Page 95 of Shadow of Death
“I wouldn’t worry about it. You know how deep in we are? Even if he started out, the idiot would never be able to find this place again. But I doubt if he got out. He’s probably shaking by some pond, staring at alligators. Or holding on to a tree or kicking a moccasin or something. He’s probably dead—he won’t cause a problem.”
“That’s it.”
“What’s it?”
“We say he’s already dead. We’ll tell the broad the same thing.”
“Right. Okay, we can lie to the Archangel, but...”
“For now, damn it, just do it! We can’t ruin the whole rite! I’m getting her ready. Don’t you dare screw this up!”
The other didn’t reply. Amy felt the tall one come near her, felt him shake her shoulder. He was wearing his mask as he looked down at her and said, “Up, sleeping beauty.” He untied her hands and then her ankles, turned to the table and found a garment in white fabric and threw it at her. “Get that on—now. Don’t make this hard.”
“Where’s my friend?” she asked.
“He ran. Sorry, we had to kill him.”
She lowered her head, feigning sobs. The fabric was pressed to her face.
“Put this on, now!”
“I—I can’t with you watching. And my friend...”
“Lady, we’ll turn around! Get that on.”
She’d seen a similar garment before. When Mateus had nearly killed a woman.
Today, she was to be that woman.
“I—I—”
They were both staring at her. The tall one looked at the other. “Turn around. We need to get her where she needs to be!”
To her relief, they both turned around.
Of course, even with them turned around...
She made a pretense of crying, of fumbling with buttons. And doing so, she slipped her little knife from the pocket in her jacket and, with no recourse, secured it with the elastic at the hipline of her panties.
“I’m dressed!” she whispered in tears.
They both turned to look at her.
“Too bad, she is beautiful. Like an angel.”
“She’s the devil!” the other snapped. “We’re going to save her soul.”
“Now, my lady?” he asked her politely, offering her his arm. She stared at it, confused.
“Let’s go! Don’t make me hurt you first!” he snarled, his tone flipping on a dime.
She took his arm and he headed outside. They walked around the shack, and she discovered there was something that resembled a path leading in a northeasterly direction.
Curious. It was deeper and deeper into nothing.
These days, with a highway that cut across the peninsula just north of where they were, civilization never felt too far away. And if someone knew something was out there...
She didn’t look back. She had to believe Hunter was close. And that others weren’t too far behind.
