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.”The participants were all standing and screaming at one another.“Wait!” Woodbury shushed them.“That hair.I saw you at the Hotel Belvédère.But you can’t be; there’s no way–”Here she was, standing in a room surrounded by very angry people, many of whom probably wanted to hurt her.But Andrea had no fear for her own life.Now, however, she realized that her outburst might jeopardize her home, give someone a clue to information they should not have about Eden.She started to back toward the door.She needed a diversion.“Yes, I was at the hotel.We’ve been watching you for some time.”“Who is we?” His voice was heavy with danger.Andrea opened her mouth to attempt an answer and felt a rush of wind as the door opened behind her and someone jerked her backward into the sun.Jaime slammed the door shut and wedged two ski poles between the ground and the door to block it from opening outward.“I have her,” she was speaking into her microphone.“I’ve wedged the door shut.What’s happening inside?…“People arguing, yelling at each other,” she repeated for Andrea.“Woodbury is furiously giving orders to that young assistant.Oh, excellent, Op 1 just cut the lights on them!”The wooden door in front of them rattled as someone pushed against it.“Let’s go.This won’t hold very long.”Andrea could tell Jaime was put out.“I don’t know what came over me!” Andrea apologized.“Not now; we’ve gotta move.We can’t outrun them, so I’ve borrowed this toboggan.” Jaime pointed to a long, flat sled made of bent bamboo with a bright red pad and steering ropes tied to the front end.“Have you ever ridden one?”“This is my first time to see snow!”“Well, now you have another first.Sit down here at the back and once I jump on stretch your legs around my waist, but keep them on the sled.”“Once you jump–?” The sled lurched as Jaime pushed it while running beside it.She had pointed it down the hill toward the train station and it quickly picked up speed as she jumped on.She plunked down in front of Andrea, who was desperately trying to keep her legs out of the way.Jaime wedged her feet against the front curve of the sled, and grabbed the steering rope.“How do you steer this thing?” Andrea spoke loudly into Jaime’s ear to be heard over the rushing wind.“Steer?” Jaime laughed, then cocked her head and was suddenly quiet.“Op 1 says someone’s following us.Can you see anyone?”Andrea looked back to find Woodbury’s dark-haired assistant, Nicole Barron, now 100 meters behind them.She seemed to be sliding but did not have skis.“Yes, the young woman who was with Woodbury looks like she’s surfing down the hill!”“We’ve got to make it to the train station ahead of her! Lean with me as I pull on the rope.And when I say, let your heels drag off the sled just a bit so we can slow down to make this curve.”Andrea could see their path narrowed and curved sharply to the left, then another switchback to the right.“Okay, lean left and drag.” As they leaned, Jaime pulled hard on the left-hand rope and put her boots out into the snow along with Andrea’s.The back end of the toboggan flipped around nicely, but the momentum kept them sliding sideways down the hill.They came to a stop on the level below but were now facing backward down the path.“Is this the way it’s supposed to be?” Andrea was bewildered.“Arrgggh.” Jaime jumped off, quickly pulled the sled around 180 degrees, and ran beside it again.As they picked up momentum once again, a German couple walking their briard along the path had to dive into a snowbank to keep from getting run over.“Entschuldigung!” Jaime yelled as they flew past.The man lost hold of his dog’s leash.The briard bounded after them, his owner calling from up the hill.“Are we still being followed?”The narrow path was bumpy, and Andrea found it harder to turn and look.“We’ve picked up a very hairy, four-legged pursuer.The woman on the board is trying to negotiate the carnage we left behind us.”Jaime saw a large snow-covered jungle gym that she recognized as part of the children’s play area outside the train entrance.“We’ve got to slow now.” They were heading straight at the playground, and dragging their feet once again for friction.It looked like they would not stop in time, and Andrea closed her eyes as Jaime jerked hard on one rope and they skidded sideways up against the jungle gym.The large dog, bounding along in pursuit, was unprepared for the sudden stop and came barreling onto Jaime’s lap [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]