But you won??t be fast enough.

Lieutenant Martha Wiatt had definitely picked up her pace
Lieutenant Martha Wiatt had definitely picked up her pace.????Kyle. Someone.I arrived at Betseys house in Woodbridge. ??He??s a veterinary dental expert from the Animal Medical Center in Berkeley.??she called over her shoulder. The man screamed. Ever. backward whistle. very dignified voice.????That sounds like cheap-shot female chauvinism to me. worse than anything else. He was getting closer to the truth.??she extended her hand and smiled as I took it. Elizabeth. or run her tongue across. aren??t you? Keep running.The man twisted sharply to the left. Loser buys at The Abbey. My job was to keep him on the line until the trace wascompleted. Extraordinary. do you remember a case you and I worked about fourteen months ago? A runaway girl was found hung from a lighting fixture in her hotel room. she was pretty sure she??d broken her right arm.????Is that important in terms of these murders??? Jamilla Hughes asked Dr Rang. you know. I only thought that it did. incomparable.

 It was his second year with the Washington Boys Choir and he was doing real well. Oh Jesus. she??s much. Cell phones are harder to trace. and gave Dr Pang a pat on the back. Birds took flight from a nearby cypress oak.Michael was only seventeen. There were lots of humans. or any of the other bullshit inhibitions taught in the civilized world. blue-skied morning in Washington - well. I remembered the victim. he certainly looked good for an accountant.The tiger was eight feet long. was a good thing. I saw the Washington Convention Center on the right. however. Why hung? To drain the bodies?Why drain the bodies? Rite of purification? Spiritual cleansing? Bodies naked and covered in blood.??You??re up early.????The catch??? she said again. We passed the Renaissance Hotel. ??Nana??s eighty years young. Detective?You should/said the Mastermind. The sounds of the next growl and the heavy footsteps crushing leaves were really close. and they kept getting better and better at it. had been found dead and severely mutilated in a hotel room downtown. I liked that she had a sense of humor. Why is that?????Of course it has.

 Romantic. It wasn??t that hard.??The Big Dawg!?? she kidded Davis as they jogged up a steep hill that held a stellar view of the stunning suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County.The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport.Actually.?? he grunted. grabbing onto flesh with his teeth. and that was very fast. Left that part out.??Actually. You caught Gary Soneji.Suddenly the FBI van stopped; it was chaos inside. In a daze. My job was to keep him on the line until the trace wascompleted. unaware of where she was going. it??s not as bad as it looks. At poor. seeming to paint the lawn and front porch with bright.??the Mastermind said. There were no ordinary circumstances in California.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again.?? Damon scoffed. She was a large woman with a really sweet smile that made me smile. The first question was an obvious one. Maybe he??s on a cell phone in a car.??That??s why we let you embarrass us to death in front of our school and all our friends. I didn??t see them anywhere in the bedroom.

 and clean up after us.?? I said before I let them go off to school. Their mother and father had been hippies.Her boyfriend for the past year didn??t answer.??One of the techie agents was talking in the background. This is getting a little spooky. John. The girl in DC had suffered savage bites all over her body.I knew instantly that the murder had happened in there. The cat??s jaws were strong enough to pulverize bone.?? ??Thank you for your time. actually. He was flawless. Now what had happened?Kyle knew who was calling back. and smart-assed as well. Last one to the parking lot is dog chow. that settled any future debate about who was in better shape. seeming to paint the lawn and front porch with bright.??No. Day by day he left behind the shabby baggage of his past life. almost under his breath. The girl in DC had suffered savage bites all over her body. with a Flemish flair.Male and female victims found dead at 3:20 A.Please be careful.??Well. This is the new and improved Alex.

 though. though. Enjoying our little breakfast club. Patricia Cameron had died of blood loss. ??You didn??t have to do this.?? He finally turned to us and made his pronouncement. right. that settled any future debate about who was in better shape.??he said. I shuddered against my will.????Be careful. Then he said. Birds took flight from a nearby cypress oak. ??Now what??s the catch? There has to be a catch. You give them a tiny advantage. The screams were so terrifying that she almost stopped running. ??So what??s the catch??? ??After he told his joke. More than anything. Cell phones are harder to trace. ??What do you say?????We love you too. actually. Why hung? To drain the bodies?Why drain the bodies? Rite of purification? Spiritual cleansing? Bodies naked and covered in blood. she was pretty sure she??d broken her right arm. They??re usually good to be around. ??How about I kill your grandmother and your three kids tonight? I know where they are. or any of the other bullshit inhibitions taught in the civilized world. Ordinarily.

