Chapter 95

immediately called Nana in Washington. Either she wasn’t there, or she was still mad at me and wasn’t picking up the phone. Damn¹ it. Answer the phone, Nana.
I frantically² called again, but there was still no answer. Pick up, pick up! Damn it - pick up the phone!Sweat had begun to coat my neck and forehead. This was my darkest nightmare³, my worst fear come true. What could I do from out here?
I called Sampson and told him to rush over to my house, then get back to me immediately. He didn’t question me for a second.  ‘I’m sending a squad⁴ car now. It will be there in minutes. I’ll be right behind it. I’ll get back to you, Alex,’ he said.  I sat in the car and anxiously waited for Sampson’s call. My head was spinning with all kinds of terrible thoughts and images. There was nothing I could do - not for Jamilla, if she was in trouble; not for my own family back in Washington.
I thought about the Mastermind and the way he’d operated in the past. There were always dramatic taunts⁵ and barbs⁶ - and then, when I least expected it, he would act; he would make a strike to the heart.  When I least expected it.
Action, not words.
Horrible murders.
He knew I hadn’t returned to Washington; did he know for sure that I was in San Francisco?
I couldn’t focus as much as I needed to. Was it possible that he was right here on Jamilla’s street? Was the killer⁷ watching me now? He had shown that he was smart enough to follow me and not be seen.  Did he want a showdown?
The cell phone rang again. My heart jumped in my chest. I rumbled⁸ with the buttons.
‘Cross,’ I said.
‘Everybody’s okay, Alex. I’m at the house with Nana and the kids.
They’re safe and sound. They’re with me now.’
I shut my eyes and sighed with relief.’Put her on,’I told Sampson.  ‘Don’t take no for an answer from her. I need to talk to Nana about what we’re going to do next.’

1 damn   

int.该死，他妈的；vt.指责，贬斥，诅咒

参考例句：

• Damn this useless typewriter!这台破打字机真该死！
• I knew damn well what he was going to say.我非常清楚他要说什么。

2 frantically   

ad.发狂地, 发疯地

参考例句：

• He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。
• She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。

3 nightmare   

n.恶梦，可怕的事物，无法摆脱的恐惧

参考例句：

• I was glad to awake from such a nightmare.我庆幸终于从噩梦中醒来了。
• I had a nightmare last nightand,lost sleep.昨夜我作了个恶梦，失眠了。

4 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

5 taunts   

嘲弄的言语，嘲笑，奚落( taunt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He had to endure the racist taunts of the crowd. 他不得不忍受那群人种族歧视的奚落。
• He had to endure the taunts of his successful rival. 他不得不忍受成功了的对手的讥笑。

6 barbs   

n.（箭头、鱼钩等的）倒钩( barb的名词复数 )；带刺的话；毕露的锋芒；钩状毛

参考例句：

• She slung barbs at me. 她说了些讥刺我的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I would no longer uncomplainingly accept their barbs or allow their unaccountable power to go unchallenged. 我不会再毫无怨言地洗耳恭听他们带刺的话，或让他们的不负责任的权力不受到挑战。 来自辞典例句

7 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

8 rumbled   

发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋）

参考例句：

• The machine rumbled as it started up. 机器轰鸣着发动起来。
• Things rapidly became calm, though beneath the surface the argument rumbled on. 事情迅速平静下来了，然而，在这种平静的表面背后争论如隆隆雷声，持续不断。