“Don’t you think you ought to check with the Shirosama before you do this? I gather he doesn’t like to have his orders crossed.” Whatever she’d seen on the ramp behind the man was gone; nothing was moving at all. No rescue, no deus ex machina. No Taka.
It was up to her, and if she tried to rush him, he’d just shoot her.
“I’ll take my chances,” the man said, raising the gun and pointing it in the middle of her forehead. A third eye, she thought, feeling a little giddy. Maybe she’d find enlightenment, after all.
19
She heard the popping, the slick, familiar sound of a silenced gun going off, a sound she’d heard so many times on TV and in the movies. Summer felt nothing, but she’d read enough to know that you don’t feel anything for a while. You go into shock. Though if he shot her in the head she’d already be dead, wouldn’t she? And if she wasn’t, wouldn’t she feel blood on her face…?
“You can stop playing the virgin sacrifice now. He’s not going to kill you.”
Her eyes flew open to find Taka in the darkened hallway. She glanced down at the body sprawled at her feet—she hadn’t even felt him fall—then back up at Taka’s calm face.
“What took you so long?” Her voice didn’t even shake.
“I was in such a hurry to get rid of you I wasn’t paying close enough attention,” he said, his voice cool and emotionless. “I guess you’re stuck with me for a bit longer.”
For a moment she couldn?
??t move. She was afraid that if she did, she’d throw herself into his arms and start crying. Can’t do that, she reminded herself.
“I thought you’d resigned as my guardian angel?”
“And I thought I’d told you I never was that?”
So he had. He’d told her a great many things that weren’t true. He’d certainly been there to snatch her from the jaws of death again and again. She just hadn’t thought he’d really get here this time, and she needed the wall behind her to keep her up.
“He said they killed my sister.”
“They didn’t. I checked my messages while I was heading back here. Your sister’s fine, but they’re flying straight to England. Without you.”
“You were coming back to rescue me from the killer you accidentally dumped me with, and you took time to read your messages?” Blood was beginning to flow through her body again, hot and furious.
“I can do more than one thing at a time. Are you ready to let go of that wall or do you need me to carry you?”
She jerked her head up, then pushed away from the wall. “You put one hand on me and you’re toast.”
“Then start moving. Our plane leaves in less than an hour and a half.”
“What plane? I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“I’m going to Japan, and obviously you aren’t safe left behind,” he said wearily. “Let’s go.”
“You’re going to get me a fake passport and a ticket in that amount of time? And what happened to the urn?”
“The urn is already on the plane. The papers will be at the Oceana Air desk when we get there.”
“That fast?”
“That fast. They’ll probably be there before we are. Are you ready?”
She wasn’t going to fall down, nor was she going to give him an excuse to touch her when that was probably the last thing he wanted to do. She stiffened her spine, lifting her head regally. “I’ve always wanted to see Japan,” she said, stepping over the body at her feet.
“Don’t count on it,” he muttered. “I’m keeping you stashed at my uncle’s while I dump the urn, and then you’re heading straight back to L.A. No one will want you then.”
Bad choice of words. “I don’t think anyone wants me now,” she said in a breezy tone. She glanced down at the body. “How many people have you killed since you met me?”
“He’s not dead.”