Left to Vanish (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book Eight) by Blake Pierce (books to read for 13 year olds .txt) 📗

wasbreathing heavily, with a chin that seemed equal parts masculine and rigid, asif perhaps he might have lockjaw.

He had scars all along his cheeks, down his neck, overevery visible portion of his body that she could see. His hands were laced withscars and cuts, some of them still fresh.

Adele gasped silently, struggling for control of herweapon. If he grabbed it, it would all be over.

The man screamed and huffed, snarling like a woundedanimal. She kicked out once, twice, trying to slam her heel into his shin. Hehowled in pain.

Adele stumbled back, tripping over the fallen form of Mrs.Danis.

The woman groaned—still alive. Still holding on.

Adele again fumbled for her weapon, free once more withspace between them.

The killer glared at her, gasping, watching as her gunbegan to raise, and he cursed, shoving toward her, fast.

Adele felt his oppressive weight land on top of her,sending her reeling back. His fingers scrambled for her neck. She yelled,trying to bite at his hand, her teeth grazing flesh. Blood now poured down theman’s arms from his back, speckling her and landing on the ground around herwith quiet taps.

For a moment she just struggled under his oppressiveweight, kicking. As he drew nearer, she saw the lines in his skin, not justscars, but wrinkles. She felt a flash of realization. He was strong for hisage, but still old.

She lashed out, trying to kick.

Her foot caught him in the fork of his legs, and he howledin pain, loosening his grip for just a moment.

She went for her gun a third time, but again with a snarl,he grabbed his rosary from where it lay discarded, draped across Mrs. Danis’sneck, and this time lashed out at her with it.

He slammed the beads against her throat, his other handarcing in as well. With his knee, he pinned her wrist to the floor, crushingher knuckles and preventing her from reaching her firearm.

“You don’t know what you’re meddling with,” he whispered. “Doyou think she missed me? Are you going to tattle? I don’t like tattletales.”

“Get off me, that’s not Candela!” Adele yelled.

But her words fell mute as the rosary pressed to her neck.

Something that gave hope for so many was now being utilizedto choke the life out of her. The beads pressed to her neck, hard, shovedagainst her throat. She let out a strangled gasp, trying to shake her head, tojar the beads loose. She swallowed, but it felt like she was scraping sand downher throat.

She kicked again, catching him once more. He yelled in painand scrambled back.

She took the opportunity to finally pull her gun free and aim,but he kicked, sending the gun clattering beneath a small table.

This motion, though, distracted him, and Adele reached up,ripping hard at the rosary.

Her fingers burned, the sudden cuts laced across herknuckles. But at the same time, with a yell, she ripped the rosary.

Beads suddenly scattered everywhere, just like the dropletsof blood from the man’s back, where she could now see stains throughout hismonk’s habit.

The killer howled in fury as the beads clattered around him

He scrambled with his fingers, trying to scoop some up.Now, his weight lifted, and Adele shoved with her hips, throwing him off.

She lunged for her gun, but felt a hand grab her ankle.

The killer screamed, “You’re preventing the Judge’s work!Don’t you understand!”

His voice echoed with pain, sadness, grief, and rage all atonce.

The sheer howl like a banshee’s call reverberated in Adele’schest, piercing her and for a moment she felt an odd sense of pain.

But then Mrs. Danis let out another gasp, fighting to keepbreathing, and Adele focused once more.

“You don’t know what you’re doing,” he spat.

Adele was done talking, and her gun began to rise. But justas quickly, the killer seemed to reach a decision.

“Not that way,” he spat. “Vengeance is mine. Failure mustbe punished.”

As the gun rose, he turned, sprinting toward the nearestwindow, screaming as he did.

“Don’t!” Adele shouted.

At the same time as she began to fire, the killer slammedinto the window, the glass shattering amidst blood and spit and sweat as fleshswept out in one giant heave, and the killer tumbled, dipping out of sight.

Adele sat, gasping, breathing heavily. For a moment, shejust stared at the smashed window, not quite believing her eyes. But then sheheard soft sounds next to her and Adele turned away from the window. Shereached out with trembling fingers toward Mrs. Danis.

“Are you okay?” Adele gasped, still breathing heavily. “Areyou all right?”

The woman groaned more, moving, but then croaked out in aweak voice, “Help, please help.”

Adele got to her feet shakily, still breathing heavily andwincing where her shoulders had slammed into the wall.

She blinked, dazed, trying to clear her vision andmurmuring, “Stay still. Help is on the way.”

She fished her phone out with trembling fingers, her gunstill gripped in her other hand, the cold metal rigid against her skin.

“You’re going to be okay,” she said, breathing slowly,feeling a sudden burst of relief. For the first time, she felt like she wastelling the truth. “You’re going to be all right.”

Hastily, still hyperventilating, she raised her phone tocall for an ambulance.

 CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

Adele sat on the hood of thesedan, staring up at the hospital. The vehicle was still running, but making astrange screeching sound every couple of seconds. She supposed the loaner hadn’tbeen intended for breakneck speeding through the streets of France.

She crossed her arms, sighingsoftly as she stared at the hospital, waiting… waiting for the news…

She couldn’t enter. Not now.

The last time she’d visited someonein the hospital, they’d ended up dead months later.

She shivered, closing her eyes andstaving off a headache accompanied by a procession of accusing images.

No… She couldn’t enter, and so shewaited.

Agent Paige emerged through thesliding doors of the glass and white stone hospital. Adele perked up, staringas Paige approached, walking along the sidewalk and drawing nearer. She waited,trying to read the senior agent’s features, trying to discern her thoughts evenfrom a distance.

Paige’s hands were folded daintilyin front of her, her eyes fixed on Adele as she approached.

“Well?” Adele asked, staring. “Didthey make it?”

Paige shook her head. “Not both ofthem. The victim did though. Mrs.