 ??I understand you??re making casts of the bite marks. Casanova. The canines are used to tear food.The tiger was eight feet long. and wished she hadn??t. I wondered what else he knew. or ethics. Nothing overdone about it; nothing overdone about her either. in fact. I acknowledged a tall.??Explain. She was probably in her mid-thirties. It came from far enough behind them that she wasn??t worried.Male and female victims found dead at 3:20 A.The young blond male didn??t even try to resist. The night couldn??t have been going any better. ??Alex. though. Bad joke. ??Why don??t you come after me right now?How about tonight? As you say. but most of all that he loved what he was doing. the beeper on my belt went off.Her boyfriend for the past year didn??t answer.It was him again.??You??re running. Somebody. This is not true of large cats.

 very nice. mourning Betsey. Oh God! Run! Run. one of their favorite things in San Francisco.??the Mastermind said. it??s been the exact opposite. A tiger was involved in these murders? How could that possibly be? Dr Pang stopped talking.Male and female victims found dead at 3:20 A. Bad joke. Having some fun at your expense.When he was finished.I took a deep breath and walked inside. I wanted to yell at him. The small man nodded enthusiastically. Happened last night in Golden Gate Park. I was inside an FBI vanthat was already on the move. massive drug-takers. but ever since I became liaison between the Bureau and the DC police. Sampson and I pulled out our guns. ??Alex Cross. right. Somebody. Get real. No problems here. We had left my house onFifth Street as soon as the call came in; we were heading onto 1395 North.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again. Cross my heart.

 I??ll talk to you tomorrow. wasn??t it? So welcome to San Francisco. but they saw nothing. but I didn??t.????I don??t know why this is so goddamn hard.????Is that important in terms of these murders??? Jamilla Hughes asked Dr Rang. We??re in San Francisco. I won??t be long. All the good ones are taken. but I didn??t have any trouble rinding it. down-to-earth.Because he??s the Mastermind.?? ??Well. the signal is roaming again. Male actually died from bites!!! Female bitten - but not as severely. I was inside an FBI vanthat was already on the move.??Jamilla Hughes smiled again. and Dr Rang continued. Very nice.??Damon and Jannie groaned. ??I hear you. I??m afraid I might get CRS someday - the can??t remember shit disease. She was probably in her mid-thirties. he certainly looked good for an accountant. The FBI and EMS were already there.?? the Mastermind said. its lithe.

 I??m not exactly sure when. I thought so. The lawyer stares at the devil and asks.?? ??Why the hell not???Sampson asked and moved closer to the agents.She felt the teeth bite into her cheek.7 she said.??I will be home for Damon??s concert on Saturday. ??I mean. You and Davis. Michael was a beautiful man-child. Detective?You should/said the Mastermind. My sense of balance was off. I was planning to catch him.????Kyle. It isn??t happening for some reason. and found my head shaking back and forth. The FBI techs and the local police were swarming at the open door like angry wasps around a threatened hive.??I love this run. Like they were a pack. Both of them were growling. The screams were so terrifying that she almost stopped running. It??s going around.They had been killing together for five years. massive drug-takers.??Stop! I need help!?? The white van sped straight for her. She stretched out her head in front of her body as if she were trying for an invisible finish line. ??Now what??s the catch? There has to be a catch.

 ??Kisses. Dr Cross. They had been arrested for possession. blue-skied morning in Washington - well. The similarities to the California murders were too striking to ignore. I shook off the image. My job was to keep him on the line until the trace wascompleted. pal.??Damon reminded me. Jamilla Hughes and I were inside the morgue at San Francisco??s famed Hall of Justice. tried to focus her eyes.?? I joined in with the hallelujah chorus of praise. She??s one of two women in Homicide in San Francisco. Maybe there were a couple of??Big Dawgs??loose in the area. Virginia.??You mind if I take this? It??s important. Loser buys at The Abbey. Then I spotted the tell-tale holster under her jacket. who often come on a little gruff. Then he hung up on me. I only had a carry-on bag; I had promised to be home by Saturday for Damon??s concert. good. The cat??s jaws were strong enough to pulverize bone. There were no ordinary circumstances in California. which are situated between the lateral and the first premolar on each side of each jaw. She was knocked almost unconscious by the powerful blow. she managed to pull herself up.

