Read Vanishing Point (Circle of Spies Novella) for Free Online

secret tunnel. Okay?”  
    The boy nodded. The moonlight drew attention to his long eyelashes. Marisa squashed her jealousy. Thick eyelashes and gorgeous hair were wasted on the young.  
    Before leaving, he asked, “What about you? Where are you going to hide?”  
    “I’ve got to find your father.”
    The boy’s eyes lit up. “I know of a way. Go down the laundry chute. It’s great fun.”  
    “Thanks for the tip.” She nudged the boy into the hall. “Go hide now like a good boy.”  
    She waited until the boy had closed the door to the other room and then turned back. A sob escaped.  
    Bullet holes riddled the bed covers.  
    All she could picture was Savvy as a child, asleep in her bed, safe and sound. Just the other day she was out at the county fair with Stephen and Savvy. The magnitude of what happened, the entire night, saving Edward, hitting a man with a shovel, seeing a bed filled with shots crashed down. Her body shook.  
    “No one can hide from me.” The woman appeared with the boy in his grip. “I always get the job done.”
    After letting out a frightened gasp and processing that she hadn’t quite saved the boy yet. When playing Trivial Pursuit with friends she was always known for her quick thinking and recall but at this particularly moment not one bit of historical detail from the Civil War could help her.
    “You might want to look to the side, because it might not be pretty.” She chuckled. “But you’re next so you might want to know what’s coming.”
    Marisa turned slightly as if she were following her directions. She gathered her frantic thoughts to figure out how to deal with this life or death situation.  
    A steely resolve took over, chasing away the fear. Courage soared. The brushes, lotions and small toys on the nightstand wouldn’t be of any use but then the standing lamp caught her eye.
    The boy whimpered and that was all it took.  
    She dashed over and gripped the cold metal of the stand. She smashed it against the wall, knocking off the shade and breaking the bulb, then she faced her enemy and growled.
    The woman pushed the boy aside, pointed the gun at Marisa and shot.  
    Pain sliced through her shoulder. As she fell back, more intense pain than anything she’d ever felt radiated down her arm.  
    Marisa reached for her shoulder. Her hand came back wet and sticky, covered in crimson. For a moment, she couldn’t do anything but stand there, shocked at the sight of blood and the smell coiling in the air, but all it took was the sound of the boy struggling to bring her back.  
    The woman pointed the gun at the boy. With a primal cry that even surprised Marisa, she lunged forward, driving the end of the lamp with jagged shards of glass into the woman’s back.  
    She yanked it out. As soon as the woman turned, Marisa whacked her across the head. She stumbled and Marisa whacked her again and again until she was knocked out.
    When the woman lay still, Marisa dropped her weapon, her arms trembling.
    The boy rushed and wrapped his arms around her. “You’re a super hero.”  
    She pried his arms off and lifted his chin, trying to hide her physical pain. “The danger isn’t over yet. Run. Go hide in the secret passageway.”  
    His face paled even more, then he took off running. Her stomach churned and a wave of nausea caused her to stumble toward the wall and the laundry chute. Okay, so she wasn’t a little boy having fun but what other choice did she have? Marisa thanked the corset as to why she was able to squeeze through the laundry chute.  
    Fighting dizziness, Marisa let go of the edge of the chute and shot toward the lower floors. Her stomach went into her throat and then suddenly she was surrounded by piles of clothes. She lurched from the huge basket and staggered through the basement room.  
    Tears formed. Jumbled phrases and words spilled from her mouth. A rush of warmth streamed, no gushed, down her leg. She sobbed as the sour smell reached her