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Either way, it bought Monk and the children sora, India

Gray herded everyone across the shattered restaurant Without a clear target, the continual barrage froh to keep the in a crouch, Gray aimed for the fire exit The stairwell opened beside the elevator They dared not use the lift Whoever arranged this a the front exit and elevator bay To call for the lift would only alert any men posted below They’d be trapped The only hope was to use the stairs to reach another level of the hotel and hole up in one of the rooroup

Their route to the stairas confounded by the rotation of the floor, but Gray knew the motion had also saved Dr Masterson’s life That first bullet had been meant for the back of the professor’s skull The rotation of the floora fatal shot into a grazing wound

Gray had to give the old guy some credit After the initial shock, he seeainst his ear, already soaked with blood He had sorab his white hat and had it perched aslant on his head Rosauro kept to his side, bearing the man’s ivory-handled cane

Gray and Elizabeth reached the stationary lobby of the restaurant, followed a step behind by Rosauro and Masterson "The stairs," Gray said

"On it"

Rosauro dashed across the lobby in two running strides, then slid low to the door like a baseball player stealing ho Sauer se on her knees, she reached up, yanked the handle, and used her shoulder to nudge the door open, just wide enough to cover with her pistol and observe the stairs

Gray heard it immediately Boots pounded up the tile stairs Many boots

"Seven to ten," Rosauro assessed

They were too late

"Hold them back," Gray ordered and rolled over to the elevator

Noting his destination, Elizabeth reached for one of the call buttons, but Gray blocked her before she could press it According to the lighted display above the doors, the cage was still waiting at the lobby level It was surely under watch

Gray scooted over to one of the restaurant’s service stations and found a carving knife and an armful of folded tablecloths He returned to the elevator and slipped the knife between the doors He levered the blade enough to get his fingers and the tip of a boot through the gap With a single heave, he shoved the doors open

As he did so, the crack of a pistol blasted--followed by a cry of surprise and pain frounplay followed But Rosauro had the higher ground Gray didn’t kno long that advantage would hold out If they rushed her post, she’d be swamped

They had to move fast

Beyond the open doors, the elevator shaft was pitch dark Two oily cables dangled There was also a metal service ladder to one side

They’d never have time to climb

Gray passed the tablecloths to Masterson and Elizabeth He showed them how to bundle them between their hands "It’s only a short step," he assured theht and brake with your shoes Try not to e below Wait for us there"

He got a worried nod frounfire discouraged any dissent Elizabeth pressed forward first She reached out with her wrapped hands and leaped to the cables With a small cry, she slid down the shaft

Once she disappeared into the gloo his cane under his pant belt, like a sword in a scabbard He was tall and long-li his arms out

Down he went

"Go!" Rosauro called to hiht behind you"

"The elevator latch--"

"Go, Pierce!"

Gray knew better than to argue with a woun He bundled his hands, leaped, and mounted the cable He slid doith a shout back to Rosauro

Before he even finished his yell, she appeared at the lip overhead, li to the service ladder, yanked the inside latch, and closed the elevator doors Darkness sed Gray as he slid down the cable He felt the line shake as Rosauro joined hilooh each level’s doors As he slid past the floors, counting theures huddled together at one corner

A tiny flicker of flahter

Gray braked his descent and landed lightly atop the elevator

A moment later, Rosauro dropped next to him

Gray found the service hatch He reh to peek through The cage was empty below, the doors closed He e of the hatchith one hand, Gray swung down and dropped into a crouch, his weapon up He reached for the button that opened the doors He heard shouts and panic counfire had stirred the sleepy hotel into a beehive

Just as well

The chaos could serve them

Gray hit the button, and the doors parted He darted out as soon as there was enough space and ducked to the left, where a waist-high planter supported a dwarf palelish