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Surely the negotiations for ht already have bankers bringing him aa cash-stuffed briefcase fro Conley the number of some Cayman Islands account that will mysteriously disappear the moment after the ransos open The sae cocktail of emotions swirls withinthat at least so to me, and hope eclipses all the rest

"Here," he says He’s holding a white Styrofoaain"

"I am What time is it?"

"Does it matter?"

"I’d just like to know" My voice shakes, but I s hard and continue "Being in this roo that’s happening outside"

Paul hesitates His gray eyes are al how scared I am When he answers me, his words are simple and precise "It’s early afternoon Cloudy We had rain earlier, but it stopped"

Who knew it could feel like such a relief just to hear what the sky looks like? "Thanks"

"Your lunch is late I’ll ets here faster, if you’re stillwith us"

Does that mean "still with us" as in "not yet free," or as in "alive"? I’m about 99 percent sure he h, 99 percent is not enough

Paul pulls back the Styrofoaarlic bread The sarlic alry

But I also reether in my family’s kitchen We listened to Rachainst each other, and we laughed every ti up, which happened constantly That was the first night I recognized that e Soht of "us"

"Any chance of taking these off?" I offer my bound wrists to Paul "If I try to eat Italian food with et it all over h atlike that He’d be offended by the very suggestion, which is what I’h the zip ties Instead, he says, "I’ll help you"

As he takes the white plastic fork fro to feed me?"

"It’s like you said Otherwise, you’d make a mess" He hands me the thin paper napkin "The ties have to stay on"

He starts to sit on the edge of my cot, then pulls back No doubt he thinks I’ll feel threatened if he comes close to me too quickly--which I would, under normal circumstances Actually, as he finally settles next toof h I can’t make my move yet, it helps me to know he’s this close to the Firebirds

Paul carefully gets a forkful of lasagna, lets the first droplets of sauce fall, then brings it tothe initial bite After that, though, I don’t care The first taste of toue makes me salivate so quickly arlic bread myself, so I sop that in the sauce and eat some before he offersthis good before in ht," Paul says

Imyself to cheer, I dab at my ize The fault was uilty Maybe I can use that "Does this establishment offer showers? A bath?" He’d take off the zip ties to letand the crazy hair, I bet I look like the Taslare at hiain I remind myself that Paul’s rudeness is always a kind of honesty Since last night, I’ve been thrown in the back of a van, terrified, imprisoned, and duct-taped Plus I’ht now

"Why did it take so long for the food?" I ask "You only get your ransoht? Starved to death definitely wouldn’t count as ‘safe’"