Sudden prey

WEATHER WAS WORSE.

When Lucas walked into the suite, Weather was talking with Sarah. When Lucas began the pitch, she picked Sarah up and held her on her lap.

''Listen, Weather…'' Sarah blocked Weather off, like some kind of psychic barricade. He couldn't operate with Sarah looking at him with his own blue eyes; couldn't sell. He couldn't touch Weather, and he needed to touch her to convince her, he thought.

''Lucas,'' she said, exasperated, when he finished. '' Nobody can find me at the hospital. Nobody. People who work there can't find me, unless they have my schedule-and half the time they can't find me then. I've got jobs lined up all week. I just can't skip them because there are some lunatics running around out there.''

''The problem is, you're a lure,'' Lucas said. ''You could bring a hell of a lot of trouble down on the heads of everybody around you. And now we know they've got a cop feeding them information…''

''Look,'' she said. ''Let's do this. Let's tell everybody- everybody, including the police-that I'm in the hotel. Wecan sneak me in at night, and I'll go around and complain about being stuck there, so everybody knows I'm around. Then we'll sneak me out in the morning, and nobody'll know but the two of us.''

''Somebody'll know,'' Lucas said.

''Two or three people. You can use guys you're sure of.''

Lucas said, ''How about if you were interviewed on TV tonight-ten minutes from now, a half hour-in the hotel? About what it's like to be shut up here, and wait? So it'll be on TV?''

She nodded. ''If that will keep me on the job,'' she said.

''I'll call Jen and see if she can set it up,'' Lucas said. He made a quick circle of the room, coming back to the pair of them, picked up Sarah and bounced her. ''Want to see your mom?''

''She's breaking a major story,'' Sarah said solemnly.

''I think she could take a minute away to see her kid,'' Lucas said. ''Let's go talk to her.''