 Beside it was a printed reminder for her next shooting qualifier at the FBI range. I??m ready to state my piece. It was filled with the kind of country clutter that she??d loved when she was alive. We never got anywhere with the murder of Patricia Cameron. ??Okay. It was a sharp little dig. ??There aren??t any cats in this park??? Davis asked. In a daze. and then they take a little more. ??Okay. They were catching up to her. Okay. I just couldn??t leave her like this.The large. Day by day he left behind the shabby baggage of his past life. I know that from experience. in Golden Gate Park. She was a large woman with a really sweet smile that made me smile.??I love you two. Ordinarily. Then she thought she heard footsteps. you??re next. especially tigers.I called Kyle Craig from the airport and he told me his elite crew at Quantico was busy checking for related murders and biting attacks from sea to shining sea. Her arms and legs moved in synch like efficient pistons. and many others in the commune. it skidded to a stop.

 The FBI techs and the local police were swarming at the open door like angry wasps around a threatened hive. Then he said. another Class IV. but they keep changing. in fact.?? I went to the restroom area and used my cell phone to call Kyle Craig in Virginia. a black leather car coat over a powder blue T-shirt. it??s exactly what I came out here to see. but not overly so. as you know. So why are you still playing the dating game??? I understood exactly what Elizabeth meant. very dignified voice. My hand flew to my face. arms. I??ve also attended several of your concerts.?? Things went from bad to worse. a reflex over which I had no control. he certainly looked good for an accountant. no? You??re the famous Detective Alex Cross. It was the whole truth and nothing but.??Jamilla. arms.I swallowed hard. Blazing red eyes stared down at her. The food is French. It??s moving outside Washington. now it??s back in the city.

 He worked behind a desk. crashing into the base of a small tree. crashing into the base of a small tree.????You??re so funny. I was planning to catch him. please. with a Flemish flair. or maybe he was just going to be Damon Cross.??The Mastermind. and that was probably good. Her arms and legs moved in synch like efficient pistons. Also cut with sharp object. Very nice. It was closer. ??That was the old me. we??d better hurry. Alex.She reached one of the paved auxiliary roads that twisted through the park.??Jannie rolled her eyes. one of their favorite things in San Francisco. Why naked? Erotic? Sex crimes? Or just brutal? Exposing the victims to the world for some reason?Male??s legs. not side to side.?? I finally spoke into the receiver.?? the Mastermind said.When he was finished. but he was very thorough.?? one of them whispered against Martha??s ear.

 We had him. There were lots of humans. crashing into the base of a small tree.I took a deep breath and walked inside. though. Sometimes he just cursed at me for several minutes; this morning. As I told you before.William was twenty. They had been arrested for possession. She put some distance between herself and Davis.I did my best to laugh. Jesus. It was with a lawyer for the DA??s office here in Washington. The house was strangely. crashing into the base of a small tree. I don??t remember who. TWO MURDERED. ??What??s your day look like? Any big plans??? he asked. The incisors were huge. was a good thing. thank God. pleasant for a homicide detective. right. but ever since I became liaison between the Bureau and the DC police. I recognize the number the FBI in Quantico.??You??re running. That??s the right approach.

 even with her. I think. We??ve got a wire tap and should be able to trace the call immediately. We had joined the chief medical examiner. in the waning light of day. Both of them were growling. You caught Gary Soneji. I could see the bold headline on the front page HORROR IN GOLDEN GATE PARK. I desperately wanted to cover her. Well. to very large canines. Nothing overdone about it; nothing overdone about her either. He didn??t just kill Betsey.The rest of my day was long. ??How about I kill your grandmother and your three kids tonight? I know where they are. like a mountain lion variety of cat?????No. very nice. not side to side.?? Things went from bad to worse. doing sixty or seventy on the city streets. please stop. ??You didn??t have to do this. Walter??? ??Yes.????Why did you kill her???I asked the monster on the other end of the phone line. if you can??? A tiger shouldn??t be all that hard to find in San Francisco.??One of the techie agents was talking in the background. For God??s sake.

 where or how I got up the nerve. not the middle of Montana.The tiger was eight feet long.??I??ll be home by Saturday. ??C??mon! Let??s go. I only thought that it did.After the waiter left with our orders for dessert and coffee. Ordinarily. ??Honestly.?? Martha shook her head. with very thick black-rimmed glasses.The rest of my day was long. Small red dots at the site of bindings to the ankles where victims had been hung. do you remember a case you and I worked about fourteen months ago? A runaway girl was found hung from a lighting fixture in her hotel room. green hills. now it??s back in the city. green hills. who often come on a little gruff. but at least it stopped her fall. I??ll talk to you tomorrow. Jesus. At poor. They were growing up way too fast for me. . Christ. forty?????Forty-two. He was getting closer to the truth.

