Page 83 of Casualties of War
Téra slipped off her shoes so her feet would be soundless and rose and hurried along the corridor to Calli’s office and pushed open the door. She almost collided with Chloe, who had been standingat the door and listening, too.
Chloe brought the door almost closed behind Téra and watched. Then she shut it and came back to her chair. “He went upstairs,” she murmured. “He actually obeyed.” She sounded awed.
Téra didn’t blame her.
Minnie opened the door twenty seconds later and halted, her gaze swinging from Téra to Chloe. “What?” she demanded.
Téra shook her head. “Just wondering ifyou would come back or not. Chloe was saying a hot chocolate would be a good wake up for all of us. Lots of sugar.”
“Only if you want to crash and burn in twenty minutes,” Minnie said with a snort. “We’re all so tired the sugar slump will knock us all off our feet.” She came around the desk and tucked her foot beneath her as she settled back on the chair. Her foot gave her an extra two inches.It merely made her appear not quite as short as usual behind Calli’s big desk.
She picked up the photos Chloe printed out for them. “Where were we? Right. Nothing moving. What time did the satellite go over, Chloe?”
“Between sixteen twenty-three and sixteen thirty-eight,” Chloe said.
Téra translated mentally and frowned. Four in the afternoon was a busy time of day. She reached for the photoshowing the main street of Pascuallita and scanned it once more.
No one. Not a single soul.
Oh, except for the dog trotting down the middle of the deserted street. There wasn’t any traffic for the dog to dodge.
It was a real, live dog, too. It wasn’t someone pulling a magic Photoshop moment with the satellite feed. Chloe had pointed it out by laying this photo and another similar one besideeach other. “Check the angle of regard,” she said, pointing to the table of digits in the corner of the photo. “This photo was taken thirty seconds later. The dog is about twenty yards farther down the street. In that time no one threw a stone to send the dog on his way. Nothing stopped the dog or scared him. He trotted down the road, completely undisturbed.”
Téra craned her head to see the secondphoto lying between Minnie and Chloe. “There’s no one in Pascuallita at all. It’s not just the house. The whole town is deserted.”
“Thankyou,” Chloe said.
“Oh my god…” Minnie breathed, as she fumbled for the phone. Her face paled.
“What’s wrong?” Téra cried. “Is it the baby?”
Minnie shook her head. “I worked out what Nick was saying, before I ordered him upstairs. Damn!” She peered at thephone. “Yes!” She jabbed at one of the shortcut buttons. “She put her on fast dial.”
She sat back.
Téra glanced at Chloe. Chloe shook her head. She didn’t know, either.
“Olivia,” Minnie said. “I’m sorry if I woke you.”
Téra could hear Olivia’s faint voice. She sounded alert.
“None of us are getting much sleep, here, either,” Minnie said.
Chloe gathered up the photos, her lips pursed together.
“Chloe?” Téra whispered.
Chloe shook her head. “I’m getting nowhere here. Cristián could be in trouble, and we’re sitting around discussing sleep patterns.” She picked up the ragged pile of photos.
“Excuse me one moment, please, Olivia,” Minnie said into the phone. She put the phone against her shoulder. “Chloe, sit your ass back in the chair. Right now.”
Chloe froze.
“Téra, don’t let herout the door. You hear me?” Minnie said. Her eyes met Téra’s.
The same little prickle of tension walked across the back of her neck. Téra nodded. “I hear you.”
“Thank you. Chloe, sit. Put the photos down and wait.” She put the phone back to her mouth. “Sorry, Olivia. Chloe wants to swim across the straight and save Cristián. As if I don’t have enough heroes on my hands. Listen, Nick said something...yes,he just got back.” Minnie looked up. Chloe was still standing, staring at her, her eyes wide.
Minnie pointed to the chair with an imperious finger.
Chloe sat.
Minnie said into the phone, “He said Serrano grabbed people who can give him control over both Mexico and the Loyalists. You know Serrano, Olivia. Would he have the balls to try to control America, too? And how would he do it?”
Chloegasped.
Téra could hear Olivia’s gasp, too.
