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"Jehter" Daniel shook out the shroud and wound each end around his hands "You have no idea how precious she is She was always the reason I stayed It was never the money you promised me"

"Oh, God" Meryl rolled her eyes "Spareyears ago You’ll give her an overdose of insulin to, and it will all be over"

Daniel ca I haven’t told you, Meryl Dr Keller was quite right" Quickly he looped the shroud around her neck and twisted the ends, pulling on them By her ear, he whispered, "Jema’s diabetes went away She hasn’t had it since she was a year old"

While she choked and fought, Daniel kept a fir she didn’t know about her daughter How Jae of Athos, both for the cave in which she had been born, and because she was the only real treasure he had ever found in his life

The stink of urine rose as Meryl’s bladder e a little on the shroud now and then to allow Meryl a breath, only to cut it off before she took another He described how aens in Jema’s blood, and how they had not only cured her diabetes, but began changing the toddler How difficult it had been to find the right cos to keep her alive, and her bizarre sy Daniel’s description of how he had scared off Jema’s first lover, just as he had paid off all the others she had become involved with, Meryl died

Daniel looked down at his eed, twisted halfway around in her chair, and her tongue hung out of her gaping mouth

"Don’t worry,eyes and crimson face before he pressed his lips to the top of her white hair and kissed her good-bye "I’ll take good care of our little girl The way I always have"

Chapter 20

Alex staggered through the Kyn, unable to make herself understood, now unable to speak, bombarded from all directions

Gun’s loaded in my pocket, safety off--Can’t wait to shoot soonna love this--

Guy in the red mask--pop him first--Cyprien--

Head or heart, head or heart--

There werebehind the others, as savage and lethal as the killers ere thinking in English Iined

Too many to block Too loud and vicious to endure

"Michael," Alex shrieked, but the guests were all talking, andout of the ballroom, and her voice alone could not compete

Alex al, faolden eyes glittered fros You made my feet srabbed onto him A few dozen yards away she saw Valentin turn his head sharply toward the to start shooting people with copper bullets any second--"

Any second turned out to be the next

Gunfire broke out, rapid explosions, h the air Bullets sprayed the guests froles of the room Blood sprayed in wide, crimson swaths across the white walls

"Au secours," Thierry shouted "Ayuda, Hilfe"

He shouted for help again, this tied Alex toward the nearest cover, the entry to one of the corridors, shielding her with his larger fraot there He shoved her into the hands of abehind the corner

The s

"They’re giving the women away?" the man said as he hauled her behind him "Hey, John, she’s a babe Can I have three more?"

"Shut up, Hurley She’sa priest’s costume, put his arms around Alex "Did they shoot you?"

She shook her head, and then pressed her hands over her ears The killers’ thoughts were rising, an evil tide that dragged at herto keep shooting until they find Michael and kill hi out the words as the hatred tore at her froet hi out, very close Hurley stu to his knees He looked down at the blood pouring down his presidential don’t screith this bush T-shirt with mild surprise "Son of a bitch It is red" He fell over