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He arched a broly "You’re going to call the police and tell them that ere both in Andy’s room?"

She blushed to the roots of her silver-white hair, then lowered her head She o home, and back to bed," he told her "And that’s it, back home, and back to bed"

Her eyes were locked with his "Back ho to drive carefully"

"I’er, then became deter lot with long strides

At twelve-ten, the fire broke out

Finn was on the acoustic guitar, Megan was singing

The electric connector on the stage suddenly exploded, the noise as deafening as thunder, sparks flying to the ceiling and in every conceivable direction

Screams rose in an instantly cacophony

The electricity went as terrified workers and clientele alike dashed, pushed, prodded, and ran through the darkness

Finn dropped his guitar

"Megan!"

There was no answer

Chapter 20

"Finn!"

Despite the bursts of sparks and the s out across the rooan to lap around in the velvet ebony of the rootra for cal hurt The words did nothing to stop the staht up in the crowd She was shouting herself, but no avail Panic was ensuing

"Stop!" she insisted, feeling elbows gouge into her

There was no help but to continue to be propelled forward

She thought she heard Finn shout her name; she tried to reply, but there was soto shout in return Obviously, some of these people knehere the exits were, and she was being jostled along in that direction

A surge of flae Her heart seemed to catch in her throat for a moment, but she knew that Finn couldn’t still be there He, too, was soency signs to guide them out should have beenthe space, obscuring even the glow of the signs

Megan decided just to allow herself to go with the flow

But then her foot fell upon so that was obviously a huave a fierce shove back to the person trying to force her forward and bent down, groping blindly to help the fallen person up She felt coarse wool, liers curled into hers and she strained to pull upward The person carip on her hand becaainst her ear "Stay withBy then, she was coughing and choking; her eyes stung terribly

They burst out a door, s with the people were buet farther and farther away

Shouts sounded fro to explode! The whole place is going to explode"

"Get away, get away, get far away!"

"Someone planted a bomb"

"It’s just an electrical fire!"

"There’s no boht; the fire departan was still jostled forward, and still blinded, for the darkness, coround coht

She felt her hair pulled, her elbow jostled

And then…

Along with all the other sounds, a whisper

"Run, Megan, run"

Then laughter A soft, eerie laughter, right at her ear

The person in the cloak and cowl still had her hand In a death grip

"We’ve got to get farther We’ve got to get away"

"No, I have to find Finn!"

"Finn’s all right We’ve got to move out!"

"Who the hell are you?"

She tried to jerk away The grip was relentless She couldn’t see the person’s face The voice was deep and raspy

"It’s all right, Megan, it’s h away in case there is an explosion

Finn will get out, he’ll know you’re out"