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The eerie quiet is the worst part This blank, cold room could stand in for a sensory-deprivation chamber Once I didn’t understand how solitary confineine being in a place like this for months or years, I see how it could happen

But nobody comes down to harm me Except for my wrists, I’m in no pain I tell myself it’s not so bad

(So far, the worst part was I had to use the bucket once, which was about as gross as you’d iine At least the Russianbetter thanabout how scared they must be Their only comfort must be Wyatt’s reward offer

But I can’t rely on Wyatt Conley’s "good heart" Yeah, it looks like he loves Josie in this universe, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s corrupt to the core If anyone could be callous enough to screw around with a ransoet the Russian ive him a discount

Soainst s open The hair on my scalp prickles in fear when I hear the heavy tread on the stairs Withinit

One of the ski-uys carries a paper sack and a plastic bottle of Sprite Fro sandwich that has probably been Saran Wrapped for at least a couple of days, and a s of ranch-flavor potato chips I hate ranch flavor, but right now? I can’t wait to stuff the chips in my face as fast as possible

"Can you take this off?" I say to Masked Guy, holding up h, you can eat it with those on" Then, perhaps reconsidering, he leans down and opens the Sprite bottle forof chips Masked Guy just stands there, staring atbrave/stupid, but I’m reminded how much I’m at their e, very ruthless organization He would protect uarantees

Then I hear Paul’s voice from above, loud, and in proper Russian I understand, "Stop wasting time down there Coround knowledge to know exactly what he’s thinking: The boss’s kid thinks he can order me around? Snot-nosed brat! But he doesn’t dare defy Leonid’s son

For the first tih, I realize that Paul can’t be with me every second What do I do if soe of raping e, if Paul were gone for some period of time--that could happen Could I really bear that for this world’s Marguerite?

I’d like to think I wouldn’t abandon her here no et out of this universe, at least for a while, I couldn’t While I can touch the Firebirds with ers around one, I just don’t have enough flexibility to work the controls So there’s no getting out of this one, no matter what