Protector(95)
* * *
Caitlin followed Alex as he walked toward the mall, and tried to ignore the frightened thumping of her heart in her chest. Without being too obvious, she kept glancing around, wondering if she would catch sight of the three warlocks, or of a girl with a pink streak in her long dark hair, but she didn’t see any of them. Just masses of people intent on their own business, some leaving the mall, some entering. There did seem to be a flush of people exiting the theater just as they came upon it, but whether that was because the particular show Zoe had gone to see had just gotten out, Caitlin couldn’t begin to guess. Her sight seemed to have deserted her for the moment, although, underlying her current agitated state, she could sense that this was where she was supposed to be.
“No sign of her,” came a voice from behind them, and Caitlin jumped.
But when she turned, she saw it was Miguel, Alex’s cousin, and with him a taller man, probably in his late thirties as well, although a good deal better-looking. In contrast to Miguel’s untucked bowling shirt and baggy khakis, the stranger wore a dark button-down and newish-looking jeans.
“Hey, Miguel, Jack,” Alex said, a visible expression of relief on his face. Not bothering to introduce her to the newcomer, he went on, “Yeah, we haven’t seen anything, either. But we just got here.”
Miguel nodded. “I have a feeling she was probably in the movie that just got out. It seems like the sort of thing she’d go for — teenage girl against the world, two guys fighting over her, all that.”
He sounded almost amused, even though Caitlin didn’t find anything terribly amusing about their current situation.
“But if that’s true, the question is, where would she go next?”
Not being a mall-goer — before moving to Flagstaff, she’d never even set foot in a mall — Caitlin couldn’t begin to hazard a guess. Alex surprised her by saying,
“Well, since it’s Zoe, I’d say either the food court or Hot Topic.”
Jack grinned, and one or two of the women passing by sort of paused to get a better look at him. From the way his grin broadened, Caitlin got the distinct impression that he’d noticed the attention he was attracting and was pleased by it.
“That’s probably a good guess. Has quite an appetite, our Zoe. I’m not sure where she puts it, but….” He shrugged. “And if she’s not eating, she’s buying another T-shirt that’s guaranteed to piss off my sister.” Apparently noticing the expression of puzzlement that passed over Caitlin’s face, he added, “Zoe’s my niece. Luis is my brother. His daughter is a good kid, but sort of contrary.”
Maybe that was a good thing. If Zoe was stubborn and used to getting her own way, then possibly she had a chance of fighting back against Matías’ magic.
“Okay,” Caitlin said. “So should we split up, or first try the food court, then Hot Topic?”
Miguel shook his head. “First rule — don’t split up if you can avoid it. You two head over to the food court and we’ll follow, just not so close that it looks as if we’re together. Okay?”
There didn’t seem to be much point in arguing with that. She had to admit that the four of them did make a sort of motley group, and would probably be less conspicuous if they walked far enough apart that it didn’t seem as if they were connected in any way. The other two warlocks would be in eyeshot, and Alex right next to her, and she thought that should be safe enough.
Actually, even though it was sort of nerve-wracking to be surrounded by so many people — she’d never been that good in crowds — in a way it was comforting as well. She had a hard time believing anything truly bad could happen in a place with so much surging, cheerful energy. How could Matías possibly hope to pull off another kidnapping under all these civilian noses?
They came into the food court area, and a thousand sounds and smells seemed to assault her at once. She found herself pressing closer to Alex, and he slipped a comforting arm around her waist, pulling her against him. The warmth of his body gave her some courage, and she drew in a breath so she could look around and see if she could catch a glimpse of the warlocks. She knew this part was up to her; she was the only one who knew what Matías and Jorge and Tomas looked like.
The first person she recognized, however, was none of them, but Danica, standing in front of a fast food place called Charlie’s Grilled Subs. She held a go-cup in one hand and was staring dreamily out at the crowd. Blood going cold, Caitlin realized that her friend wore the same glassy-eyed stare as she had in the hideous visions that had invaded Caitlin’s sleep…only this was no vision. She forced herself to focus and saw that Danica was flanked on either side by Tomas and Jorge, but there was no sign of Matías.