the bigger guys with
the task of keeping the lane clear and told the woman who'd balked to stand by
at the driveway doors. She glared at his crisp order to stand by, but said
nothing and went to the doors. Cade sent another guy to wait by the auditorium
doors.
At five minutes until showtime Cade saw three people with WNN tags and
camera gear cross the lobby toward the auditorium at a dead run.
Cade whistled sharply and yelled, "WNN! Get over here and set up! You have
about two minutes!"
The guy in charge of the little group came to talk to Cade.
"We were told..."
"She'll be coming in those doors," interrupted Cade, pointing at the street
entrance. "You can buzz around her, but don't get in her way. She'll be carrying
a Crown Victoria like the one that blew up today."
The brunette woman in the WNN group exclaimed, "She's bringing a car into
the hotel?!"
"Yeah, so stay clear of things. Now you've got one minute."
Walking to the street entrance, Cade looked up in time to see Mandi land
with the car at the bottom of the ramp. A few others saw her land, as well, and
assorted sounds of amazement came from the bisected crowd.
Mandi headed quickly for the doors. Cade and the balky woman pulled them
open wide and held them as Mandi very carefully carried the Crown Victoria on
her shoulders through the doorway and into the hotel.
Once she was inside, the astonished crowd stood watching her pass as if she
carried an armed nuclear weapon, but Cade shouted, "Keep 'em back! Back!" on
general principles.
WNN's two camera guys circled Mandi and the car like a pair of wolves,
panning every inch of the scene as she marched toward the auditorium with the
Crown Vic. The woman with the microphone settled for walking alongside Mandi at
a distance as she spoke softly into the mike. She sounded as if she was
reporting a golf tournament at first, then her voice became somewhat louder as
she got over her own astonishment.
At the other end of the roped-off path the auditorium doors had swung open
at the same time as the street doors. Some of the con volunteers there were busy
keeping the rubbernecking crowd clear of the doors, but as Mandi approached, the
people shrank back from the entranceway.
After carefully easing the sedan through the auditorium doors, Mandi lifted
herself and the car into the air and flew toward the stage, but didn't land
there.
Paul had fel