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in advance?"
"I'm not sure." Chance tried to remember exactly what he had overheard the two
men say that day. So much had happened since then.
"Keep looking," Ally said. "The insurance policy isn't proof of anything."
"Fortunately, that's true," said an unpleasant voice.
They both whirled to see Wilson standing behind them. He had crept up on them
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under the covering noise of the vacuum cleaner which they'd been using to
cover their noise. It seemed so unfair. Ally wished they had thought of a
better plan. Then her horrified gaze dropped to the weapon in his hand. "So
that's the gun you were talking about," she said to Chance.
"I don't believe this is happening to me," Chance groaned.
Sudden recognition contorted Wilson's face horribly. "My God, it's
you! But you're supposed to be turning yourselves in to the police in New
York right now."
"It worked," Ally said. "Monty came through."
"You mean you didn't recognize us in the hallway?" Chance asked. "Then what
made you come back here?"
"It finally dawned on me that there was something strange about this. We had a
cleaning staff up here yesterday. No one ever cleans two days in a row in this
hotel."
"I believe that," Ally said. "The service here is terrible. Are you aware "
"Not now, Ally," Chance said, his gaze fixed on Wilson's gun. There was once a
great magician who had dodged bullets as part of his act. Chance wished
he had bothered to study the technique. Desperate to keep Ally safe, he said,
"Let the girl go, Wilson. She doesn't know anything."
Ally and Wilson both turned disgusted gazes upon him. Chance didn't
know which of them looked more appalled at the stupidity of this
remark. He felt his cheeks grow hot and mumbled, "Sorry. It just, you know,
seemed like the right thing to say."
"Entertainers," Wilson sneered in disgust. Then he bellowed "Luther!"
A few moments later, the burly security guard appeared in the
doorway. "Mr.
Wilson!" he cried. "I'm sorry, sir! I thought they were cleaners!"
"It's all right, Luther. We're going to put them in the Blue Wing."
"What do we do now?" Ally whispered to Chance.
"With that other guy?" the security guard asked.
"I'm thinking," Chance whispered back.
"No," Wilson said. "Next door."
"Well?" Ally said.
"Nothing's coming," Chance admitted. He only knew that he had to get Ally out
of here, and he had just a few seconds to do it.
"All right, let's go, you two," Wilson said.
"Wait a minute," Ally said. "Aren't you going to tell us what this is all
about?"
Wilson looked surprised. "No, of course not. If you haven't figured it out,
why should I enlighten you?"
"Don't you want to brag about your cleverness?" she prodded.
"Excuse me?" Wilson looked puzzled.
"Don't you ever go to the movies?" Ally demanded. "The bad guy always tells
the good guys all his plans before he kills them." She paused and then added
hastily, "Or, rather, before he locks them up. Killing is really unnecessary.
Especially in this case."
"I'm busy," Wilson said. "And while it's been interesting, Miss Cannon, I
can't say I'm very eager to deepen the acquaintance. Shall we go?"
"Did you have to use the word 'kill'?" Chance muttered.
"It just slipped out," she apologized.
"Quiet," Wilson snapped.
"Let's go," said Luther, the beefy guard, pointing his own gun at them. He
looked pretty nervous as he prodded Ally.
"Don't push, buddy," she warned. "My friend here can make you vanish like that
." She snapped her fingers. "I've seen him do it to guys bigger than you.
He can even make elephants disappear."
Luther hesitated, looking from Ally to Chance and back again. She
nodded knowingly and said,"Yep. Like that
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. Just a little hocus-pocus, a little prestidigitation "
"That's enough, Miss Cannon," Wilson warned:
Ally circled Luther, talking the whole while. Chance made a show of looking
him over, as if gauging how much energy it would take to make him disappear.
He hoped
Ally understood; one of them had to get away, to go for help, and it had to be
her.
When the moment was right, Chance threw a tangle of knotted, colored scarfs
over
Luther's head, causing him to flinch. It was all they needed.
"Run, Ally!" Chance kicked Luther's feet out from under him and turned to
knock
Wilson's gun away. The man was stronger than he looked. They were still
struggling when Chance heard Ally scream. Forgetting his concentration,
forgetting everything but the instinct to go to her, he let himself get
distracted.
There was a brief searing pain at the back of his skull, then everything went
black and silent.
Chapter Eleven
The pounding in his head gave way to a softer sound. Darkness was all around
him. He fought his way through it, drawn toward this new, soothing sound. It
was water in the desert, shelter in the rain, comfort in the void.
"I'm here, Chance. No, don't try to get up. Hold still. You don't want to move
just yet." The voice broke on a sob. "Can you hear me?"
A beautiful voice. Throaty, melodic, husky.
"You're going to be all right. I'm sure you're all right. Please tell
me you're all right."
It sounded familiar. Sweetness filled the black emptiness, and he
struggled to open his eyes.
"Are you awake? Can you hear me?"
"Ohhh." Another voice, very close by. Gravelly and vague. "Ungh."
A hand touched his cheek. He felt embarrassed when he felt fingers rasp across
the stubble there. Why hadn't he shaved? His grandfather had never let him
leave the house in such a state.
"Oh, Chance& " A weight against his chest. Soft hair under his chin. That
voice, so familiar. The scent of her hair brought her name to his lips.
"Al-lee& " Good God, that awful sound was his voice.
"Yes, yes! How do you feel?"
He opened one eye. Lights blinked wildly at him, as if he were
caught in an electrical storm. The ceiling above him tilted. He closed his
eye again. "Lousy."
"I don't know anything about first aid. I'm so sorry." She sounded
desperate.
"Do you think you have a concussion?"
He shifted slightly, trying to see if anything hurt besides his head. "Don't
use&
that word."
"We have to consider it."
"No, we don't," he said stubbornly. He was a little stiff, but everything felt
normal except for his head. He tried opening both eyes this time.
After a few interesting hallucinations which bore some resemblance to the
dancers at Caesar's Palace in
Las Vegas his vision cleared and he was able to focus on their
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