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By Root 1237 0

Constitution. She closed her eyes and ran their earlier meeting through her mind, as her stomach knotted with mounting spasms of badly repressed fury. They had been playing her like a fool. For an instant, she entertained the idea of reaching for the phone, giving an order, and spying through a little hole as the bitch and her lover swallowed green hoses. But it was only wishful thinking. Unfortunately, the pair was too high up in the federal service, and there were limits to what she could do. For endless minutes she seethed. What do you know about loss and longing? Then Odelle straightened with a jerk. Perhaps she could teach Genia Warren the meaning of loss. She rubbed her hands—suddenly clammy—over her skirt and rolled her chair to the desk.

“Pet, George Wilson.”

It was time for a counterattack.

chapter 42

23:20

The lights flickered once, went through a series of erratic hiccups, and faded. A choked cry echoed from the end of the corridor. “What’s happened?” Laurel’s voice ratcheted high.

“Damn generator!” Antonio shouted. He stood amid a rustle of paper as the screen of the cellular phone flared from its cradle on the mantelpiece, bathing the room in ghostly light before it, too, died away. “I thought you’d topped it up,” Antonio complained.

“Sorry, it must have slipped my mind.” Tyler’s voice issued from the direction of the door. “I’ll fix it.” He turned toward the room where Laurel stood guard by Russo. “Don’t worry. I can see lights on in the farm buildings. There’s no danger.”

“I’ll come with you.” Antonio’s voice. “Where’s the flashlight?”

“Right here, in the hall.”

Floyd followed the sounds as they left the room, blinking to clear dancing lights before his eyes in the sudden pitch darkness. Somewhere to his left, leather creaked, followed by the rustle of rubber-soled shoes as Lukas stood. The man had not uttered a word since the TV announcement hours before. He’d sat on the edge of a sofa, his face set in a semi-catatonic expression, his eyes unfocused. At first, everyone had tried to mouth comforting words and offer a glimmer of hope: Once Russo revealed the truth, they would have to back off Lukas’s woman and her family. But the promises had sounded hollow and unconvincing. Lukas didn’t react, and after a while they gave up and left him alone. Faint crunchy treads sounded on the gravel outside. From inside the house, a faint high-pitched sound echoed—the power-failure alarm of Russo’s cardiac monitor. It would continue recording for thirty minutes, its screen doused to conserve energy.

Floyd made his way over to the living room’s door, panning an outstretched arm before him like the feeler of an insect.

“I’m checking on Russo,” he said over his shoulder.

Lukas, somewhere in the living room, didn’t answer. With a shrug, Floyd stepped into the corridor, dimly lit by a sliver of moonlight from the open door.

At the end of the corridor, the scant light gave way to a thick penumbra. The beep sounded louder. Floyd reached ahead of him, caught the tip of his fingers on a surface laid at an odd angle, and pushed the door ajar.

An instant before bare arms wrapped around his neck, he sensed her scent—a mix of the unimaginative strawberry shower gel they had all been using and her skin. “Are you sure everything is all right?” Her voice wavered.

“I checked; there are lights all over. It’s only the house.” He understood her nervousness. His first thought had been that they were under attack. Then her mouth sought his, and Floyd closed his eyes to chart the moment and store it away in all its intensity for future reference. Laurel’s body adjusted to his, and Floyd marveled at the uncanny perfection with which her shape seemed almost purposely made to fit his body.

Then the lights flickered and came back on at full strength.

Laurel chuckled and drew away from Floyd. “Saved by the bell.”

“But, madam, in my condition—” Then he froze. The day they arrived at the farm, he’d been out with Antonio, stretching his legs and looking around. In a shed attached to the house were stores, timber, snow gear,