Encore of the Avenging Muse (Sylvia and Rupert)

The hospital room was completely silent.

Rupert reeked of cigarettes, his eyes cold and fixed on the numbers glowing on the phone screen.

"What do the numbers before the 4 mean?" he asked, his voice low.

Naomi answered right away, not daring to hesitate. "1 means home, 2 is my work, 3 is leaving town."

She and her daughter had always looked out for each other; they had to be careful.

When Naomi was young, she'd been followed by a man. Later, her sweet, pretty daughter, Sylvia, had caught the attention of someone dangerous, too.

So the two of them came up with this code. If they ever got in trouble and couldn't call, they'd text these numbers.

Back then, Sylvia was just a kid. Their lives were simple: home and work, not many numbers to keep track of.

Edwin tried to guess, "You think Sylvia's been taken out of town?"

Naomi frowned. "If she was out of town, she'd use 4. She knows I'd understand.

She'd never mess up the code. Why would she send a 5?"

"Abroad," Rupert said flatly. He turned and walked out of the room.

Chris followed after

string of

tightened on his phone, his eyes dark and

sign of Ms. Lloyd leaving the city or the country. But the airline shows Warren and Fiona boarded their flight

his voice sharp as broken glass. "But someone knows where

him was icy, enough to

garage, far

parked his motorcycle in a deserted

it, and smiled. "Bridget, from now on, it's just you and me. We've got

blank, her eyes

wasn't even a backup plan-just a

him felt like

into Warren's twisted hands-she'd never

terminal. Suddenly, the sharp smell of

figure ahead. Fear gripped her. Instinctively, she ducked behind

Caleb, who usually acted like nothing scared him, was on edge. He stared at the man

there, cigarette in hand, his stare icy and dangerous. He

they go?" he asked,

I don't know what you're talking about,"

tell

the ground and ground it out