Page 62 (1/2)

I tried to kick my heel into my captor’s shin Then I felt a pinch inwent black

CHAPTER 55

I ith no feeling inat my temples At first, all I could see were my own feet, bound at the ankles with transparent zip ties My shoes had been removed

So had iving consciousness I earing soe that someone must have removed my clothes--that while I’d been unconscious, hands had undressed me--made me shiver violently

Nausea racked my body I lurched forward, as far as the ties that bound me to the metal chair would let me My hair fell into my face and my stomach emptied itself onto the concrete floor Unable to even wipe the back of hting to pay attention to the details and using theround me in the here and now Concrete floor

I was inside The expanse was large--possibly a basement of some kind No s There was a collection of electrical wires at one side The space was diht made my head pound harder

The orderly drugged me I remembered the pinch at my neck, the darkness that followed Maybe the headache was a side effect, but that raised the question: A side effect of what?

What had the man injected into me?

Poison? I tried not to think about the likelihood that Judge Pierce hadn’t died of an aneurysm I tried not to think about the fact that someone had poisoned Justice Marquette

Not just soe of the orderly, but I couldn’t I hadn’t been paying attention Dark hair Tall That was it All I’d seen All I knew

I struggled against the ties, jerking my body to one side, then the other as hard as I could All that achieved was knocking round Hard

I have to get out of here Knowing that didn’tto picture the orderly helpedto killto kill me

Ivy had sent h

Focus My cheek rested against the cold ground Think I knew, on soood--but what other choice did I have?

Bodie said ere looking for so I couldn’t think about the future I couldn’t think about what ht about thefa I knew--about Pierce and Vivvie’s father and the reporter who’d gotten his throat slashed

The tip ca to say

Inside the West Wing Military training

How many people were on the president’s staff? How ht Theo Marquette was poisoned?

How many of them had William Keyes invited to Camp David?

The president was there My et it to stop The president was there The president was there

But the president of the United States hadn’t slammed those blankets over my mouth The president of the United States hadn’t slipped a needle into my neck and knocked me unconscious