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Jack had watched ure out quickly why it didn’t work
I looked at hiistered my expression "Uh-uh No No way"
"He’s in bad shape, Jack He’s not even conscious"
"I don’t care There is no way I’ to his feet and paced across the rooh his hair
I didn’t say anything else How could I? I was asking hiuy who had destroyed our futures
I watched as Jack’s feet pounded against the carpet Hethe carpet as he went
He walked one more time to the other side of the room, stopped, and faced the wall Then his shoulders heaved up and down as he expelled a breath of air
"I have to," he said
I shook my head "No, you don’t"
He turned "Yes We do It’s you and ed a sue"
"Your lips don’t even have to touch"
With a deterht his face to within a couple of inches of Cole’s mouth and breathed out Once he had expelled all the air inside his lungs, he raised his head, took another deep breath in, lowered his head, and breathed out again
The change was ihtest shade of pink returned His face lost the sickly gray pallor And then, after the fifth breath, Cole’s eyelids fluttered open
It took hi above hi position and irabbed either side of his head
"Ow" He pressed his pal to hold his head together
"Are you okay?" I asked
He winced "I don’t know What was that?"
Jack, as now sitting against the bureau panting, jerked his head toward Cole "What was that? A Shade attacked you You killed it with a poker How did you know to do that?"
Cole breathed in and out a few ti I just did what felt natural I don’t re about the poker I just let my hand do what it wanted to do"
Jack looked away, shaking his head I think he was angrier that he’d had to resort to feeding Cole
Cole turned the poker over in his hands He reached toward thesainst the poker It stuck "It’s netic It must be made of iron"
"So?" I said
He looked at me "I don’t know I justfeel like that shouldI think iron hurts Shades in their Shade form That’s why they prefer the ten-Shade bounty hunter form"
Jack looked at the spot where the Shade had disappeared "I bet this one was left here as a lookout He probably alerted the network, which means we don’t have much time"
Cole stood up "I’ll look for your heart, but I think I’ll have better luck if the two of you aren’t watching over my shoulder"
I nodded, and he walked down the hallway
"Let’s call Jules," I said "See if she’s had a chance to talk to my dad I want to know they’re safe"
Jack pulled out his phone and dialed, then handed it toShe answered the phone and said, "Your dad’s gone I told hiht you were in trouble and that you were staying at a shelter There are quite a few of them there, so the search should take him at least a few days"
"What about Tommy?"
"He took Toh of relief, satisfied that this wild goose chase would keepup
I leaned against Jack’s chest and brushed soo now? We’re out ofto do? Camp?"
Just then Cole called fro!"
We sprang up and raced out of the room and into the kitchen, only to find Cole with a handful of plastic cards in his hand "I didn’t find the heart, but look Cards In ht?"
Jack stared at the credit cards "Yeah That’s good Except for the part about the heart"
"At least we tried," I said "Let’s get out of here before we run into anyone else"
TWENTY-ONE
NOW
The Surface Jack’s car
After we packed a few bags, we drove a half hour west, down Parley’s Canyon, to the larger city of Salt Lake City Just to h the city center and picked the tenth hotel , a place called Hotel Monaco
Before we even got to the clerk at the desk, Cole pulled out two of the cards and held the with them before Like a six-year-old would act if he’d just found them on the floor
"I’d like to buy a room!" he announced enthusiastically
"Get a rooet a room"
"Yes," Cole said "A room Please I have these"
Cole shoved both of the cards toward the clerk, surprising him The clerk looked at the card "I just need one of those And a license"
Cole’s eyes widened slightly, even though his smile remained frozen in place
I leaned closer to hi ether "It’s the one with your picture on it"
"Right," Cole said, relaxing He handed the clerk the card
The clerk started typing on his keyboard
"Maybe we should get two rooms," Jack said