He's in the lobby!
Endora's warning exploded in Cassie's head at the same instant a cloud of pure evil engulfed them all. In the form of an average-looking man rushing straight at Mick and Robert.
Mick was half-turned toward her, oblivious to the danger, the killer ten feet from him. Without thought, Cassie threw a force field between the two men. Mick's attacker crashed headlong into it and fell back a step, momentarily stunned.
"Get him," she shouted. "He's the killer!"
The split-second it took for everyone to recover from seeing a man slam full-tilt into thin air was all the time the monster needed to break and run for a boisterous wedding reception in the lobby's terraced bar.
Jamison's agents jumped to pursue, leaving a slack-jawed group of authors and tourists in their wake. Immediately, Cassie and Endora moved to flank Mick.
"I should have frozen him," Cassie spat out, disgusted. Her heart pounded so hard she was surprised the blouse she wore wasn't visibly palpitating.
"You probably saved lives here," Endora stated with quiet firmness. "Lighten up on yourself."
"They'd have caught the bastard if I'd--"
Endora glanced at the group's stunned faces. Can you beat yourself up silently, Cass? We've got lots of curious people here, all with vivid imaginations, who just witnessed something they've likely never seen before.
"Shit!"
It was a measure of Cassie's sudden awareness and agitation that the expletive escaped her mouth. She rarely used foul language of any kind in public.
The FBI agents returned within minutes.
"We lost him, Boss," one reported solemnly to Jamison. "There's a street entrance to the bar, and he got out. Bates and Johnson are still looking."
"Notify Memphis PD," Jamison snapped. "See if they've got any ideas where this guy could go to ground." He turned to the authors. "Board the bus. We'll get you to the train station and onto the car. It's a secure area..." His voice trailed off as he caught sight of Mick's expression. "Sandor, you all right?"
Mick never took his eyes off Cassie.
"Take the others to the station, Robert," Mick said quietly. "Ms. Hathorne and I have some things to talk about."
"Not without me there, you don't," Jamison retorted. He turned to the closest agent. "Get the others to the station, Reed. We'll be along later."
At least some of them would, Cassie thought.
)
