moving quickly across it. Half a dozen people looked up, their eyes tracking them. Samantha could feel the weight of their stares even as the hair on the back of her neck rose.
“Katie, keep your head down,” she hissed.
“Trouble?” Ed asked.
Before she could answer, the man standing near the elevator pointed and shouted, “Witch! That’s the witch who killed those people!”
Curses followed his announcement, echoing between the other civilians and Samantha’s fellow officers. For one moment it was as though time froze and she could see everyone’s faces clearly. The hate on the denouncer’s face, the naked fear in Ed’s eyes, and the shock in Katie’s expression.
And then the bellman lunged toward them. He nailedone officer on the jaw, shoved another, and was reaching for Katie’s arm when Ed threw him to the ground and whipped out his handcuffs. The other spectators surged forward, coming right at them and standing between them and an exit.
“Divert!” one of the officers shouted, drawing his gun.
Samantha grabbed Katie’s arm and lurched sideways into an empty room set up with buffet tables, ready for serving breakfast in a few hours. A shot was fired and she winced, hoping no one had been hit. Ed was the last into the room and he slammed the door shut, propping a chair under the doorknob.
Samantha moved to help him secure the door as another officer called for backup. Fists banged on the other side of the door.
“Give us the witch!” she heard one enraged man shout.
“She has to pay,” a woman chorused.
“What the hell?” Ed marveled. “They’ve all gone mad.”
“We can’t stay here,” Samantha said.
“The room isn’t secure,” Ed agreed.
A sudden rush of wind lifted her hair and she spun around in fear. A sliding glass door onto a patio had been opened.
And Katie was gone.
“Katie!” she yelled, running forward.
“Did someone get her?” one of the other officers shouted.
“Couldn’t have,” Ed responded. “We would have heard something.”
Samantha touched the door and in her panic reached out with her thoughts… and felt the memory of Katie opening it.
“She ran,” she said quietly.
The other officers except for Ed ran out, shouting for Katie.
“Where would she have gone?” Ed asked.
“Somewhere familiar, somewhere she can hide… Her old high school,” Samantha said. “She said it was two blocks from here.”
“That would be Eastside. Let’s go.”
She grabbed his arm. “Ed, this is going to get ugly. You’re not going to want to be there.”
“Uglier than the house? Uglier than that mob trying to break down the door? Forget it. We’re partners and if you’re going, I’m going.”
She nodded. The crack of splintering wood echoed through the room and she realized that with the crowd so frenzied it wasn’t safe for him to stay. They ducked out the sliding glass door, and a moment later they were racing down the street, heading for the high school.
“How would she get in?” Samantha asked as they arrived at the fenced-in school, shut tight for the night.
“Girl like her, I’m sure she could find a way. Probably knew it back then. You and I will just have to hop the fence,” he said, giving her a boost.
When they were both inside the perimeter, they moved slowly, their eyes sweeping the grounds as they approached the building. Around back they found a door that was slightly ajar. Ed drew his gun and they went in.
Samantha looked up and down the deserted hallways but saw no signs of movement.
“Do you think she’s here?” Ed whispered, the sound magnified by the emptiness around them.
She nodded.
“Much as I don’t like it, we’ll cover more ground if we split up.”
“I’ll take this way,” she said, gesturing to the right.
He stared hard at her. “You got a feeling?”
She hunched her shoulders. “No,” she lied.
“Okay.”
He started off to the left, calling Katie’s name. She watched as he entered and then
“Katie, keep your head down,” she hissed.
“Trouble?” Ed asked.
Before she could answer, the man standing near the elevator pointed and shouted, “Witch! That’s the witch who killed those people!”
Curses followed his announcement, echoing between the other civilians and Samantha’s fellow officers. For one moment it was as though time froze and she could see everyone’s faces clearly. The hate on the denouncer’s face, the naked fear in Ed’s eyes, and the shock in Katie’s expression.
And then the bellman lunged toward them. He nailedone officer on the jaw, shoved another, and was reaching for Katie’s arm when Ed threw him to the ground and whipped out his handcuffs. The other spectators surged forward, coming right at them and standing between them and an exit.
“Divert!” one of the officers shouted, drawing his gun.
Samantha grabbed Katie’s arm and lurched sideways into an empty room set up with buffet tables, ready for serving breakfast in a few hours. A shot was fired and she winced, hoping no one had been hit. Ed was the last into the room and he slammed the door shut, propping a chair under the doorknob.
Samantha moved to help him secure the door as another officer called for backup. Fists banged on the other side of the door.
“Give us the witch!” she heard one enraged man shout.
“She has to pay,” a woman chorused.
“What the hell?” Ed marveled. “They’ve all gone mad.”
“We can’t stay here,” Samantha said.
“The room isn’t secure,” Ed agreed.
A sudden rush of wind lifted her hair and she spun around in fear. A sliding glass door onto a patio had been opened.
And Katie was gone.
“Katie!” she yelled, running forward.
“Did someone get her?” one of the other officers shouted.
“Couldn’t have,” Ed responded. “We would have heard something.”
Samantha touched the door and in her panic reached out with her thoughts… and felt the memory of Katie opening it.
“She ran,” she said quietly.
The other officers except for Ed ran out, shouting for Katie.
“Where would she have gone?” Ed asked.
“Somewhere familiar, somewhere she can hide… Her old high school,” Samantha said. “She said it was two blocks from here.”
“That would be Eastside. Let’s go.”
She grabbed his arm. “Ed, this is going to get ugly. You’re not going to want to be there.”
“Uglier than the house? Uglier than that mob trying to break down the door? Forget it. We’re partners and if you’re going, I’m going.”
She nodded. The crack of splintering wood echoed through the room and she realized that with the crowd so frenzied it wasn’t safe for him to stay. They ducked out the sliding glass door, and a moment later they were racing down the street, heading for the high school.
“How would she get in?” Samantha asked as they arrived at the fenced-in school, shut tight for the night.
“Girl like her, I’m sure she could find a way. Probably knew it back then. You and I will just have to hop the fence,” he said, giving her a boost.
When they were both inside the perimeter, they moved slowly, their eyes sweeping the grounds as they approached the building. Around back they found a door that was slightly ajar. Ed drew his gun and they went in.
Samantha looked up and down the deserted hallways but saw no signs of movement.
“Do you think she’s here?” Ed whispered, the sound magnified by the emptiness around them.
She nodded.
“Much as I don’t like it, we’ll cover more ground if we split up.”
“I’ll take this way,” she said, gesturing to the right.
He stared hard at her. “You got a feeling?”
She hunched her shoulders. “No,” she lied.
“Okay.”
He started off to the left, calling Katie’s name. She watched as he entered and then
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