Nancy Bush's Nowhere Bundle: Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide & Nowhere Safe. Nancy Bush

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СКАЧАТЬ as soon as we leave.”

      “We’re going to the police tomorrow anyway, right?”

      “That’s the plan,” Liv said, but the lack of conviction in her voice caused him to put his hands on her shoulders and turn her toward him.

      “I mean it, Liv. You’ve been playing a dangerous game with a killer. I’ve been playing it with you. But the best thing we could do is go to the police.”

      “After we go to Halo Valley.”

      “Just don’t tell me something different after we’ve been there.”

      Liv was no proof against those intense blue eyes staring down at her. She twisted away and knocked on the door. He made her heart race. From the fear of taking an irreversible step, like going to the authorities, but also at a more feminine level.

      Della answered after a few moments, her own icy blue eyes raking over Liv and landing on Auggie. Her blond hair was pulled back into its ubiquitous bun and her expression was hard to read.

      “Liv,” she said after a moment, her voice just short of a sneer. “Did you forget to tell me you were wanted by the police last time you were here?”

      “I’m still wanted by the police,” Liv snapped back, “so, go ahead and call them and let’s get it over with. I want to see my brother.”

      “Well.” She reared back at Liv’s tone.

      “I’m Auggie,” Auggie said, reaching out a hand.

      Della took it in hers and seemed to thaw a bit. “Where did she find you?” she said with a lilt.

      Oh, brother, Liv thought, seething. She realized maybe there was some fierceness there after all, which helped restore her humor a little. “Auggie’s a friend who’s been helping me on my quest to find out what happened to Mama.”

      “Really.” Della stepped back from the door, allowing them entry. The three of them walked to the back toward Hague’s room where he was sitting in his chair, glaring at some loose-leaf pages in his hands.

      “Who are you?” he demanded of Auggie.

      “Auggie Rafferty.” He started to put out a hand to him as well, but Hague didn’t set down the pages so he dropped his arm.

      Hague regarded Auggie suspiciously and rubbed his scruffy beard as if he were comparing himself to him. Auggie had shaved in the morning but was, like Liv, looking a little used up after their long day. Still, compared to Hague, he could have been heading for the board meeting of a major corporation.

      “Hague, I need to talk to you,” Liv said.

      “I don’t think I want to.” His eyes never left Auggie.

      “It’s about the doctor. The one with the rigor smile?”

      Hague’s gaze jumped to Liv. “The doctor doesn’t have a rigor smile.”

      “You said, ‘They keep their hands in their pockets and wear rigor smiles.’ That’s almost verbatim. And you said we both knew him from when we were kids. Did you mean Dr. Frank Navarone?”

      Hague’s eyes slid around in their sockets, as if he were trying to look around the room but couldn’t control the motion. “The zombie,” said Hague.

      “The zombie stalker is Dr. Navarone,” Liv said. “That’s right, isn’t it?”

      “I can’t talk with him here.” He slapped the papers onto a table by his chair and gestured in Auggie’s direction. Then, in an about-face, he turned to Auggie and said, “I saw you at the Cantina. I saw you.”

      “The Cantina?” Auggie repeated.

      “You were watching me. Listening. You were with the others. You want to hurt Livvie, don’t you?”

      “No,” Auggie said, surprised.

      “No, Hague. He’s with me. He wasn’t at the Cantina. Was Dr. Navarone at Grandview when you were there?”

      “Out of the sides of my eyes . . . he’s there . . . he’s watching me, but he wants you, Livvie. He wants you.”

      She blinked, feeling tense. “Dr. Navarone?”

      “He wasn’t my doctor. My doctor was Dr. Tambor. He was Jeff ’s doctor, though, and he was Wart’s, and some other guys. They were all zapped.” Hague gave a huffing laugh, then said in a lower, conspiratorial voice, “It’s the government, you know. He worked for the government. That’s what happens when you work for them. They put receivers inside the folds of your brain. In the creases, where they can’t be found. The mindbenders, they’re at the hospitals. That’s where they are. At Grandview and everywhere.”

      “But Dr. Navarone worked at Grandview when you were there,” Liv repeated, seeking to clarify and keep Hague on track.

      He suddenly sat up straight, slamming back the flipped-up leg rest and jumping to his feet in one motion.

      “Hague,” Della said uncertainly, shooting Liv a look.

      He grabbed Liv and dragged her to the other side of the room so fast, she stumbled and had to cling to him for support. “Sister,” he said on a breath near her ear. “RUN!!!!”

      His bellow reverberated throughout the rooms and Della’s head whipped back and forth between Hague and Liv, as if she couldn’t decide whom to handle first. She chose Hague, rushing to him and tugging on his arm. “Hague, Hague! Don’t let her upset you!”

      Liv was shaking inside. She stared at her brother in horror. Then Auggie was there, on Liv’s other side, watching Hague intently. “Let’s all take a deep breath, here,” he said.

      Hague croaked out, “He’s coming,” and then his eyes rolled back and his knees buckled. Auggie caught him and Della slid under one of Hague’s arms. Together they took him back to his chair.

      As soon as he was settled, Della whipped around and glared murderously at Liv. “You always do this! It always happens! I don’t want you anywhere near him anymore! I told your father the same thing. He came here to talk to Hague about you. Like Hague knew where you were and would talk you into turning yourself in!”

      “Did Hague go into one of his fugue states then, too?” Liv asked, looking down sorrowfully on her brother’s unconscious form.

      “Yes! Just the mention of your name and poof! He’s gone.” She threw a glare at Auggie, too. “I’m not going to call the police. I’d never hear the end of it from Hague, if he found out. I don’t know what you’re doing with her, Mr. Rafferty. Maybe you can get through to her. No one else can.”

      “Someone is after her,” Auggie stated tersely. “Even Hague feels it.”

      “You’re as bad as she is!” Della stalked to the door and held it open. “Don’t come back,” she said tautly as Auggie and Liv walked into the outer hallway. The slam of the door was a sharp report in the otherwise quiet building.

      They stared at each other tensely for a moment, СКАЧАТЬ