but even more unattainable. Something about him was more alive than life. Her life, anyway.
Gerald returned within ten minutes. He led Lucien and Jane to the same garage as before, but this time, there were two black town cars with dark tinted windows waiting. Raleigh was just getting into the closest car and Gerald ushered them into the second car. Raleigh had apparently moved on to other issues; he didn't spare a glance their way. Lucien was led to the front seat beside Steven and Gerald sat in back with Jane.
Gerald made it a point to warn Lucien before they drove away from the strange house. âI'll have a gun in my hand and pointed at your girlfriend if you try anything.â
Jane stiffly looked out the window to distract herself from the gun he was aiming at her. Lucien smiled. Maybe she wanted to pretend that if she didn't see it, the gun didn't exist. No problem there, avoidance was one of his favorite tactics for dealing with undesirable subjects. Lucien didn't bother to look at the gun either, but not out of avoidance. He didn't want to appear nervous. He knew Gerald wasn't squeamish about his job, and looking at the gun wouldn't unload it.
âI'm cooperating because I haven't cheated anyone. There's no reason to overreact.â Lucien looked at Jane and saw that she had slid to the furthest corner of the car to get distance between herself and Gerald. He shot her what he hoped was a reassuring look and deliberately relaxed in the front seat. He didn't want Gerald to get worked up enough to âaccidentlyâ shoot anyone. Jane tried to copy Lucien's nonchalance and she almost succeeded until they arrived at a small airstrip about thirty minutes later.
Jane felt her throat closing up in panic. She was okay about complying with this insane plan because she thought it would be over soon, but an airplane indicated that she wasn't going home in the next couple of hours. If ever. Lucien didn't seem as concerned. When they drove onto the tarmac, he didn't blink an eye. Some hero. She suddenly wished that she had managed to get her cell phone from her purse before it disappeared somewhere between the museum and the house.
At that moment Jane hated herself for being a victim. She had always thought that if she were in a situation like this, that she would be able to fight. She would go for the assailant's eyes or nuts. That was what her freshman dorm resident advisor had told her about preventing rape. When the time came for her to put this sound advice into action, she had politely declined their invitation and been promptly knocked out. Consequently, she had woken up in the prototypical âbad guy vanâ with her hands and feet tied up and no hope of escape.
She replayed the events from the parking garage in her mind and wished she had run faster, or picked up on the danger she was in more quickly than she did. It reminded her of a recurring nightmareshe had where she had fallen in the middle of a road and was trying to crawl to the other side before an oncoming car hit her, except that her arms and legs wouldn't respond, she moved too slowly and even her scream was silent. That nightmare car was coming for her again, and again she was unable to get out of the way. If she got on that plane, she had a sinking feeling she would not make it back home.
7
CICERO WRESTLED WITH HIS OWN STUBBORNNESS . He had chastised Dani for being too intrusive, but now he was considering her point of view. Anxiety was contagious. He still had Lucien's laptop open on the library desk. Lucien kept his daily schedule in a clearly marked file on his desktop. He went to the bar cart in the corner of the room and poured a whiskey.
Before he had finished the rest of his drink he was seated and scanning through the file. He found the entry for this morning and frowned. He wasn't doing anything risky like meeting a new client or delivering a completed canvas. He was visiting the High and looking for a girl. Cicero read the
Gerald returned within ten minutes. He led Lucien and Jane to the same garage as before, but this time, there were two black town cars with dark tinted windows waiting. Raleigh was just getting into the closest car and Gerald ushered them into the second car. Raleigh had apparently moved on to other issues; he didn't spare a glance their way. Lucien was led to the front seat beside Steven and Gerald sat in back with Jane.
Gerald made it a point to warn Lucien before they drove away from the strange house. âI'll have a gun in my hand and pointed at your girlfriend if you try anything.â
Jane stiffly looked out the window to distract herself from the gun he was aiming at her. Lucien smiled. Maybe she wanted to pretend that if she didn't see it, the gun didn't exist. No problem there, avoidance was one of his favorite tactics for dealing with undesirable subjects. Lucien didn't bother to look at the gun either, but not out of avoidance. He didn't want to appear nervous. He knew Gerald wasn't squeamish about his job, and looking at the gun wouldn't unload it.
âI'm cooperating because I haven't cheated anyone. There's no reason to overreact.â Lucien looked at Jane and saw that she had slid to the furthest corner of the car to get distance between herself and Gerald. He shot her what he hoped was a reassuring look and deliberately relaxed in the front seat. He didn't want Gerald to get worked up enough to âaccidentlyâ shoot anyone. Jane tried to copy Lucien's nonchalance and she almost succeeded until they arrived at a small airstrip about thirty minutes later.
Jane felt her throat closing up in panic. She was okay about complying with this insane plan because she thought it would be over soon, but an airplane indicated that she wasn't going home in the next couple of hours. If ever. Lucien didn't seem as concerned. When they drove onto the tarmac, he didn't blink an eye. Some hero. She suddenly wished that she had managed to get her cell phone from her purse before it disappeared somewhere between the museum and the house.
At that moment Jane hated herself for being a victim. She had always thought that if she were in a situation like this, that she would be able to fight. She would go for the assailant's eyes or nuts. That was what her freshman dorm resident advisor had told her about preventing rape. When the time came for her to put this sound advice into action, she had politely declined their invitation and been promptly knocked out. Consequently, she had woken up in the prototypical âbad guy vanâ with her hands and feet tied up and no hope of escape.
She replayed the events from the parking garage in her mind and wished she had run faster, or picked up on the danger she was in more quickly than she did. It reminded her of a recurring nightmareshe had where she had fallen in the middle of a road and was trying to crawl to the other side before an oncoming car hit her, except that her arms and legs wouldn't respond, she moved too slowly and even her scream was silent. That nightmare car was coming for her again, and again she was unable to get out of the way. If she got on that plane, she had a sinking feeling she would not make it back home.
7
CICERO WRESTLED WITH HIS OWN STUBBORNNESS . He had chastised Dani for being too intrusive, but now he was considering her point of view. Anxiety was contagious. He still had Lucien's laptop open on the library desk. Lucien kept his daily schedule in a clearly marked file on his desktop. He went to the bar cart in the corner of the room and poured a whiskey.
Before he had finished the rest of his drink he was seated and scanning through the file. He found the entry for this morning and frowned. He wasn't doing anything risky like meeting a new client or delivering a completed canvas. He was visiting the High and looking for a girl. Cicero read the
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