Free Full Tilt by Janet Evanovich Page B

one?"
    She hesitated. "The CIA."
    "You broke through the CIA's firewall?" Jamie cried. "Are the two of you crazy!"
    "Calm down," Max told her.
    "Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down? You're going to prison for the rest of your life. And they're going to take me with you, even though I don't have anything to do with this. Double damn. I should probably have a cigarette." She reached for her purse.
    "Don't do it," Max said. "You'll set off the sprinkler system."
    Jamie went on. "I have always made it a point to stay on the right side of the law. I don't jaywalk, and the time I discovered a carton of soft drinks on the bottom of my grocery cart that I forgot to pay for I drove right back to the store and took care of it."
    Max looked amused. "I'll bet you're one of those who've never had a parking ticket, right?"
    Jamie opened her mouth, then clamped it shut.
    Max glanced at her. "Uh-oh, Muffin, I think Jamie's about to confess to a heinous crime."
    "I forgot about the parking ticket," she whispered.
    "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."
    "I was barely twenty years old at the time. I parked in front of the Hallmark shop on Main Street, saw there were six minutes left on the meter and ran inside. I'd planned to grab a birthday card and get back before the time ran out, but once I got inside I couldn't decide on a card and, well

Chapter Fourteen
    Max and Jamie arrived at Alexa's place fifteen minutes later. Patrol cars surrounded the small frame house that was painted a robin's egg blue and surrounded by a flower bed where orange tiger lilies grew in abundance. They found Alexa and Lamar were talking quietly in the living room. Her eyes were swollen from crying. She stood the minute she spied Max.
    "You know why this happened," she said.
    Max took her hand. "We'll find your son. First, I need the facts."
    "I've already gotten the facts," Lamar said.
    "I want to hear them from Alexa."
    Alexa sniffed and mopped her eyes with a tissue. "Like I told Lamar, I went into Danny's room to check on him before I went to bed."
    "What time?"
    "Shortly after ten. When I went in, I found him gone. Danny's diabetic. If he doesn't eat the right food on schedule or he misses his insulin injection

Chapter Fifteen
    From inside the trunk, Jamie heard the entire exchange, and her blood ran cold at the thought of Max facing Swamp Dog. Max didn't even carry a weapon, for God's sake! Not that it would matter to a man like Swamp Dog. She tightened her grip to keep from slamming into the side of the trunk as the car careened around a corner. Max was literally flying. After five minutes or so, the car slowed. Jamie felt the car turn several more times before it finally came to a screeching halt.
    "Where are we?" Muffin asked.
    "I've parked in front of a wooden garage door that's twice the size of a normal one. I assume this is where they store the city trucks and heavy equipment. There's a side door as well. I'll enter the building through it."
    "My exterior audio sensors are on," Muffin said.
    "I should be able to hear and record everything that goes on in there. So far it's quiet, but my heat sensors tell me Swamp Dog and his hostages are near the back of the warehouse." She paused. "Uh, Max?"
    "Yeah?"
    "Be careful."
    Jamie listened as Max climbed from the car. She waited until she thought he was out of earshot. "Muffin?"
    "I'm here."
    "Pop the trunk."
    There was a moment's hesitation. "Sorry, Jamie. Can't do it."
    Jamie blinked in the darkness. "What do you mean you can't do it?"
    "It's far too dangerous to let you out."
    Jamie's temper flared. "Max is in danger, dammit, and I'm not going to just lie here in a fetal position and wait for Swamp Dog to kill him. Let me out of the damn trunk now!" Jamie was glad Vera wasn't there to collect quarters over her cussing.
    Muffin didn't respond.
    * * * * *
    Mitzi and Lenny had cruised by slowly as Max turned into the driveway of the old building. They pulled into the parking lot of an adjacent building, and