Page 24 (1/2)

She sighed "More bad guys?"

"And a doomsday device"

"What?" Fred nearly screamed

"Yeah, you heard me, an actual doomsday device What’s that black stuff all over your shoes? Toner froe?" he asked Betsy

"What?" she nearly screamed

"Yeah, you heard me"

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The Skittles Boys marched the their questions or rising to their taunts Since Jonas and Betsy were gold- Fred found most ominous of all Despite the balls-up at Faneuil Hall, it bespoke of the men’s (and where were the Skittles Girls?) professionalism

As it was late, the area was nearly deserted There were a few--a very few--people on the street,late to the nearby hotel Fred considered, and rejected, screa for help Doouys dressed like Skittles? If someone heard their cries and if someone took them seriously and called a cop and if Dispatch sent a unit, they’d all still be inside the NEA by then, and nobody would be able to stop the bad guys, or save the good guys, in time

Besides, Fred suspected as happening inside was private Folk business And possibly private vahts (such as they were)the same lines, as she suddenly piped up, "Wow, it’s like a buddy movie cra, we have no lawful authority For another, we live half a country apart (for which I will always be thankful) Also, I loathe you Not buddy- I loathe you like famine I loathe you like war"

"No, you don’t," the va cheer "Your bitchiness is purely surface bitchiness Inside you’re like a big old gooeyI dunnojellyfish? Help lop of caviar? A big old--Where’d you get that?"

Betsy’s sharp digression startled everyone, but Other Red Shirt slid the key card through the lock without pause, and opened the door

Jonas turned to Madison, who’d been silently (thank God) crying during the last of the walk Orange Shirt (Betsy also referred to him as Sunkist) had ihtened at the thought of losing the line between her mother and herself, had clutched it for a few panicky seconds Jonas had gently coaxed her into giving it up and had been holding her hand and s like, "As fast as tech otten outdated since suppertiet a new one" Betsy had surrendered hers with a bit race: "But hoill I knohat the weather is in Istanbul? Or when et updated? Or which restaurants deliver after hs? Also, I occasionally use it as a telephone"

Noatching the bad guys deftly get through the electric lock, Jonas cocked his head, puzzled "I thought you got your purse back"

"I did" Madison sniffed "Just theoff on her long fingers "Bad guy conspiracy, check Hench--obvious fro phones--check Doomsday device, whatever the fuck that is--check Plan to steal NEA e that’s what you’re doing--check Tech to copy keycard and return purse to further confuse said eht call away fro around all nighta list, for God’s sake, e could have been here, uys expected us to show up

"I like you better when you’re ditzy," Fred

"You’re the only one," she admitted

"You mean they didn’t want to kill et in?"

"Check," a new voice said, and they all looked around, and then down "As if we couldsardine"

A white ht in his wheelchair, rolled quietly toward theray hair pulled back in a ponytail that, if free, would have reached down his back; his beard was short and carefully shaped, covering his upper lip and chin but none of his neck He earing a crisp white dress shirt, black slacks rolled to show both legs werebelow the knee, and a navy blue tie ens On the left arreen sticker: "Whales are people, too!"

"Oh, good God," Betsy groaned "Savehippies"

Fred, whose , but smiled a little

"My name is Hedley Ran and I don’t know you," he told Betsy, and Fred noticed his back never touched the back of the wheelchair "Or you, sir" Dish your insipid letters and lies And I know your friend"

I’rrrr