Misplaced (115 page)

I
f
onl
y
sh
e
woul
d
sa
y
something
,
V
ictori
a
though
t
a
s
they
marche
d
alon
g
a
t
a
pac
e
tha
t
suggeste
d
infantr
y
training.
Anything
would
be
better
than
w
alking
next
to
this
silent
shell.
The
breeze
,
coo
l
an
d
smellin
g
o
f
creosote
,
seeme
d
t
o
blo
w
right
through
Khara.
If
not
for
the
ache
in
her
heart,
which
she
wore
lik
e
a
gian
t
ston
e
aroun
d
he
r
neck
,
sh
e
migh
t
ha
v
e
blow
n
a
w
ay.
V
ictoria
witnessed
the
young
woman
in
lo
v
e
arguing
v
aliantly
against the steadfast monarch she had not
y
et become.

What
a
precious
gift
Khara’s
twin
had
w
asted!
If
only
she
coul
d
penetrat
e
Khara’
s
consciousnes
s
th
e
w
a
y
Menefr
a
had
been
able
to
do.
V
ictoria
tried,
concentrating
as
hard
as
her
she
could.
Y
ou ha
v
e a choice!

Khar
a
pau
s
e
d
,
an
d
fo
r
th
e
briefe
s
t
o
f
m
o
m
ent
s
V
i
c
toria
though
t
sh
e
migh
t
ha
v
e
gotte
n
throug
h
t
o
her
.
Bu
t
then
,
as
straigh
t
an
d
unyieldin
g
a
s
stone
,
sh
e
dre
w
hersel
f
u
p
and
pushed on.

“How
much
farther?”
V
ictoria
whined.
“I
could
really
use
a
tall
glass
of
ice
w
ater.
And
a
hot
sho
w
er.
And
aspirin.
I’m
in
absolute, desperate need of an aspirin.”

Sur
v
eying
their
surroundings,
Khara
glanced
at
her
w
atch.
“
W
e should arri
v
e in se
v
en minutes.”

“An
d
I
astoun
d
you?
”
V
ictori
a
huffe
d
a
s
sh
e
to
y
e
d
with
th
e
ide
a
o
f
slowin
g
he
r
pac
e
jus
t
enoug
h
t
o
pro
v
e
Khara’s
calculatio
n
wrong—no
t
b
y
a
lot
,
jus
t
a
minut
e
o
r
two
.
Anything
to distract her.

She
fantasized
about
the
claw-footed
bathtub
in
the
cabin,
the
French-milled
soap,
and
the
bubble
bath
that
would
scent
the steam with gardenias and restore her.

It
w
as just then that screaming sirens tore through the air.

The
y
ra
n
unti
l
the
y
reache
d
th
e
hil
l
abo
v
e
Celeste’
s
farm
wher
e
simultaneously
,
the
y
froze
.
T
w
o
squa
d
cars
,
lights
flashing
,
ha
d
pulle
d
carelessl
y
alongsid
e
th
e
mai
n
house.
Instincti
v
ely
, V
ictori
a
starte
d
dow
n
th
e
hill
,
whe
n
Khara
grabbe
d
he
r
b
y
th
e
arm
,
pullin
g
he
r
int
o
th
e
obscurit
y
o
f
a
nearby stand of aspens. “Shh,” she hissed.

“
W
e’
v
e got to go down there!”
V
ictoria protested.

The
futility
with
which
Khara
shook
her
head
immobilized
V
ictoria
.
W
it
h
a
growin
g
sens
e
o
f
hopelessness
,
th
e
tw
o
w
atche
d
a
s
a
n
ambulance
,
silen
t
an
d
i
n
n
o
apparen
t
hurry
,
approac
h
th
e
Square-4
throug
h
a
blanke
t
o
f
dust
.
T
w
o
men
emerged
,
unloade
d
a
stretche
r
an
d
pushe
d
i
t
insid
e
without
missing so much as a word of their con
v
ersation.

Soon,
a
bagged
form
w
as
wheeled
from
the
house.
Numb,
V
ictori
a
coul
d
onl
y
thin
k
ho
w
smal
l
i
t
w
as
.
Chri
s
w
alke
d
behind
the
EM
T
s,
w
eeping
openly.
Lila
stopped
the
gurney,
unzipped
th
e
bag
,
an
d
too
k
Celeste’
s
stif
f
hand
.
Sh
e
kisse
d
it
,
tucke
d
i
t
a
w
ay, and then ran back inside.

A
commotio
n
turne
d
he
r
attentio
n
fro
m
th
e
ambulance;
a
policema
n
leadin
g
a
handcuffe
d
ma
n
fro
m
th
e
bac
k
o
f
the
house
.
E
v
e
n
wit
h
hi
s
hea
d
down
,
sh
e
kne
w
him
.
V
ictori
a
fought
th
e
bil
e
risin
g
i
n
he
r
throa
t
as
,
wit
h
a
singl
e
f
lui
d
mo
v
ement,
he
r
uncl
e
sidesteppe
d
th
e
office
r
’
s
attemp
t
t
o
assis
t
hi
m
and
lo
w
ere
d
himsel
f
int
o
th
e
squa
d
car
.
Th
e
office
r
sho
v
e
d
Elias
o
v
er in the seat before slamming the rear door closed.