Page 102 of The Shop on Hidden Lane

“Suit yourself,” Deke said. “We’re leaving.”

Luke took the jammer out of his jacket. The steel door slid open, moving a lot more slowly than it had closed.

A maddened Smoking Ghost stood in the way. He had a pistol in one hand.

“So much for the new sedative formula,” Deke said.

“Go for it, Bruce,” Luke said.

Bruce launched himself at Smoking Ghost. His powerful jaws clamped around a forearm. Smoking Ghost yelled and tried to get out of the way. The gun fell to the floor. So did Smoking Ghost. He groaned once and went still.

Bruce stood over him and looked at Luke for directions.

“Thanks, pal,” Luke said. He crouched beside Smoking Ghost and checked for a pulse. He shook his head and got to his feet. “The effects of the Kaleidoscope recoil would have taken him out very soon but the sedative probably sped up the process. Let’s go.”

Sophy glanced back into the mirrored chamber. Whitley was standing in the middle of the circle of towers, admiring his handiwork.

“There’s no point trying to convince him to leave,” Bea said quietly. “He’s insane.”

“And he’s responsible for several deaths,” Deke added. “Let him go down with his ship.”

They retraced their steps back through the old lab and up the glowing blue staircase. Bruce led the way through the maze. Sophy followed the others outside.

The first light of dawn was showing over the canyon walls. The illuminated sculptures sparkled in the gardens. The windows of the empty inn were warmly lit. It all would have been very serene, she thought, if it weren’t for the weight of impending doom that enveloped the deserted compound.

“With luck, the SUV is still in the garage,” Luke said. “If not, we’ll have to use one of the golf carts.”

Deke grunted. “If we end up escaping in a golf cart, we all agree that we will take an oath to never tell anyone.”

The SUV was in the garage. It sat alone amid the rows of empty parking spaces. Luke unlocked it and got behind the wheel. The others piled in. Deke took the front passenger seat, reached underneath it, and produced a pistol. He lowered the side window and took up a shooter’s position.

Sophy, sitting in the back seat with Bea and Bruce, met Luke’s eyes in the mirror.

“You told me you weren’t armed,” she said.

Luke drove hard and fast out of the empty garage, heading for the gate. “I said I didn’t like guns.”

“The Wells family is in the security business, dear,” Bea reminded her gently. “It stands to reason they have some familiarity with firearms.”

“Luke told you the truth,” Deke said. “He doesn’t like guns. Take it from me, he’s not very good with them.”

“Thanks for the positive feedback,” Luke muttered.

“You were born for upper management, not fieldwork,” Deke said.

Sophy sat back in the seat. “Actually, Luke was born to dream.”

Deke glanced at her, curiosity sparking in his eyes. “Think so?”

“No doubt about it.”

The SUV roared through the open gates, but Luke braked when a figure lurched into the middle of the road and waved frantically.

“It’s Hatch,” Sophy said. “Looks like the others left him behind.”

“As far as I’m concerned we can leave him behind, too,” Deke growled.

“We need some answers and he has them,” Luke said. “He can ride in the cargo bay.”