Misplaced (106 page)

I
n
a
n
instan
t
h
e
w
a
s
standin
g
o
v
e
r
her
.
“No
w
you’
v
e
ruined
our good start.”

“I
suppose
I
ha
v
e,”
she
said,
looking
long
and
hard
into
his
soul
.
“
I
se
e
tha
t
courag
e
i
s
no
t
a
particula
r
strengt
h
o
f
yours,
either.
This
is
probably
going
to
be
far
worse
for
you
than
it
is
for—”

He
grabbed
her
throat
and
spat,
“There’s
no
need
for
this.”
The
n
h
e
le
t
g
o
an
d
pulle
d
back
.
“
P
erhap
s
i
f
I
explai
n
what’s
at
stake,
you
’
d
be
more
cooperati
v
e.
I
ha
v
en’t
e
v
en
introduced
myself.
My
name,”
he
announced
with
chi
v
alrous
mockery,
“is
Arlan Mieley.”

A
rando
m
fac
t
she
’
d
hear
d
o
n
a
televisio
n
sho
w
tha
t
she
hadn’
t
pai
d
enoug
h
attentio
n
t
o
a
s
Lil
a
mad
e
dinne
r
an
d
Emm
a
snoozed
in
her
lap
suddenly
came
to
her;
it
can
take
as
long
as
three minutes to die from strangulation.

“I
already
know
more
about
you
than
I
need
to,”
she
told
him
.
Th
e
puzzlemen
t
i
n
hi
s
e
y
e
s
bough
t
he
r
som
e
time
.
“Go
on,”
she
baited
him,
“ask
me.
W
e
all
ha
v
e
our
special
gifts,
Mr.
Mieley;
you
certainly
ha
v
e
yours.
Seeing
people,
really
seeing
what’s deep inside, is mine.”

H
e
too
k
a
ste
p
bac
k
an
d
crosse
d
hi
s
arms
.
“Thi
s
gif
t
of
yours—it
didn’t
work
when
I
pretended
to
be
Elias
Barrón.
If
you
w
ere as good as you say, I wouldn’t be here now.”

“Y
o
u
ha
v
e
a
point
.
Intelligen
t
an
d
ambitious
,
aren’
t
you?
Y
ou could ha
v
e accomplished so much, and
y
et—”

“Not another word. I know you know where they are.”

Celest
e
shoo
k
he
r
head
,
an
d
hi
s
hand
s
w
er
e
bac
k
around
he
r
throa
t
instantly
,
squeezin
g
withou
t
mercy
.
“
Y
o
u
don’t
kno
w
anythin
g
abou
t
me,
”
h
e
hissed
,
sprayin
g
spi
t
o
v
e
r
her
face.
“Can
your
visions
see
what
will
happen
when
I
get
that
bracelet?
”
H
e
continue
d
t
o
chok
e
he
r
a
s
Celest
e
fough
t
back,
slapping at his arms and kicking him with her good leg.

“Ha
d
enough
?
Ther
e
now
,
tak
e
som
e
air
.
Really
,
people
your
age
are
so
obstinate.
I
came
here
with
the
best
intentions,
especially
after
that
nasty
business
with
Max,
y
et
you
’
re
e
v
ery
bit
as
unwilling
to
cooperate.
I
’
ll
find
them
without
your
help.”

“Y
ou
won’t,” Celeste
panted,
shuddering as her
lungs
tried
for a full breath.

“I’m running out of patience, you crazy old bat.”

Had
she
gone
part
of
the
w
ay,
or
would
the
three
minutes
necessary
for
a
successful
strangulation
ha
v
e
to
start
o
v
er?
She
too
k
a
breath—a
n
almos
t
norma
l
one—befor
e
holdin
g
u
p
a
qui
v
erin
g
hand
.
P
ar
t
o
f
he
r
longe
d
t
o
se
e
th
e
flo
w
er
s
tha
t
would
be
w
aiting
in
the
morning,
gaze
on
lo
v
ely
shades
of
pink
that
had been born in the night.

Mieley leaned in close. “
T
ell me where she is.”

Y
o
u
thin
k
I’
m
afrai
d
o
f
you?
”
sh
e
whispered
,
barel
y
audible
.
“M
y
boy
,
I’
v
e
bee
n
w
aitin
g
fo
r
you.
”
Sh
e
beckoned
him
with
a
crooked
finger,
scarcely
able
to
hear
her
own
voice.
“
Y
ou
’
re my ticket home.”

H
e
slappe
d
he
r
acros
s
th
e
fac
e
s
o
har
d
he
r
ear
s
bled
.
Celeste
had
barely
noticed
that
her
air
had
been
cut
off again
when
he
threw
her
to
the
floor,
allowing
her
one
last
clean
breath
of
air,
but
at
a
cost.
She
felt
excruciating
pain
as
her
left
hip
shattered
and screamed
w
eakly. For an instant she lamented that the last
fac
e
sh
e
woul
d
se
e
w
a
s
his
,
drippin
g
s
w
eat
,
contorte
d
with
uncontrollable rage.