The silence lasted less than a second.
Carine looked at Edythe. “How close?”
Earnest was already moving. His hand touched a keypad on the wall, and with a groan, huge metal shutters began sealing up the glass wall. My mouth fell open.
“About three miles out past the river. She’s circling around to meet up with the male.”
“What’s the plan?”
“We lead her off, then Archie and Jessamine will run him south.”
“And then?”
Edythe’s voice turned icy. “As soon as Beau is clear, we hunt her.”
“I guess she’s left us no other choice,” Carine agreed, her expression grim.
Edythe looked at Royal. “Get him upstairs and trade clothes.”
Royal stared back at her, incredulous.
“And why would I do that?” he asked. “What is he to me?”
“Roy…,” Eleanor murmured, putting one hand on his shoulder. He shook it off.
My eyes were on Edythe, worried that this would set off her temper, but she surprised me. She looked away from Royal like he hadn’t spoken, like he didn’t exist.
“Earnest?” she asked calmly.
“Of course.”
As he was speaking, he was already at my side and ducking to grab me in a fireman’s hold. We were up the stairs before I could register what was happening.
“What are we doing?” I asked as he set me down in a dark room somewhere off the second-story hall.
“Trying to confuse the scent trail. It won’t work for long, but it might give you a head start.” His voice was muffled as he pulled his shirt over his head.
I yanked my sweater off and held it out to him. He switched mine for his. I struggled to get my arms through the right holes, then yanked my jeans off. We traded. His pants were a little too short, but otherwise fit fine. He pulled me back to the hall. Earnest looked smaller in my clothes; he’d rolled the bottoms of my jeans. Archie was suddenly there; a leather satchel hung over his arm. They each grabbed one of my elbows and flew down the stairs.
It looked like everything had been settled. Edythe and Eleanor were ready to leave, Eleanor carrying a big backpack over her shoulder. Carine handed something small to Earnest. She turned to Archie and handed him the same thing—a tiny silver cell phone.
“Earnest and Royal will be taking your truck, Beau,” she told me as she passed. I nodded, glancing warily at Royal. He was glaring at Carine, resentful.
“Archie, Jess, take the Mercedes. You’ll need the dark tint in the South.”
They nodded.
“We’ll take the Jeep.”
Carine stopped next to Edythe. I realized that this was the hunting party, and I felt like I was going to throw up. How did it get to this point? Why had they listened to my idea? It was obviously wrong.
“Archie, will they take the bait?”
Everyone watched Archie as he closed his eyes and became incredibly still. A few seconds later his eyes opened again.
“She’ll track you. The man will follow the truck. We’ll be able to leave after that.” He was positive.
“Let’s go,” Carine said, heading for the kitchen.
But Edythe came back for me. She stared up at me, her gold eyes huge and deep and full of a million words she didn’t have time to say, and reached up to put her hands on my face. I leaned down, my hands already in her hair. For the shortest second, her lips were icy and hard against mine.
Then it was over. She pushed my shoulders back. Her eyes went blank, dead, just before she turned away from me.
They were gone.
We stood there, no one looking at me while I stared after them. It felt like someone had ripped all the skin off my face. My eyes burned.
The silent moment dragged. Archie’s eyes were closed again. Then Earnest’s phone vibrated in his hand, and Archie nodded once. The phone flashed to Earnest’s ear.
“Now,” Earnest said. Royal stalked out the front door without another glance in my direction, but Earnest touched my shoulder as he passed.
“Be safe.” His whisper lingered behind them as they slipped out the door. I heard the truck start thunderously, and then the sound faded away.
Jessamine and Archie waited. Then Archie lifted his phone to his ear just before it buzzed.
“Edythe says the man is on Earnest’s trail. I’ll get the car.” He vanished into the shadows the way Edythe had gone.
Jessamine and I looked at each other. She stood across the length of the entryway from me.
“You’re wrong, you know,” she said.
“Huh?”
“I can feel what you’re feeling now—and you are worth it.”
The feeling of being slowly skinned didn’t let up. “If anything happens to them, it will be for nothing,” I whispered.
She smiled kindly. “You’re wrong,” she repeated.
Archie stepped through the front door and walked straight toward me, one arm out.
“May I?” he asked.
“You’re the first one to ask permission,” I mumbled.
Archie slung me up into a fireman’s carry like Earnest had and, with Jessamine shielding us protectively, flew out the door, leaving the lights on behind us.
20. IMPATIENCE
WHEN I WOKE UP, I WAS CONFUSED. IT TOOK ME LONGER THAN IT SHOULD have to remember where I was.
The room was too bland to belong anywhere but a hotel. The bedside lamps were bolted to the tables, and the drapes were made from the same fabric as the bedspread.