Jayne Ann Krentz Arcane Society 03 Sizzle and Burn

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directly?
Think about it, Zack said. Raine s a very private person. Her inner circle
of friends is small and tightly knit. It s not easy breaking into it.
Bradley hesitated, then nodded once. I see what you mean. But Raine s no
research chemist. Neither was her aunt. Besides, according to you, Cassidy and
her crowd already have this drug you re talking about. What the hell did they
expect to get from Vella Tallentyre? What do they want from Raine?
I m still working on that angle. What I know is that there are some serious
problems with the current version of the drug. Someone may have been convinced
that Vella Tallentyre knew something important about her brother s version
that would be useful. Now that she s dead, those same people may think that
Raine has the information.
Bradley shot back to his feet and resumed pacing. You re making me look
stupid here, Jones.
No, Zack said. Stupid would be refusing to believe the facts when they re
put in front of you.
Bradley looked at him. If you want me to arrest Cassidy Cutler and Niki
Plumer, you re going to have to give me some hard proof.
I don t have a lot of that, Zack admitted. But you could start with her
SUV.
What about it? She s driving a rental.
Zack raised a brow. The same one she had a couple days ago?
No. She said the heater wasn t working on that one. She had to exchange it.
Got a hunch it never made it back to the rental agency. It s probably been
abandoned in one of the big mall parking garages. She didn t have a lot of
time to get creative.
You think she used it to run down that guy who attacked you?
Yes. Probably wiped it clean but she may have missed something. You never
know.
Bradley reached for his phone. I ll have someone contact the car rental
agency.
Zack smiled slightly.
What? Bradley asked, brows bunching.
Raine told me you were a good cop, Zack said.
An electrifying sensation shivered across his parasenses. Adrenaline splashed
through him.
He was on his feet before he had made a conscious decision to move, heading
for the door.
What the hell? Bradley yelled after him. Where are you going?
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Raine. She s in trouble. Get someone to her shop. Now.
His phone rang. He yanked it out of his pocket as he opened the door and ran
toward his car.
One ring. Calvin s code appeared on the small screen. Then silence.
Fifty-one
The poisoned smoke was dissipating but the masks still taunted her and the
costumes still swayed to music only the ghostly dancers could hear. The room
whirled around Raine. Her stomach roiled. She could not be sick. Not now. She
had to get out of there before Cassidy and Niki decided it was safe to enter
the room. The alley exit was her only chance.
She inched forward, trying not to make any sound on the carpeted surface. The
gleaming knob that spelled escape was almost within reach. A draft of fresh
air was coming in under the bottom of the door. All she had to do was jump to
her feet, yank the door open and run for her life.
Another peculiar sound intruded on the silently screaming voices. Someone was
pounding on the front door of the shop, demanding admittance.
It s the clerk, Cassidy snapped from the far side of the red curtain.
She sees us, Niki said, her voice rising. Probably thinks the door got
locked by accident. If we don t open it, she ll know something s wrong.
Let her in. We ll have to get rid of her. The other two didn t see us but
she ll be able to give a description to Jones and the cops.
You said no guns.
I said no guns. I didn t say no weapons. I ve got a company product with me.
A double dose will be more than enough to stop her heart.
They were going to murder Pandora simply because she was an innocent bystander
who had seen them. Rage crashed through Raine.
She heard the outer door open.
Hey, thanks, Pandora said. Who locked the door? Where s my boss? And the
big man who was sitting in that chair?
Back room, Cassidy said coolly. They ll be right out.
Raine took one last gulp of the relatively untainted air seeping in under the
door, surged to her feet and, holding her breath, half-stumbled, half-ran
through the wispy vapor toward the crimson curtain.
Adrenaline drowned most of the pain that shot through her injured ankle. Not
all.
She thrust the velvet curtain aside. Pandora was in the act of crossing the
threshold into the shop. She held the pizza boxes in both hands. Cassidy and
Niki were on either side of the front door waiting to jump on her as soon as
they could get the door closed.
Run, Pandora! Raine burst out of the opening, heading toward the front door
as fast as she could on her bad ankle. They re going to kill you. Get the
cops. Run, damn it!
Pandora hesitated, mouth open in surprise and confusion. Cassidy reached for
her.
Run, Raine shouted again, putting every ounce of authority she could muster
into the single word.
Pandora dropped the pizza boxes, whirled and fled straight out into the middle
of the street. Horns honked. Tires shrieked. Drivers shouted. Somewhere in the
distance a siren wailed.
Forget her, Cassidy said to Niki. We ve got to get out of here. The back
door. Help me with the bitch.
Guess that would be me, Raine said. She gave Cassidy a really super version
of her special, patented screw you smile.
She did not stop. Fueled by desperation and fury, she continued her unsteady
headlong rush. Cassidy and Niki were directly in her path. The plan, such as
it was, consisted of ramming through them with enough force and momentum to
carry her outside onto the sidewalk.
But her injured ankle gave out just as she reached the pair. She lost her
balance and staggered wildly to one side, colliding with Niki.
The impact sent them both down in a tangle of arms and legs. Raine lashed out,
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