Assassin's Apprentice: Chapters 8-9

8.

Harper stepped out of the terminal into the bright Florida sun and muggy air. She adjusted her watch, twirling the hands forward three hours until they showed 7:38 a.m. She’d flown the red-eye to Miami without being able to sleep at all on the plane. And now she had only five hours before she had to be right back here to board her return flight home. Five hours to find her killer.

She rudely barged into the head cab at the curb, cutting off a businessman who glared at her through the window and growled, “Have a nice day, lady.” The black cab driver turned around and in a lilting Jamaican accent asked Harper if she had any luggage.

“No luggage,” she told the cabbie. She wriggled out of her purse, which she wore like a backpack. The cloying Miami humidity had already soaked a wet patch down her back and between her breasts. “How long to drive to Sanctuary?”

“Oh lady,” he laughed. “We have many kinds of sanctuaries in Miami.” He began counting fingers. “We have the bird sanctuary, the wildlife sanctuary, reptile sanctuary....”

“This one has people. Just people. You know the place?”

The Jamaican mumbled something she couldn’t understand and pulled away from the curb with a squeal. “Listen, lady,” he said, glaring at her in the rearview mirror. “I drop you off a couple blocks from the place. You walk the rest.”