[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
light. He decided that on his next gold-selling album he would write a song
about the cheeriness of fluorescent lights.
As he stared at the light, he didn't see the glint of yellow that suddenly
winked on in the trees outside. Malevolent cat's eyes watched Bobby Bugget's
back.
And as quickly as they appeared, they vanished. Absorbed by the night
shadows.
Chapter 27
Remo and Chiun slipped through the idle bottling plant.
Soon the place would be crawling with federal agents. Smith would need not
hold them at bay much longer. If this long day was any indication, there were
few if any more of Judith White's tigers migrating to the Maine woods.
Remo, for one, felt little satisfaction. Most of those who had been victims of
the formula would change back, but not soon enough. There would be other
murders in the next few weeks. And the cause of it all-Judith White
herself-was probably a thousand miles away by now.
Bitterness deep, Remo pushed open the door that led from the bottling plant to
the Lubec Springs offices.
They had a clear view straight to the front of the building. One chunk of the
door Chiun had demolished hung slack from the otherwise bare frame. Through
the opening they saw a car parked near the steps out front.
From the foyer came a nervous heartbeat.
When Remo and Chiun rounded the corner from the hall, they found a familiar
figure standing near the empty receptionist's desk, his back to the two
Masters of Sinanju.
"If you're going to interrogate the furniture, at least do it with the lights
on," Remo said, flipping the wall switch.
Mark Howard wheeled toward them, Smith's heavy automatic clenched in a
two-handed grip. He nearly squeezed the trigger as he blinked against the
sudden stab of white light.
"Oh," Mark said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Remo, Chiun. I didn't know where
you were. I was a little worried when you weren't waiting in front."
"Your concern for our welfare honors us," Chiun said, offering a slight bow.
"The real fun's happening out back," Remo explained. "We've got a trap set. No
takers, though. It looks like you didn't have to waste your time coming up
here after all."
Mark seemed to relax. With his free hand, he rubbed one tired eye. "I don't
mind," he said.
"Yeah? Well, I do," Remo said, pointing at Howard's gun. "You mind putting
that thing away? I've seen you in action with one of those before, and I don't
feel like searching the woods for any toes you might accidentally shoot off."
Mark seemed to have forgotten the gun. "Oh, sorry," he said, slipping the
pistol back in his shoulder holster.
Remo took special note of the weapon. "That Smith's?" he asked with a frown.
Page 91
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Mark nodded. "Mine was at home. He let me borrow it."
"Hunh," Remo said. "I didn't know he'd taken this adoption stuff that far."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Mark asked, puzzled.
The Master of Sinanju interjected. "It means, Prince Mark, that the Emperor
smiles favorably on you. A ruler parts more easily with a limb than a favorite
sword."
"It's just a gun," Mark said.
"Think what you want, junior," Remo said. "Just remember, Arthur didn't pass
Excalibur around as an ass-scratcher for the other knights." He pointed down
the hall. "The stuff's in the back."
The three men started up the hall, but as they passed a door, Mark paused. "I
should check in with Dr. Smith."
Mark started to push open Burt Solare's battered office door. He stopped the
instant he saw the roomful of human bones and bloodstained hay.
"Oh, my," he gasped.
Chiun reached quickly around, pulling the door closed. "There is a telephone
in the next room, Regent."
"Was that a- Was that a cow?"
"Some of one," Remo nodded. "You make your call and try to hold down lunch.
We'll go get the stuff."
Remo and Chiun headed down the hall. Behind them, the assistant director of
CURE pressed a hand to his stomach.
"I think I just turned vegan," Mark Howard groaned to the silent corridor.
HER HEART SCARCELY BEAT as she pressed her chest against the slate roof.
Judith White could will her heartbeat slower. The mastery she had over the
muscle kept it from registering to the ears of the two Masters of Sinanju.
Even so, she knew luck was with her. Had their attention not been focused
elsewhere, they still might have detected her.
An ear cocked to one side, Judith listened.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]