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People gave us a wide berth Not that I cared I wanted this ain, and then take the next step toward handling Montoya He’d killed awith Ernesto, as in the wrong place at the wrong time Montoya had nearly slain me twice I felt hard as I never had before, coolly deter; I’d come to rely on him more than I cared to admit

Outside a tiny convenience store, I found an outdoor outlet for my cell phone We worked quickly to disable the deterrent ed in and powered it on It wouldn’t be long before soht n--oh, God, it was littered with "Q"s, "L"s, and "A"s, not Spanish I’d never pronounce it, assuet hold of Escobar

He’d put his nureen button onthree tiood news for me," he continued in Spanish

I answered in kind, though my mind was slower at translations than I would’ve liked So damned tired "I have it I’m in Huánuco, on" I spelled the street for hilanced at the store for the number

At that point, the owner stepped onto the walk and started cursinghis power The socket had been secured; Kel had snapped the padlock and I’d pried the cap off it, so I couldn’t argue with his outrage, and I had little currency to soothe his distress My partner in crime overheard

"Give him the phone," Escobar ordered

I did as instructed

Five minutes later, the owner handed it back with downcast eyes and he hurried back into his shop I honestly didn’t want to knohat Escobar had said or promised "¿Ahora qué?" I asked Nohat? It was a good question

"Wait there for my men," he answered "The proprietor has been instructed to offer you food and drink He will be recohly and in short, You have a deal

Since, after that, I had permission to use the outlet, I sent texts to both Jesse and Shannon I didn’t feel up to long phone conversations with either of them Doubtless Chuch and Eva would want to hear y, I was also being practical

Kel stepped into the shop, and when he returned, he carried a s He produced tortas wrapped in waxed paper, and two icy orange sodas A few ht us a couple of rickety chairs Clearly he wanted us gone but he also didn’t want trouble He set them doith a ratefully as the day died around us

We ate in silence, but I could finish only half of ave the rest to Kel, and downed the Fanta in a thirsty rush I ached from head to toe By the time we finished and balled up our trash, a dark town car was pulling up to the curb Two ot out Since it was nearly dark, they didn’t wear shades, but their impassive expressions matched what I had come to expect in minions

One of them went into the store to settle our account; the other waved us into the backseat of the vehicle They drove us to an airfield an hour outside the city, and soon, ere in the air Thank all gods and goddesses this was nearly done I’d had enough of playing this ame, and I badly wanted soht was long, and we stopped once to refuel--I didn’t knohere Kel and I stayed on the plane He was so quiet it troubled me, but I could find no way to inquire At the second takeoff, he surprised h uessed

His htly "Not like this"

Ah I understood I wished I didn’t In , but those inflicted while he knelt bound and unable to resist The aression; I knew that els abused him both because of his human mother and his own disobedience How , as I recalled, except the idea that desire required penance

At length, we slept, and I held his hand until we landed When I opened nized this airstrip, and the house in the distance We were back on Escobar’s property, wherever that ht be

Goon A escorted e of Kel "You will be pere before you see el Señor"

I found the honorific a because that was also what some people called God around here Or maybe I just was too tired to knoas funny "Gracias"

Paolo stood waiting for me on the veranda When I turned, I couldn’t see Kel anywhere I started to protest but he held up a hand "Your companion will not be harmed He is simply not part of your business with ently, but his eyes reflected the salinized the tactic, but I couldn’t think of a reason to fight it Kel could take care of himself

"Okay," I said wearily "I’ll take that shower"

The boy led the way to the suite I’d occupied before, what see hints ofthe way Even so, I wasn’t prepared for the wreckage that greeted me when I stepped into that palatial bathrooling, messy braid down my back as if those feral de scratch down my throat from where the demon , my face was thin and sharp, browner than I could ever rehter by coest surprise when I peeled out of my filthy clothes I ran my palms down my stoht I’d lost out there, but I could see the difference The muscles--and apparently I had some--showed much closer to the skin now

Well, whatever It wouldn’t do to keep Escobar waiting--any longer than necessary, anyhow, because I didn’t etting clean

A long while later, I stepped out of the stall I took advantage of the nourishing crea ed when I saw he’d replaced the clothing in the wardrobe with sitated when they fit I hated the idea that Escobar could foresee every eventuality, as if he were privy to a celestial chessboard nobody else could see

"If that were true," I said aloud, "then he wouldn’t need o Montoya"