andi whisperingly blurted, "What?!"
Nobody got off the elevator and the people aboard it looked questioningly at
Mandi and Cade until the doors closed again.
Once they were alone, Mandi stepped very close to Cade and was about to say
something scathing when Cade said, "Okay, maybe that was a poor choice of words,
but I guarantee you'll be glad I showed you the pictures."
Hovering between anger and startlement, Mandi peered at Cade sharply as she
asked, "What pictures?!"
Shifting his backpack around front, Cade unzipped it and fished out the
three printouts, which he handed to her.
"The pictures these blowups were made from," he said. "A kid with a digital
camera took them. He sold them to WNN about an hour ago."
After staring at the pictures for all of two seconds, Mandi grabbed her cell
phone out of her purse and dialed.
Cade heard the same woman he'd talked to perhaps six times in the last few
days say, "Zero-eight-two-six."
"Angel here," said Mandi.
"Go, Angel."
"I need to talk to John. Right now."
"He'll call you back. Do you need local assistance?"
Loudly enough to be heard by the woman on the phone, Cade said, "Tell her
Dragonfly said 'no'."
"Angel, do you confirm?" asked the woman.
Unrealizingly nodding as she studied Cade, Mandi said, "Yes. We aren't in
any danger here. We're trying to prevent a blown cover. Mine."
"Okay, Angel. Hang up and stand by."
"Thank you."
For a long few moments, Mandi continued to study Cade in silence, then she
said, "We seem to know some of the same people, Dragonfly. I'll accept that as a
positive reference."
Grinning, Cade said, "Well, that's damned decent of you, ma'am. You're
'Angel', huh? I'd say that fits well enough. What now? I'm pretty sure someone
thought of this possibility."
Nodding, Mandi said, "They did. We did. Where did you get these printouts?"
"I printed them for reference. I thought you might still be in town and I
wanted to be able to make a positive ID if I saw you again. Guess I don't really
need them now, huh?"
Folding the pictures and putting them in her purse, Mandi said, "No, you
don't. Do you have any other pictures of me?"
"Why even ask? You know they'll toss my room and check my laptop on general
principles."
Grabbing his jacket and yanking him close, Mandi growled, "Don't be
difficult. I'm not in the mood."
Almost nose-to-nose with her