21
PARADISE ISLAND
LATE AFTERNOON
“Freeze, Sambo!”
They’d been trailing Reuben and Esther at a cautious distance for nearly ten minutes, and they were both surprised by how stealthily the fragile-looking retirees were gliding through the deepening shadows. Even the plump old woman, who they’d have pegged for a total novice, was avoiding fallen branches and crackling dead leaves with surprising agility.
Reuben glanced warily over his shoulder, but Leary and Hawkins were already flat on the ground, hugging the gnarled tree roots. They heaved silent sighs of relief when his keen gaze swept over their heads, and he completed a full circle without displaying any alarm.
“Almost caught us that time,” Leary whispered as Reuben said something soft to his wife, and they moved into the shelter
