Lana couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Time crawled by, suffocating her more with every passing second. Her heart stil pounded, her blood stil moved in painfuly sluggish pulses through her body, but it didn’t matter. She was already dead. Kara had found her, and it was al over. She was going to die on a dirty bathroom floor with help only a shout away.
But Lana couldn’t shout. Her lungs burned from lack of oxygen, but she couldn’t drag in any air—just like in her nightmares.
“Are you okay?” asked Kara in a mockery of concern.
A sliver of doubt stabbed at Lana, getting her attention. Maybe she was halucinating. Certainly a kiler wouldn’t walk up and introduce herself. Not unless she was toying with Lana.
Or testing her.
Kara couldn’t know that Lana had seen her face. No one knew, which was why she was stil alive after eighteen months. If Lana could fool Kara into believing it, maybe Kara would let her live. What use could there be in kiling her and risking getting caught when al Kara had to do was walk away knowing her secret was safe? Al Lana had to do was pretend Kara was a stranger and she might live.
Reach out and shake her hand. That’s what she was supposed to do now.
“Do you need help?” Kara asked, taking a step forward.
Lana barely stifled a flinch. “Sorry. I thought I was going to get sick again for a minute there.”
“You’re sick?”
“Just a stomach bug,” she lied. “I’m feeling a little better now.”
A smile brightened Kara’s face, and she extended her hand again. “That’s good to hear. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. Everyone around here loves you.”
Lana couldn’t bring herself to touch Kara. She wasn’t strong enough to touch her and not scream. So, she said, “Haven’t washed my hands yet,” and proceeded to do just that, taking her time.
Her fingers were trembling, and she prayed Kara hadn’t seen it. “So, you’re our new volunteer?”
“That’s right. Just signed on this week. I’ve heard so much about your work I had to come help out.”
Lana’s hands were more than clean. She was starting to look foolish, so she turned off the water and dried them. “Do you live nearby?”
“Just down the road. Wel, it’s my mother’s house, but I decided to move back after she died.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.” Lana was sure the words didn’t sound sincere. She was too stunned by the fact that this kiler had a mother to put any feeling into her voice.
Kara shrugged. “Death is just part of life.”
She would know. She’d caused enough of it.
Lana shoved her hands into her pockets to ward off any more of Kara’s attempts to shake. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a day trader. You know, stocks and options?”
Liar! Lana wanted to scream and lash out at her for what she’d done, but she managed to hold her tongue. “Sounds exciting.”
“It has its moments. I think working with the kids wil be even more . . . rewarding, though. Don’t you think?”
No way was Lana letting her spend any time alone with the kids. The thought made her skin crawl. “Peggy explained our rules to you, right?”
“You mean how I’m not alowed to do any activities with the children for at least three months?”
“That’s right. You can help set up and clean up, but we have to be strict about screening out the weirdos.”
“I thought that’s what the background check was for.”
“It is. We’re just careful.”
“That’s good to know. You wouldn’t want any unpleasantness.”
Too late for that.
Kara cocked her head to one side. “You look familiar. Have we met?”
Lana felt acid rise in her throat. She had to get out of here. “No. I don’t think so.”
“I could have sworn I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
“Probably in the newspapers.”
Lana reached for the door, but Kara was faster. Their hands colided near the handle, and Kara’s were reptile cold.
Her voice was elegant and warm. “It’s such a thril to be here. I’m sure you and I wil be spending lots of time together.”
Over Lana’s dead body. Maybe literaly.
This was too much. Lana needed to get away and think for a minute—decide what to do.
She let Kara open the door for her rather than risk contact again. When she came out, Caleb was waiting for her. As soon as he saw her, he frowned and stepped forward.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
Behind Caleb, Kara was talking with Peggy. The older woman smiled at something Kara said and Kara put a hand on Peggy’s shoulder.
Lana puled her eyes away. She couldn’t stand to watch that kiler touch her friend.
She had to get away and think. Pul herself together. Caleb was watching her too closely. He was going to see something was wrong and give her away. She couldn’t let that happen.
“I’m worried about Stacie. I need to cal her. I’m going back to one of the offices to use the phone.”
“Want me to tag along?”
“No. I’l be back in a few minutes,” said Lana.
She wasn’t sure an eternity would be long enough to calm her down, but she had to try.
Caleb gave her a solemn nod. “Don’t be long, or I’m coming to find you.”
Great. Like she didn’t have enough pressure.
“Wait here,” she told him and retreated back to the offices. Lana found the first empty office she could and locked herself inside.
Kara was here at First Light.
Panic started to close in around her, blocking off her air. She slid to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest, trying to take up as little space as possible. Maybe if she was smal enough, Kara wouldn’t find her.
