Page 95 of Shattering Dawn

“Think about it. It’s not like you could call or text a certain number and organize a flash mob. Only a member of theLost Night Filescrew would know how to contact the fans and get them to turn out at a specific address on such short notice. Your daughter’s only connection to the podcast is me, and I certainly did not summon them here. How could I? I didn’t even know this place existed until tonight.”

Cutler hesitated and then reluctantly lowered the pistol. The chanting grew louder. Someone had brought a bullhorn.

“Twitchell and Brinks should be at the front gate by now,” Cutler said. “What’s going on? Why haven’t they taken control?”

Irene looked at Amelia. She did not say anything but her gratitude was not hard to read. She truly had feared for her life.And I was upset because my parents got a divorce, Amelia thought. Perspective was everything.

She started to turn back to Cutler but Gideon spoke from the deep shadows on the far side of the deck.

“Twitchell and Brinks are not in any condition to take charge of the gate, Steen,” he said.

“Gideon.”Relief and panic flashed through Amelia. “Steen has a gun. Irene probably has one, too. Everyone around here is armed to the teeth.”

Cutler moved much faster than she expected, closing the short distance between them. He wrapped an arm around her throat and dragged her hard against his chest, making a human shield of her. She was intensely aware that the front of his shirt was soaked with a sick sweat.

She was also aware that in her current position, pinned against Cutler, she could touch the watch on his wrist.

“You must be Sweetwater,” Cutler said.

“Yes, he is,” Irene said. She was still tense but the panicky vibe was gone. She was back in control. “What’s going on out at the front gate?”

“I told theLost Night Filesproducer that I needed a distraction,” Gideon said. “She was very helpful.”

“Phoebe,” Amelia whispered.

“She put out the word to fans in the local area,” Gideon said. “Evidently they are a very loyal bunch. Amelia, are you okay?”

“Yes,” she said. Her voice was annoyingly thin.Control. It’s all about control.

“Come one step closer and I’ll put a bullet through her head,” Cutler warned.

Gideon did not move. “I understand. Amelia?”

“I’ve got this,” she said, her voice steadying.

“You’re sure?”

“Pretty much.”

“There’s always plan B,” Gideon reminded her.

“How in fucking hell did you find this house?” Cutler’s voice rose. “It’s hidden under a dozen layers of shells and trusts. There’s no way you could locate it, not in a few hours.”

“Sometimes the simple approach works best,” Gideon said.

“What are you talking about?” Cutler raged.

“You forgot about GPS,” Gideon said. “Or, rather, Falcon forgot about it. So did Irene. Maybe it just never occurred to them it could be a problem.”

Irene drew a sharp breath. “I don’t—” Her voice trailed off as understanding sank deep.

“What do you mean?” Cutler shouted.

“I found the address of this house on Falcon’s GPS log,” Gideon said. “That made me curious. Then there was the receipt from the gas station a couple miles down the road. When this location turned up on the log in Irene’s car I knew there had to be something interesting here.”

“…Free Amelia. We’re in this together until we get answers…”

“I’ve had enough,” Cutler grated. “Amelia and I are leaving. If you try to stop me, Sweetwater, I swear I’ll kill her. I’ve got nothing left to lose.”