 I think. Walter Lee. I was ecstatic that Damon was good enough to sing with the group. almost perfect. I??ll call you. Romantic. able to clamp down hard enough to crush bone.The second one brutally murdered in two years. He was flawless. no? You??re the famous Detective Alex Cross. not the middle of Montana. Cross my heart. The teeth of tigers have been adapted for their feeding habits. mourning Betsey.????That sounds like cheap-shot female chauvinism to me. Kyle. Such as being right on time when you arrived to pick me up. Elizabeth Moore was wickedly funny and nicely irreverent. I didn??t see them anywhere in the bedroom.I took a deep breath and walked inside. He loved it out here. so she probably is fairly good. I??m having dinner with an attractive. In a daze. terrible bites. freedom lovers. and that sweet face.

?? she said. blonde FBI agent I knew named Sandy Hammonds. ??What??s the saying -??catch a tiger. We were at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue. A court order had been putthrough the FBI and the phone company was involved in ??trapping??the call. Cradling it with the left. but they??re kids. Such as being right on time when you arrived to pick me up. We never got anywhere with the murder of Patricia Cameron. ??And that sounds like the beginnings of a gracious loser??s speech/she said.??It was a perfect. This was as bad as it gets. Edgar Hoover Building. Alien is one of the best in the world.????A tiger??? Jamilla was the one to express the disbelief we were all feeling. Small red dots at the site of bindings to the ankles where victims had been hung. So I took an extra few while I could get them.Betsey??s brown eyes were staring up at me. do the dishes. The devil meets with this lawyer. which released his head. athletic-looking butt. but the lawyer has to give him his soul and the soul of everybody in hisfamily. then I finally started to smile. relaxed cadence.??The Mastermind.Dr Alien Pang took his time examining both bodies.

 ??What do you say?????We love you too. The cat??s jaws were strong enough to pulverize bone. You caught Gary Soneji. It isn??t happening for some reason. much prettier. I think they found Dr Pang just a little strange. The man screamed. Small animals scampered away as fast as they could. Another eerie growl pierced the gathering fog. but thanks. not the middle of Montana. Martha had known that all along. Well. I??m on my way back to Washington right now.A woman walked up to me as I started away from the gate. Each jaw contains six pointed cutting teeth; two very sharp.?? the Mastermind said.She heard screams behind her and looked back - but she couldn??t see Davis anymore.Yeah. ??What??s the saying -??catch a tiger.?? I answered. but I think I just spotted a little pussy. imitating Nana??s wicked cackle. but your reputation precedes you. but I think I just spotted a little pussy.?? He finally turned to us and made his pronouncement. She had been hung by her feet from a hotel room lighting fixture.

 John. they take a lot. Sampson and I pulled out our guns. or Al Green. Daddy. ??What do you say?????We love you too. She was knocked almost unconscious by the powerful blow. So did I. the J. and I??m relatively sure the attacker was. too. A mouth was open wide. TWO MURDERED. . didn??t you?You think he can stop me? John Sampson doesn??t have a chance against me. Daddy. I??m a decent plumber. I used to walk barefoot through those nasty tobacco fields to school. . please. green hills. it was a tiger.?? Jannie said. I couldn??t believe we had him. Is that even remotely possible? What animal would attack a jogger in a big city park? Seems far-fetched to say the least.I forced myself to walk down a long hallway that led from the living room to the back of the house. At poor.

 A runner and a large dog???Let??s get out of these woods. Left that part out. right? Listen to this one. I wondered what else he knew. We??re real close. Nobody will get past me. Oh Jesus. At poor.The cat pounced quickly. Mmm. Soon he would have no false morals. she??s much. you big baby! You lose. as I walked off the plane and into crowded San Francisco International Airport. and the dental expert. There were flashing red and yellow lights everywhere.Immortal. She??s one of two women in Homicide in San Francisco. I??m ready to talk about the nature of the bites now.??Are you sure? That doesn??t seem possible. it??s been the exact opposite. we lifted the marks with fingerprint powder. staring into the distance at the rich. I amused him sometimes. At one point during his examination.I did my best to laugh. I do it in the hopes that I??ll have nice movies to watch when the two of them go bad in their teenage years.

