Page 14 of Circle of Death
“Saved by Khan?” says Moe. “Nowthat’sa goddamn first.”
CHAPTER 15
IT’S BEEN A long night. I pull the bedroom curtains shut to cover the spidery bullet cracks on the glass. Three hours after the attack, everybody in the house is still on edge, including me. I’m glad the house held up against the assault, but I need to find out who’s behind it. I know they’ll come back again, stronger next time.
Down the hall, Maddy tucked herself into bed with Bando at her feet. Burbank and Moe decided to bunk together in an inside room—one with no windows. Jericho is sitting outside on the kitchen terrace smoking a cigar and holding one of my twelve-gauge shotguns, keeping watch. I couldn’t ask for a more reliable sentry.
Margo is sitting up in bed with a pillow propped behind her. She’s being very quiet. I thought she’d want to talk more about what happened. About all the evil we’re up against. But she has something else on her mind.
“I hear Maddy has a new teacher,” she says.
There’s a little edge in her voice. I know that edge. She’s reminding me that I made an important family decision without consulting her.
I climb into bed on my side. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I should have told you he was coming.”
Margo is a lot like Maddy. She gets irritated when people pop up out of nowhere. “So how are they getting along?” she asks. “Maddy and Dache.”
“Work in progress. She’s not sold yet. But Dache has infinite patience. He did with me.”
“Maddy said she’s trying to get rid of him.”
“Wishful thinking. Dache isn’t going anywhere.”
Margo slides down and snuggles her head into the pillow. She turns toward me.
“All these newpeople! I remember those times back in the 1930s, when it was just you and me against the world.”
I prop myself up on my elbow. “I do, too. And then that damned radio show started publicizing us.Exposingus. That’s why we needed all the extra help. More undercover operatives. More eyes and ears on the street. The Shadow and Margo Lane couldn’t do everything.”
“Yourfriend and companion,” says Margo. “That’s what they called me on the radio show.”
“I guess they were trying to be discreet.”
“Made me sound like a pet dog.”
Margo flicks off the light on the night table. I reach over and push her hair back from her face. That beautiful face.
“They had no idea,” I tell her. “They should have saidfriend, companion, comrade in arms, esteemed business partner…”
She slides herself closer. “Don’t forgetincredibly sensuous lover.”
“I was about to say that.”
She slides her bare foot up along my bare leg and pulls the covers over us. “I’ll bet you were.”
CHAPTER 16
THE NEXT MORNING. Very early.
Maddy is standing across from Dache on the front lawn of the mansion. Words cannot express how annoyed she is. For one thing, it’s barely dawn. Also, Dache appeared in her bedroom to wake her up.
“I could have been naked, you know.”
“That would be meaningless to me,” says Dache.
With everything that happened last night, Maddy’s in no mood for a lesson from a placid monk. “You know we were attacked during dinner, right? Killer drones.”
“Yes,” says Dache. “And clearly, you survived.”
