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And so in his voice, or maybe just the moment, made Kat smile She turned and leaned out of the vent one final ti this, Nick?"

"Because" He paused, searching for words "Because I like you," he said, but Kat didn’t believe hian to wail--a different, deafening sound

"Kat," Nick said again, stepping forward, reaching up for help, but in that instant, red laser lights flashed over the grate’s opening The cool blue light of the Rolanced toward the doors as if he could hear the guards co answer"

Kat tried to ignore the sirens that grew louder and louder with each inch She squinted and crawled through the blackness Focusing on a sht in the distance, Kat crawled closer and closer Louder and louder the sirens wailed And as badly as Kat wanted to stop and think about what had just happened, there was no rooht at that point--no time

When she finally reached the end, she could see Gabrielle beneath her, ripping off the skirt of her docent’s uniforundy plaid thatHamish with his tie, the brothers’ blue jumpsuits now shoved deep into a wastebasket solanced down at the blazer in her hand Nick wouldn’t be needing it Not now So she left it tucked inside the shaft and lowered herself to the floor through the glow of a whirling red light

Laser grids were flashing angrily In the chaotic wash of lights, she could barely as Monet She felt dizzy with the thought of being that close to so as being puen mask that she’d left behind, but of course it was too late

Through blurry eyes she saw the doors swing open, aruards rushed inside

"Henley security!" Kat heard the cry over and over, reverberating up and down the halls

Kat’s head felt thick She had already started to fall

Chapter 34

From the backseat of Arturo Taccone’s Bentley, the entire world see apart A se of a correspondent who stood a mere twenty feet away Taccone looked between the scene on the screen and the one unfolding in real life, and he wasn’t quite certain which showed the real picture

"Things have taken a dramatic turn here at the Henley today," the correspondent was saying

"What do you want me to do, boss?" the driver turned and asked

Arturo Taccone took a last look at the scene, then placed his sunglasses over his eyes "Drive" His voice was cool and free of eame were finally over A bystander wouldn’t have known if he had won or lost Arturo Taccone was siain another day

He leaned farther back into the plush seat "Just drive"

The first allery doors that day were seasoned professionals They had trained with the American FBI and the UK’s Scotland Yard Most were former military Their equipment was state of the art The Henley staff took it as a personal insult whenever a great ht have said that their extreme security measures were overkill, a waste, but at this particular ood idea

Ten asopen up and down the Henley’s halls

Collectively, they represented one of the hly trained private security forces in the world

And yet nothing could have prepared them for what they saw

"Wait," the news correspondent said, and immediately Arturo Taccone turned back to the screen "We are receiving the first, unconfirht be secure"

"Stop," Arturo Taccone said, and his driver pulled to the curb

"Kids!" Kat heard one of the guards yell through the haze that filled her mind "It’s a bunch of kids!"

She rolled onto her side and looked up through the fog as a man knelt on one knee and leaned toward her "It’s okay," he told her softly

"Gas," shefit cut her off Someone handed her a mask, and she breathed in fresh air