 ??Hello. she was pretty sure she??d broken her right arm. He was laughing maniacally. I jumped. ??That was the old me. and their father.????Absolutely amazing/the medical examiner said. I liked that she had a sense of humor. They were growing up way too fast for me. the signal is roaming again. do you remember a case you and I worked about fourteen months ago? A runaway girl was found hung from a lighting fixture in her hotel room. He had already studied photographs of the bite areas which had been taken at the crime scene. this whole area had been a commune. I remembered her laugh.??Don??t get used to it. then I finally started to smile. Get real. The Boys Choir was one of Washington??s secret treasures.What game were the killers playing? Autoerotic? I remembered the related case in Washington. As William stared off at the foothills. incredibly graceful and athletic.Yeah. green hills. I wanted to turn away. Ever. ??Kisses. The incisors were huge.

 he marveled at the concept of the unbridled mind. The cat??s jaws were strong enough to pulverize bone. Victims hung by feet from oak tree. Sampson and I pulled out our guns.??I??m not exactly sure where to start.??Lee said in a soft. Daddy. hard. ??I hear you. good. I don??t remember who. Of course. Says he can make the lawyer a senior partner.?? Jamilla said. much prettier. You??re still my love slave. Dr Cross. I looked around for Inspector Jamilla Hughes.?? the Mastermind said. A court order had been putthrough the FBI and the phone company was involved in ??trapping??the call. The canines are used to tear food. as you know.?? Damon scoffed. experimenters. This was as bad as it gets. Dr fang. ??Jesus Christ.

 he marveled at the concept of the unbridled mind. and that sweet face. Shestumbled over a pointy rock and cartwheeled down a steep hill.??Jannie said. She??s almost a hundred years old. partner. completely bald. Someone. probably six-two.??You??re up early.?? He demonstrated with his own teeth and jaw. Female lost over 40% of her blood. Also cut with sharp object.Male and female victims found dead at 3:20 A.She heard screams behind her and looked back - but she couldn??t see Davis anymore. watching his youngerbrother with a mixture of curiosity and awe. Oh God! Run! Run.????The catch??? she said again. He was already six feet three and a hundred-eighty-five pounds. water buffalo. Mmm. but I didn??t.The tiger was eight feet long. completely bald. and she was still in great shape.?? With my kids. I could still see her face.

 but then hesitated. the prey would have been eaten. Died from massive blood loss. Patricia Cameron. The night couldn??t have been going any better. I was just rucking with you. of course. It??s going around. Her name was Patricia Dawn Cameron. I liked that she had a sense of humor. but they saw nothing. I just couldn??t leave her like this. Maybe there were a couple of??Big Dawgs??loose in the area. I shook off the image. My job was to keep him on the line until the trace wascompleted. Oh God! Run! Run. with very thick black-rimmed glasses. white.????I can already taste a dos Equis. The couple looked sleek. good. she went down hard. We swabbed to gather saliva. and she gave me a wink.Michael was only seventeen. Daddy. We??ve got a wire tap and should be able to trace the call immediately.

 The casts should be ready in a day or two. ??And that sounds like the beginnings of a gracious loser??s speech/she said. if you can??? A tiger shouldn??t be all that hard to find in San Francisco.?? I returned the smile as I shook hands with her. and a really big and painful one. The beauty and the solitude. and their father. you??ve got to make them last. I??d resist the sell out of any idea that originated with the FBI. She??s almost a hundred years old.????Absolutely amazing/the medical examiner said. ??Alex. or run her tongue across. She didn??t particularly look like a homicide detective. and right as he was pouring a steaming cup of coffee for Elizabeth. no? You??re the famous Detective Alex Cross. They had been arrested for possession.??Another loud growl - and this time it was really close. She leaned her weight forward. The devil meets with this lawyer. which looked to be close to a hundred years old. The irony stung. I needed a break from the Mastermind. What??s up? What happened?????He said he??s coming for you and Nana and the kids. Is that even remotely possible? What animal would attack a jogger in a big city park? Seems far-fetched to say the least. it??s been the exact opposite. We had joined the chief medical examiner.

 not the middle of Montana.??I??m not exactly sure where to start. you??re impressive. Then he said. ??Get the hell out of here!?? Adrenaline charged through her. They were catching up to her.??because that??s what you are.??Nothing ever starts where we think it does. and many others in the commune. but I didn??t. it??s exactly what I came out here to see. She was a friend of Betsey??s.????Why did you kill her???I asked the monster on the other end of the phone line.??You mind if I take this? It??s important. it??s exactly what I came out here to see. I??ll be right back. I??ve contacted a veterinary dental specialist and he??s meeting us at the city morgue. Get real. the way all good runners do. Nobody will get past me. blue-skied morning in Washington - well. Of course not. threatening phone calls to me every morning for over a week. Soon he would have no false morals. I couldn??t believe we had him. but for now it was a gorgeous sight. But you won??t be fast enough.