Vanished (32 page)

What felt like a lifetime couldn't have taken more than
two or three seconds, long enough for Hoops's blood to run
into the pothole that Alexis kept meaning to have filled. The
shooting stopped, and the thugs-no more than frightened
children now-stared at her in horror.

"I don't know," Alexis said, because, truly, she knew nothing
except this one thing: it was safer inside the store than out. She owned this place and knew it and would find a way to
defend it and the kids.

Alexis backed into the store, pulled down the grate and
locked it.

Let someone else worry about the rest.

ARLTON REYNOLDS SAT IN HIS OFFICE CHAIR, SIPPING
orange juice. His spite returned with his consciousness.
"Get off my property."

"What, no thank-you?" Logan asked.

"My thank-you is not having you arrested for trespassing.
Where's Kim?"

"My daughter is with her mother. Safe at Grace Church."

"Is Hilary there of her own volition?"

Logan bristled. "You accusing me of kidnapping?"

"I hate to think ill of anyone," Reynolds said with a smirk.
"But I can't imagine why she'd go running to you when it's safer
here with me."

"Your money isn't going to buy anyone's safety today."

"Is that a threat, Mr. Logan?"

"It's a fact. And that's Sergeant Logan to you"

Reynolds threw his head back and laughed. "We'll see about
that, now that you've violated the restraining order."

Logan stepped toward him, hands clenched. "I saved your
life."

"So what now? You going to shoot me?" Reynolds stood
with the calm smile of the supremely arrogant. "This is what
you've been waiting for, isn't it? The opportunity to prove your
machismo. No restraining order or woman or little girl between
us. Just you and me, Logan."

Give him what he deserves, every nerve in Logan's body
howled.

You got what you didn't deserve, grace whispered.

Logan slammed his fist against the wall, then walked out
the door.

"She'll come back to me," Reynolds called after him. "But
you show up here again and I'll have you arrested."

Logan laughed. "Go ahead and try. Just go ahead and try."

E HAD BEEN BEATEN AND STARVED, PURSUED AND
abandoned, and endured all manner of training and
torture.

But nothing had prepared Luther for what he had seen
beyond the mist. The memory still riled his mind.

When that thing had flown over him and Logan, they had
both frozen. A dim corner of his soul had almost rejoiced in
understanding-finally-that this was what utter terror felt
like. He had scrambled back through the mist. Logan was only
ten feet from him, but it might as well have been hundreds.

Had the crying been the cop's or his own?

Since that episode a couple hours ago, Luther had banished
fear from his mind, just as he had been trained to do, and got
about his business. The bomb at the church had failed, but it
had almost been worth it to watch that stupid cop scampering
down the steeple like a spider with half its legs torn off.

Now that he'd had time to rest and reflect, he realized
something was very wrong. Where were FEMA and the Feeble
Bureau of Investigation and those blessed satellite trucks and
news copters? Where were the finger-pointing politicians and
the stern-warning generals? Where were the wailing citizens
and their candlelight vigils?

Where was Barcester, Massachusetts?

Did DeLuxe know this would happen? Or had it all spiraled
out of his control, too?

Too many questions.

Luther had sworn allegiance to this cause, promised to
kill when called upon and die with glory when it became
necessary.

Which was why he loaded up his weapons, sheathed his
knives, and got ready to go back and do battle.

Whether they had landed in heaven, hell, or somewhere in
between, he still had a mission and the will to see it through.

AYA MET LOGAN COMING DOWN CARLTON REYNOLDS'S
driveway. "You didn't do anything rash, did you?"

He laughed. "Trust me. I left that slimeball alive
and kicking."

He filled her in on the man's diabetic coma. Kaya wanted to
go back and examine Reynolds.

"He's fine," Logan said. "He doesn't want anything to do with
us. Thinks he's safe in his fortress."

"Fool" Kaya looked up at the Ledges. "Jason, I can't leave
Ben up there much longer. I have to get to him."

"Could I send Paul Wells up to bring him back?"

"No, not this time. He's my son, and he needs me."

As they had three times before, they followed the mist back
to the Circle, then got off their bikes and walked them around
the rotary. Kaya took his hand and held tight until they saw the
opening for East University.

As soon as the crowd spotted Logan, they rushed around
him. So many people, so many questions.

Pappas stepped in. "Back off, people. Give the man space. 11

Logan climbed the stairs to Grace, then turned and faced
the crowd. He scanned the crowd until Hilary waved at him.
Kimmie was asleep in her arms. He risked a smile, but Hilary
just turned away.

"Did you find anyone to help?" someone yelled out.

Dear God, I can't do this without You.

"For some reason, the mist has cut us off from the rest of
Barcester," Logan began. "We have to assume we're on our
own for a while."

Logan expected shouting or cries, but the only response was
a numb silence.

They're giving up, he thought. They can't-not yet.

Kaya stepped to his side and took his hand. Pappas-face tight
and eyes hard-nevertheless managed a nod of encouragement.

Logan straightened, ignoring the agony in his shoulders and
lower back. "We need to pray for strength and show mercy to
each other," he said. "And act like Americans."

Dorothy Britain began to sing "America the Beautiful." The
silence broke, voices joining in, Kaya with her lovely voice, tears
in her eyes.

Logan saluted, and Pappas pressed his hand to his heart.

The anthem ended, but the people kept singing. "Amazing
Grace" filled the air now. Logan wanted to linger, but he had
a job to do.

He went inside the church, fell to his knees before the cross,
and prayed for the strength to do it.

by Victoria James

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