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" Dime store magic," he said, wheezing to catch his breath.
She grinned at him. "You can't, can you? Bet I could." She waved her hand again, triggering the spell. "That is so cool. You get near the door and it goes off. They're at all the doors." She looked at me for the first time. "You don't look so good, Paige. Are you okay?"
"Leah ... Sandford," I managed, still winded from panic. "We have to go. Before they--"
"They're long gone," Savannah said. "When I got outside, I saw Leah, and I was just about to run when Lucas grabbed me. I slugged him one, and--" She stopped and pointed to the scratches on his face. "Hey, did I do that?"
"No, I believe that would be Paige. The bruise from your blow hasn't had time to rise yet. Now, as Savannah is trying to say, Leah and Sandford have left--"
"Oh, right," she continued. "So, Lucas grabs me and I fight, then Leah does her stuff and sends us flying. Before she can get to me, though, this other guy--Sandford, I guess--cuts her off, and he says something to her and they leave."
"They just walk away?" I said, turning to Cortez. "How ... convenient."
"No, wait," Savannah said. "That's the good part. See, they can't touch Lucas because he's--"
"Not now, Savannah," Cortez said.
"But you have to tell her. Or she won't understand."
"Yes," I said. "You have to tell me. Or I'm walking away and the next time I see you--"
"You didn't call Robert, I presume?"
"He's out of town. And I want to hear it from you. Right now."
Cortez shook his head. "I'm afraid you'll require the extended explanation, for which there isn't time at the moment. However, I will explain as soon as we are safely away from this place."
"Hey, Paige," Savannah said. "Did you see Lucas's bike?"
She raced around the corner before I could stop her. When I caught up, I found her crouching beside, not a bicycle, but a motorcycle.
"It's a Scout," she said. "An Indian Scout. It's, like, an antique. What year did you say again?"
"It's from 1926, but we need to leave, Savannah."
"It's a collector's item," Savannah said. "Really rare."
"Expensive, huh?" I said, shooting a look at Cortez. "Like the designer shirt. Pretty sharp for a struggling lawyer."
"I restored the bike. As for the clothing, a suit is hardly appropriate for motorcycle riding. My wardrobe contains a limited supply of casual wear, the majority of it gifts from my family whose budget and taste exceed my own. Now, we really should--"
"I'm not going anywhere," I said.
Cortez made a noise that sounded remarkably like a growl of frustration. "Paige, this is not the time--"
"I'm not being difficult. I don't think it's a good idea to run. People in there saw me. They'll tell the police, who'll come after me and wonder why I took off."
He hesitated, then nodded. "Quite right. I'd suggest we find an officer to take your statement."
"First, I'm getting those people out, before someone has a heart attack."
Savannah rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Who cares about them? They wouldn't help you. Tell her, Lucas."
"She's right. Paige, I mean. We should get them out."
"Not you, too," Savannah said. "Oh, God. I'm surrounded."
I waved her to silence and we headed for the back door.