She was panting. Nearly hyperventilating. A low, terrified whimper fel from her lips with every rapid breath.
What if Kara could hear her? What if she was on the other side of the door, listening?
Lana clamped her mouth closed and sucked in air through her nose. She scrambled away from the door to the farthest corner of the office. She huddled there, hugging herself and rocking. She had no idea how long she was there, but slowly, she got control over her panic, and her breathing started to even out.
She had to think.
From the time Lana had seen that flash of sunlight reflecting off binoculars on the hilside outside of the cave in Armenia, she knew someone might find her. She didn’t know who had been watching her then, but she did now. The only protection she could devise was based on a short conversation she’d overheard while in the cave.
“Do you want me to kill his wife, too?” asked one of Kara’s goons.
“No,” she answered. “She knows nothing. Killing her would only draw attention we don’t need.”
If Lana pretended to know nothing, could that save her life as it had saved that unknown woman? Could it keep her family safe?
She had to believe so. It was the only thing she could think to grasp a hold of. The only glimmer of hope she could find.
Sure, she could tel Caleb. Maybe he’d even be able to get rid of Kara forever. But what good would that do when the other three men she’d seen found out Kara was gone? They’d know she’d identified Kara and realize she’d seen them, too. They’d come after her.
They’d come after her family.
Her parents and sister were listed in the phone book. Anyone with an Internet connection could find out where they lived and retaliate. If Lana said a thing, she was sure that whether she lived or died, her family would suffer. She had to protect them, and the only way to do that was to keep her mouth shut.
Staying silent had worked for eighteen months. Everyone she loved was stil safe. It would continue to work. She had to believe that. She couldn’t face the possibility that she would fail. She’d find a way to smile at Kara if that’s what it took. She’d shake her hand. Hug her. Whatever it took, she’d do it. It was the only way.
Once Kara believed that Lana knew nothing, she’d go away. Everyone would be safe, and this nightmare would finaly be over for good.
Lana pushed her trembling body to her feet and puled in a deep breath. She wiped the tears off her face, straightened her clothes, squared her shoulders, and went to face her enemy.
Caleb had just decided to hunt Lana down when she came back into the gymnasium. Something was definitely wrong. She was pale, and even from here he could see her shaking. He watched as Lana took a few deep breaths like he used to do when he’d first learned how to parachute out of airplanes.
Caleb excused himself from Peggy and went to Lana. Up close, he could see a fine layer of sweat along her hairline and goose bumps on her arms. Without thinking, he rubbed his hands up and down her arms to warm her. “Is Stacie okay? You looked a little freaked out.”
“She’s fine.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.” He pressed his wrist to her forehead to see if she was fevered. She was cool and clammy.
She swatted him away and plastered a fake, dimpleless smile on her mouth. “I’m not sick. It’s just been a long day.”
“Let me take you home.” Where he could take care of her.
“In a little while. I want to play with the kids first.”
One of the younger children saw her and squealed, racing over to give her a hug. “Lana’s back!” shouted several of the other kids as they, too, saw her.
Lana’s fake smile turned genuine, and her dimples returned as she soaked up the attention of about ten kids. Hugs al around, they finaly backed up enough to let her walk into the room.
“You gonna give us art class today?” asked a boy about seven years old. He wore a stained shirt and jeans with too many holes. His hands were covered in smudges of green marker, some of which had transferred to his face where he’d touched it.
“Not today, Jeremy. It’s too late to start a class, but I’d love to see your latest drawings.”
Jeremy grinned and raced off to the wal that was lined with coat racks and smal lockers, and started digging for his papers.
After a few minutes of excited chatting and an art show by Jeremy, the kids thinned out. They went back to their basketbal games and coloring books. Two adults who’d been watching the mob of kids came over. One was a man in his late thirties, and the other was a strikingly beautiful woman. The man would have been handsome if anger hadn’t shaped his face into a sour mask. He was heavily muscled but moved awkwardly, as if he wasn’t used to his own body. His arms swung out at his sides, sticking out like there just wasn’t room for them to hang against his body with al that muscle in the way. He looked at Lana with frankly sexual interest, tainted with the anger of repeated rejections. Caleb sized him up swiftly and decided to keep a close eye on this man. Between his bulk and attitude, he was a possible threat to Lana.
The woman was nearly six feet tal and simply gorgeous. Her golden blond hair was puled back in a sleek twist of some kind, and she wore an outfit that looked like it had been stripped from a first lady, complete with pearls. She wore a subtle floral perfume that probably cost more per ounce than gold. The legs peeking out under her skirt were shapely and long, and even though she was likely nearing forty, she stil had the kind of beauty that could turn men’s heads.