treating me like this.” Her lips quivered, teeth chattered.
“If she thinks of you as a daughter, maybe it’s weird for her to see you with her son.”
Emma shook her head. “I wish that was it. If that were it, I could take it. But she’s been nothing but cold and rude to me since Greg and I took up with each other last summer. I was serious that day I told you to get off the island while you still can, before she lures you in like the others. I only stayed because of Greg.”
“Lures me in?”
“These people live here,” Emma whispered. “Most of them were patients at one time, but all of them stay for the thrill of the games, and they’ll do anything she tells them to do. It’s like they worship her.” Then she added, “Most of them are wealthy, like you and your family, and they give her all their money. Just wait and see. She’ll be hitting up your parents for more.”
Daphne glanced up at Brock, who was still standing where she had left him and was joined by Cam and Bridget. Her parents were just now getting their drinks handed to them by the bartender. Over at the entrance, three men dressed as bank robbers came in. They wore cut nylons over their heads, loose clothing, boots, and machine guns strapped across their shoulders.
Their costumes were pretty realistic.
“Who are they?” she asked Emma.
Before Emma could reply, one of the bank robbers pulled the double doors shut as another fired in the air and shouted, “Everyone down!”
Then a ring of real bullets shot past Daphne, bursting glass and flower vases. She dropped to the floor between the tables, nearly losing her wig.
Emma lay beside her on the floor bleeding from the shoulder.
“Emma?”
Yeah right. It was probably fake blood. Daphne touched the wound, causing Emma to wince. The flesh was torn. Real blood poured out.
“They friggin’ shot me,” Emma cried. “God, Daphne. Get me out of here. They’re going to kill me!”
“This isn’t happening,” Daphne muttered as shots continued to fire and screams exploded throughout the room. Daphne inspected Emma’s wound again, unable to believe it was real. As Daphne reached out to touch the blood pooling on the marble floor, her hand shook uncontrollably. Some of the blood got on the lacy sleeve of Daphne’s dress. “Why would they do this? Do you think it was an accident?”
More firing. Daphne flattened beside Emma.
“They must have heard me talking to you.” Emma gasped like a fish out of water. “They’re going to kill me, I know it.”
“They’re not going to kill you.”
They wouldn’t. Dr. Gray wouldn’t risk losing her precious Purgatorium. But Daphne wondered just how far the Mad Hatter would go.
Chapter Ten: Helicopter Hostages
Daphne folded her hands across the back of her wig and screamed, “You shot Emma! You shot her for real!” She had to believe Emma was shot by accident; otherwise, the terror would be too much.
The tallest of the three shooters stepped toward her. “Of course I shot her for real. You think this is a game?” He grabbed Daphne’s wrist and pulled her to the center of the room. “You’re coming with me.”
She staggered, nearly tripping on the hem of her costume. As she adjusted her wig, she wondered if it was possible the shooters weren’t part of an exercise. That seemed unlikely, especially since Pete had described a similar scenario. No, the odds of gunmen coming to the island to take over the ball were ridiculously small. Daphne searched the crowd. Everyone was on the ground. Brock, Cam, and Bridget stared up at her in horror. Her parents were perched on the floor, their faces peering at her from behind the bar. Dr. Gray was beside them, her eyes narrowed.
Daphne stared back at the doctor with wide eyes. Hortense Gray was mad, and all her minions were mad, too.
“Take me instead!” Brock shouted from where he lay on the floor.
“Shut up!” the tall gunman ordered.
“Shoot him!”
“If she thinks of you as a daughter, maybe it’s weird for her to see you with her son.”
Emma shook her head. “I wish that was it. If that were it, I could take it. But she’s been nothing but cold and rude to me since Greg and I took up with each other last summer. I was serious that day I told you to get off the island while you still can, before she lures you in like the others. I only stayed because of Greg.”
“Lures me in?”
“These people live here,” Emma whispered. “Most of them were patients at one time, but all of them stay for the thrill of the games, and they’ll do anything she tells them to do. It’s like they worship her.” Then she added, “Most of them are wealthy, like you and your family, and they give her all their money. Just wait and see. She’ll be hitting up your parents for more.”
Daphne glanced up at Brock, who was still standing where she had left him and was joined by Cam and Bridget. Her parents were just now getting their drinks handed to them by the bartender. Over at the entrance, three men dressed as bank robbers came in. They wore cut nylons over their heads, loose clothing, boots, and machine guns strapped across their shoulders.
Their costumes were pretty realistic.
“Who are they?” she asked Emma.
Before Emma could reply, one of the bank robbers pulled the double doors shut as another fired in the air and shouted, “Everyone down!”
Then a ring of real bullets shot past Daphne, bursting glass and flower vases. She dropped to the floor between the tables, nearly losing her wig.
Emma lay beside her on the floor bleeding from the shoulder.
“Emma?”
Yeah right. It was probably fake blood. Daphne touched the wound, causing Emma to wince. The flesh was torn. Real blood poured out.
“They friggin’ shot me,” Emma cried. “God, Daphne. Get me out of here. They’re going to kill me!”
“This isn’t happening,” Daphne muttered as shots continued to fire and screams exploded throughout the room. Daphne inspected Emma’s wound again, unable to believe it was real. As Daphne reached out to touch the blood pooling on the marble floor, her hand shook uncontrollably. Some of the blood got on the lacy sleeve of Daphne’s dress. “Why would they do this? Do you think it was an accident?”
More firing. Daphne flattened beside Emma.
“They must have heard me talking to you.” Emma gasped like a fish out of water. “They’re going to kill me, I know it.”
“They’re not going to kill you.”
They wouldn’t. Dr. Gray wouldn’t risk losing her precious Purgatorium. But Daphne wondered just how far the Mad Hatter would go.
Chapter Ten: Helicopter Hostages
Daphne folded her hands across the back of her wig and screamed, “You shot Emma! You shot her for real!” She had to believe Emma was shot by accident; otherwise, the terror would be too much.
The tallest of the three shooters stepped toward her. “Of course I shot her for real. You think this is a game?” He grabbed Daphne’s wrist and pulled her to the center of the room. “You’re coming with me.”
She staggered, nearly tripping on the hem of her costume. As she adjusted her wig, she wondered if it was possible the shooters weren’t part of an exercise. That seemed unlikely, especially since Pete had described a similar scenario. No, the odds of gunmen coming to the island to take over the ball were ridiculously small. Daphne searched the crowd. Everyone was on the ground. Brock, Cam, and Bridget stared up at her in horror. Her parents were perched on the floor, their faces peering at her from behind the bar. Dr. Gray was beside them, her eyes narrowed.
Daphne stared back at the doctor with wide eyes. Hortense Gray was mad, and all her minions were mad, too.
“Take me instead!” Brock shouted from where he lay on the floor.
“Shut up!” the tall gunman ordered.
“Shoot him!”
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