Page 156 of The Wild Charge

“Shit,” Toly muttered. He pulled out the drive and pocketed it. “Time to go.”

They stepped out of the office, and the employee heading toward them pulled up short, her eyes widening in surprise. Fear flashed in her gaze, and Reese supposed they didn’t make the typical portrait of museum-goers.

“Can – can I help you?”

“We got turned around,” Reese said, drawing on all he’d learned from Tenny and trying to project a sheepish smile and an easy tone. Based on her expression, he missed the mark. “We’re going. Sorry.”

She flattened herself against the wall as they passed; Reese heard her small gasp. Easily startled, he figured, or maybe his face was even more frightening than normal when he was trying to do friendly things with it.

But as they pushed through the door, he heard a crackle of static, and then her voice low and urgent: speaking into a radio. “Second floor offices. Yes. Hurry.”

“Shit,” Toly said again, as Abe spotted them and headed over. “We’ve been made. We’ve got to get out.”

“Not without Cassandra,” Reese said. “Where are Fox and Devin?” he asked Abe, when he reached them.

“They can find their own way out. Don’t worry about them. Is the girl on this floor?”

“Somewhere. It’s orientation.”

“Right.”

The employee who’d helped Abe stepped around a section of display wall, walkie-talkie held up to his mouth.

That was when Reese got the feeling that “calling security” wasn’t as simple as a few overweight retired cops coming to have strong words with them.

~*~

Fox found his father loitering in front of a statue of a woman – shocker. Devin didn’t glance round when Fox drew up beside him, still staring up at the object of his fascination.

“Look at the tits on her,” he said. “The way the cloth folds over them. You can see her nipples.”

“It’s marble, you old lech,” Fox said, without heat. That was the problem with Devin: the longer you were in proximity to him, the more he started to seem normal. Or else Fox became numb to him. “It’s supposed to look realistic.”

“I’ll say.”

“If you’re done hitting on an inanimate woman,” Fox deadpanned, “a new low for you, by the way, but I don’t guess I expected better…we should head up and collect Cass. Abe and the boys should have had ample time to download something decent.”

Devin sighed. “Sorry, darling,” he told the statue, “I’m afraid I can’t stay.” He turned toward Fox, finally, grinning.

“You’re the most fucked-up person I’ve ever met.”

“Aw, come on, that can’t be true. Have you met yourself?”

Much to his chagrin, Fox found himself snorting, tickled. “Shut up.”

The museum was quiet, a few visitors strolling through the exhibits, talking in hushed voices about the art, the loudest sounds the pop of old floorboards and the occasional slam of an unseen door somewhere. So they were able to hear the thunder of running feet approach quite clearly.

Devin cocked a brow. “Stampede?”

“More like the cavalry, I’m thinking.”

~*~

Just days before, Cassandra had been tingly with excitement at the prospect of meeting Kaitlin and Brandon in person. If she was honest – which she didn’t want to be – she’d been a little more excited about meeting Brandon. They’d traded photos in the chat and he was cute. Plus, he “lol”ed at her jokes every time, and watched all her favorite anime, and never failed to respond, no matter what time of day or night she posted.

But sitting next to him now, as they waited for orientation to start, she realized how easily she’d been fooled. Realized how eager he was to hear about her life – about her family and her accommodations.

Before, she would have thought that meant he liked her.

---