neck, Ciara.”

Everett had called her by name twice now. Alex felt his stomach knot. There would be no backup, no SWAT team, no hostage negotiators. Just another hostage, unless he was convincing. Everything depended on that, and on Kit. “Kit wasn’t so lucky,” he said, letting his anger at Ciara find its way into his voice. He took a chance, and indicated the front of his suit. “I tried to stop the bleeding, but I was too late. At least I had the pleasure of evening the score.”

Everett held his head to one side. “Cameron is dead?”

“I thought you’d be all broken up about it.” So, he thought, Everett didn’t know about Hamilton. Maybe Hamilton was telling the truth after all.

“Cameron and I had a bit of a falling-out,” Everett said. “He told me he was going to deny me my long-awaited revenge, that he could set a trap for you and Kit in the woods that would be just as effective as my invention.”

Invention? Alex looked at Ciara, but she only frowned at him.

“Obviously,” Everett went on, “it was an inferior plan. Poor Cameron. Far too emotional when it came to hurting children. He was upset about what I’ve done to your nephew and-as I found out far too late-the female Kit adopted.”

Alex’s fists clenched, even as he fought a wave of nausea. What I’ve done to your nephew…

Everett laughed and said, “In any case, Cameron was intent on spoiling my fun. And I must say he did spoil it-most of it, anyway. But just in case you aren’t telling the truth, I think we’ll bring you along to the office. Handcuff him, Ciara-no, in front.”

She had started to pull Alex’s wrists behind him, and at this command, gave Everett a look of a

“Take the daypack and any weapons from him,” Everett said, “and give them to me. Be quick about it.”