Through the Flames by Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins Read Free Book Online Page B

stepped into the hall and could tell he had startled her. “Hey, Talia,” he said simply. “I need you to take me to André.”
    â€œYeah, right,” she said. “Like I know where he is.”
    â€œI know you know where he is,” Lionel said. “And if you don’t take me to him, he’s going to be upset.”
    â€œI heard he was dead,” she said.
    â€œCut the baloney,” Lionel said. “We both know you chased off a friend of mine today. He heard you talking to André on the phone, and it was obvious he was worried about me.”
    â€œIf I hear from him,” she said, “I’ll tell him you’re fine.”
    â€œIs there a car in the garage?”
    She hesitated. “No. There’s not. Why?”
    Lionel sensed she was lying. “I know there is,” he said. “C’mon and take me.”
    â€œThat’s LeRoy’s two-seat roadster. He’ll kill me if I take it.”
    â€œYou’re not takin’ it,” Lionel said. “You’re borrowing it. You’ll probably be back before LeRoy is.”
    Talia appeared to be thinking it over. “I wouldn’t mind seein’ André myself,” she said. “LeRoy and them haven’t been getting back before one or two in the morning the last coupla nights anyway.”
    â€œLet’s go,” Lionel said.
    â€œI’d better call him first.”
    â€œWho? LeRoy?”
    â€œNo! André!”
    â€œWe both know he’s hiding out. He’s not going anywhere.”
    â€œYou think of everything, you little brat. And there’s no way you’re only thirteen.”
    Lionel ignored her, taking both comments as compliments.
    The roadster was a cool car, Lionel thought, and had it not been for the disappearances of his family and the danger in which he now found himself, he might have been impressed enough to really check it out. He had been interested in unusual cars since he was a small child. But now this was just a way to get to André. Something to ride in.
    Talia seemed unable to concentrate even on where she was going. All she could say, over and over, was “Ooh, LeRoy’s gonna kill me if he finds out about this!”
    Lionel tried to talk to her, mostly to simply change the subject. “So, Talia,” he said, “where were you when the disappearances happened?”
    â€œWhat?” she said, as if demanding to know what in the world he was talking about. “Where was I?”
    â€œYeah. Simple question. Everybody remembers where they were. I was sleeping in my basement with André. Where were you?”
    â€œI was at a party André shoulda been at. So he was with you?”
    â€œHe didn’t tell you where he was?”
    â€œNo! I told you! He’s usually at all the parties, but he owed these guys some money, so I figured he was laying low.”
    â€œI thought he was hanging with us because we’re family.”
    â€œOh, yeah,” Talia said. “That’s André. Big family man.”
    â€œHe could be, at times.”
    â€œI know. Whenever he really needed something, he played you guys like banjos. When he needed cash or a place to crash, he’d run back to the family and get religion. Am I right? Huh? Am I right?”
    Lionel shook his head and looked out the window. Talia was driving toward Chicago. It didn’t seem to slip past her that Lionel had ignored her question. “Tell me,” she said. “Isn’t that what André pulled on your family every time?”
    Lionel nodded, but she must not have seen him. “Isn’t it?” she pressed.
    â€œYeah,” Lionel muttered. “So, what did you think when people disappeared?”
    â€œNobody disappeared from that party, honey. Made me start believin’ it was only Jesus’ people who flew away.”
    â€œYou believe that?”
    â€œNo! I’m just sayin’