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"You’d letto reason out his ht do Montoya some harm before I died?"

"Precisely"

"But if I’e, then I’m not worthy of your protection"

Which was prettyI had to prove I was good enough for hih opinion of hiain, maybe he wanted to h--that I wouldn’t turn on hi him as the lure Since I had no beef with Escobar--apart fro uy, for a cartel boss--I’d never do such a thing Regardless, I had to ad

"I see we understand each other"

I had a clear picture, all right Now I just needed to decide what to do To give myself time to think, I took two es Escobar watched ine the pale linen spattered with blood, but it would beout if I walked away

"Okay," I said at last "I’m in What am I supposed to do first?"

"You will be allowed to pick one person to help you Only one I will send men to secure this individual and deliver hi the way as to what you need to be doing Once you pass all three tests, I will return you to Texas"

"Where we’ll take on Montoya together"

It sounded like he was describing The Ay, and challenges straight out of reality television

Escobar rose and padded over to his desk, where he lofted a sheaf of paper Contracts, maybe "Upon confirmation of his death, I’ll pay you one hundred K"

That was nothing to him, but it nearlyto you"

"Sos," he said, "are priceless"

I’d heard that tone before "You want ot it, you’re going to ed with hellacious shit"

"I did say the final task would test your courage"

I knew the drill now Mental acuity ae would be the actual acquisition--and courage? Well, anted to touch a ickal ite me to Calcutta to retrieve Mother Teresa’s thiuy to check "

Oh, sure I had all the power in this partnership "Go for it"

Escobar used the intercoist was that he wanted Paolo to co There were tiny Belgian chocolates arranged artfully around the edge of the plate

When Paolo appeared a few minutes later, I decided hteen, sli lashes, and I stopped worrying that his examination would be awful and invasive

"Señorita Soloers brushed, it threw a spark My eyes ifted, but it would be rude to inquire in case his boss didn’t know I held ue

"Ah," Escobar said He had noted it too, so apparently he was fas "She is like you, it would seeht two objects for you," Paoloabout Señor Escobar that you could never otherwise know"

So it was a test more than an exah perhaps Escobar’s English wasn’t so precise as I’d thought--he ht have used examine as a not-quite-accurate synony in Spanish all the ti and narrow In his left hand he held a silver key--in his right, a gold ring Most likely they wanted a show Well, I was in no ertips over each iteh it presuand curled ift, and let the i "Your first name isn’t Ramiro, and your "

"What is one hoarse with some emotion I was afraid to identify His lean jaw clenched in expectation of my answer

"Efraín," I said softly "Because you were second-born of twins, but your brother died when you were small, and you cannot bear to hear the name spoken because youtheir naly inscribed with near-calligraphic quality Somehow I doubted the woman I had seen would be proud of the life her son had chosen Escobar knew it too

"You have a real gift," Paolo declared

As do you, I said with my eyes But still, I would not ask He should tell me, if he wanted to, but this was neither the place nor the tier When Paolo slipped out, I wanted to follow, but I hadn’t been dish his shoulder-length silver hair "The hour grows late In the , I will hear your choice as to your partner in the co trial Leave me now" He spun away to pace some more

I hastened out of the study, where I found Paolo waiting for uide back to your roo attention before"

"Not surprising You were doubtless worried"

I smiled "To say the least"