Page 109 (1/2)

A scuff pulled her attention and the memory vanished

It was Silas, oblivious to thee area She hardly breathed as he scralass to s near the balcony She didn’t see a weapon, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t one

This is thehis dark hair anda hard ti in restoring the old building with the savage, raging lunatic in her thoughts

The click of Allen’s safety jerked through her "I’ll do it," she said as she touched his arm, and Allen’s brow furrowed "Keep ue, but then he nodded

The snap of her holster was htening as she strode down the bare cee She slowly stood, and it was there she hesitated as Silas turned, eyes widening

"Peri," he breathed, and confusion stayed her--confusion at the relief and welcolass in one hand, wide-faced stylus in the other

"Don’t move," she said coldly, and they both froze at the sound of the distant front door crashing into a wall

"Silas?" a young woman’s voice called, and Peri’s mind fastened on it as familiar "I’ve told you to lock the oing to stay with you tonight Silas?"

Silas opened hisback to the lobby

"Silas?" the woain, and then, "Holy crap! Howard!"

Silas jerked, and Peri motioned hiht rose over the droning of the generator She’d killed people before--some who deserved it less than this ?

"They’re lying to you" Silas edged off the ladder, hands raised "Leteven as her ai noise in her head to go away But as she stood on that stage aer

"Peri, wait," a new voice pleaded, and her eyes flicked to a blond e’s stairs Tense, she retreated so she could see both of them It was the man from Overdraft, the one who had sat at the bar and observed, the one she’d thought ht be with Opti’s psych unit Shit This is a test?

"I can explain!" she exclai froed for her The flexi-glass hit her chest, and he had her, twisting her wrist until the Glock went off to blow a hole in the wall Silas slaainst the marble wall Crap It had been a test And she had failed it