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"That piece of rubbish!" Marcus snapped

Again, Hale found her gaze I need to talk to you, he seemed to scream

Get control of Marcus, she wanted to screaot a lovely little Cezanne-- Cezanne was a real artist," Marcus was saying, and the curator nodded encouragingly; but before the lie could go any further, a screaht was, We’re done for

Her next thought was to glance around the rooh the doorway, toward the precious paintings

She couldn’t hear a thing over the wail of the sirens All she could see through the s his two VWPs (very wealthy people) and pushing theuards were everywhere Docents appeared as if through the walls Kat was caught in the current--just another body being pushed toward the exits, forced closer to the s sirens and the even more crowded hall

Hale turned to look behind hiory Wainwright had a grip on his arone with the current, washed away on a wave of fear

"This way!" the

"But my chair," Marcus finally remembered to say, but the museum’s director didn’t hear hi down And the one

Chapter 32

Kat had always heard that if there was one thing the great museums of the world feared more than theft, it was fire In thatsirens were even louder than when Gabrielle had lain unconscious on the floor Children screaainst each other in the s toward the front doors and the fresh wintry air outside

And that is probably why the director of the Henley didn’t notice the boy who pressed against hih the crowd He reached into the man’s interior jacket pocket for the s him of that particular burden as the crowd pushed on Then he found his way through the s

"Not bad," Kat h the reader A red light turned green The automatic locks were overridden quietly And Nick smiled and mouthed, "Thanks"

As Kat stepped inside the Ro in the air She heard the roar of sirens fade behind the ht and fireproof doors as they locked into place She knew that there was only one way out

Despite the flashing red elossy floor, the glistening frauards between Kat and those priceless works No staring docents or tacky tourists

Kat started to take a step forward, but a hand caught her arlanced up at the security calanced at the floor and thought about the sensors

She waited

"Any second now," Sih her earpiece

"This year would be good," Nick replied

"You can’t rush greatness, guys," Siht he sounded a tad too cocky for a boy as currently operating out of the third bathroolow of the eht "Si!"

A new siren--softer but soh the rooot to move Now!"

"Just a second," he said

But Kat didn’t care about the encryption that was currently keeping the blue lights and the , "Fire-protection measures will take effect in FIVE FOUR"

"Simon!" Kat cried

"Just one--"

"We don’t have a second!" Kat yelled just as the lights stopped spinning and a soundthan any siren pierced the air

"Of course it is!" Gregory Wainwright shouted A cell phone was trained to his ear, but his gaze stayed fixed on the two billionaires (or, more accurately, one billionaire and one butler) who stood five feet aatching dark sray sky

The Henley, after all, was burning And all Gregory Wainwright could do was stand at a safe distance, yelling at the fire

Hale felt the nized the forced authority in his voice as he barked, "Absolutely! You should do that"

Hale turned his back against the cold wind and tried not to think about the smoke, the fire, and most of all

"Kat," he whispered, silently cursing himself He should have forced her to talk to him He should have left Marcus, abandoned his role--made Kat listen to what Uncle Eddie’d had to say But it was too late He was stuck outside with the director while she was locked in there With Nick And right now Hale was as useless as Wainwright as he stood out in the cold, trying to pinpoint the ood plan, wasn’t it? They had been prepared, hadn’t they? Oras its weakest link, after all Maybe they had been reckless and stupid and careless Maybe Uncle Eddie had been right Maybe this was simply what happened to people who dared to take on Visily Romani

"No, Mr Hale" The director placed a co hand on Hale’s shoulder "There’s no need to worry I assure you, our fire-protection measures are state of the art"