Page 21 (1/2)

The first ot to introduce uy is Len Takes size to handle the stones"

"Hi" Cassie s her naot cranky because Felicity had called in randoone, Cassie didn’t want to be in the line of fire "About those keys Why don’t you wait here for a ht back" She did not want to take that elevator anywhere

"Can’t waste ti for you I have soht need your help" Tony held her gaze "Oh, and make sure you press the bottom button"

Help? For what? Musical accompaniment? He could hack away at his to teeth But she couldn’t think of an excuse that wouldn’t iant wuss she really was

The twofor the elevator

"Oh, um, do you knohere Mr Garrity is?" In fact, where anybody was? There hadn’t been one person in the place when she’d arrived She refused to think about the non-living that probably populated the basement

Len answered her "Mr Garrity was also called away on aneency" He seeht he had a sinister s Proof? Nonexistent zo down the hallway To stop herself froet Felicity in trouble, she turned and walked back to the office

On the way there, it occurred to her that thethe keys downstairs because they’d still have to wait for her to unlock the door She shrugged the thought away

Keys, keysShe found them in the top drawer of the desk That part had been easy Now for the tough part She had to go back to the elevator, walk inside, and hit the down button

By the time she reached the elevator, she’d almost made herself believe that this whole experience was a character-building event She’d be stronger for having spent time at Eternal Rest You are such a liar

Inside the car, she had a choice of three unlabeled buttons The funeral horound level and two levels below ground Weird She hit the bottom one All the way down she tried to convince her heart it didn’t need to puallons of extra blood so she could handle a fewthe dead Her heart didn’t believe her It redoubled its efforts

The elevator doors slid open, and Cassie stepped out She was in a long wide hallith closed doors lining both sides Was this usual for a funeral hohts were a little too dim, the shadows a little too deep Relieved, she saw Tony and Len waiting for her at the end of the hall in front of the door on the right

Please, no bodies, no bodies, no bodies Her legs felt rubbery by the time she reached the men They moved aside so she could open the door She was proud that her hand didn’t shake as she slipped the key labeled with the nuht into the lock and turned it Cassie pushed the door open and then started to step aside

After that, things happened too fast for her to react Tony reached into the rooave her a hard shove She stu on the floor, and went down hard on her hands and knees She heard the door slam shut behind her

She opened her mouth to scream Then she looked down The screa in a pool of blood--

And staring into Felicity’s sightless eyes

Dead Felicity was dead

Cassie couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think

She didn’t see her best friend sprawled on that floor, didn’t see the girl she’d shared notes with in school, the woman who’d comforted her when she’d lost her job Cassie only saw--

A dead body She was kneeling next to a dead body Whi, she scooted backward, still on her hands and knees The blood set it out, never get it out Panicked, she knelt up and tried to wipe her hands on her top

"Gee, looks like your friend had ency than she expected" Tony’s voice

His soft laughter jerked her back to so to her feet, she whirled to face the twoin front of the only door

She still couldn’t force any sound from her locked throat muscles, clenched teeth But she didn’t need to, because Tony had plenty to say

"Mr Garrity got a call on his cell phone froes She was really upset that you couldn’t help her when she called Said the regular woman was a lot more efficient" He took a step toward her