Mia's wide gray eyes brimmed with hate.
"He is ..." she began again, but the screen went dead. Cosmo had yanked the transmitter from the wall. Wires like tentacles dangled from the back of the box. He dropped it to the gray straw matting.
"That won't help!" Mia's voice was triumphant as she backed away. "You can't escape. They'll come from all directions."
Again Cosmo grinned. He jumped, seized Mia, swung her off her feet.
"Let me go!"
"You're coming with me." His voice was grim. "I'd rather the Commissioner didn't find out I'm the Renegade just yet."
"Put me down! Are you mad?" Mia's long, bare legs thrashed wildly. She hammered at his chest. "You can't escape by yourself, let alone with me."
He calmly pinioned her flailing legs, strode out the window to the edge of the patio. Dropping her to her feet, he fumbled in his pocket, drew forth a whistle, put it to his lips, blew.
No audible sound resulted. The note was too high, too shrill to be detected by human ears.
Mia MacIver quit squirming, gaped at him blankly.