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I blink back the stun of his words "What? No…," I shake my head in protest "No, you have to take me back! You saw the video! They will kill her!"

He stands frohtens the sleeves of his white dress shirt now tucked neatly into his pants and buttoned back around his strong wrists

"The plan has changed," he says cal just inches fro "No, Victor!" He flinches "I have to go back! Don’t you understand?! We--I have to help her! I want Izel dead! I want Javier dead for what he’s done!"

"He will be," Victor says

He turns to the side and zips the duffle bag closed

I push h the space between us and then shove hi back with or without you!" He catches rasp "Please…" The word comes out with every ounce of desperation in me

He scansfro o ofto step backward and away fro to me "There’s no time to be patient! How can you say that?"

He bends over and fixes his hands underneath the mattress of the bed nearest theand lifts it onto its side revealing a hollow space underneath surrounded by the wood fra the theword," he says

"Word frohs, annoyed with my questions "From Javier"

"Why?"

I don’t knohat to say, or what to believe, all I do know is thaton and I can’t keep up

Victor walks to the door and looks back atwith the backward tilt of his head for ether, or drag me down the hallway by my wrist? What if I run away?"

"You won’t"

"You don’t think so?" I counter

He shakes his head once "No, you won’t because I’m the only one of us who knows the way back to Javier"

I just stand here

Victor places his hand on the silver lever and opens the door "Are you co here?"

I stare across the roo to helpwhat Izel and Javier are doing to Lydia, Victor has remembered how it feels to be remorseful, if he’s ever knohat that feels like at all

"Where are we going?" I ask, knowing that it can’t be far if he’s leaving his bags here

"To breakfast"

CHAPTER TEN

Victor

More than two hours have passed and there has been no word Nothing fro froirl is beyond the point of restless I bought her breakfast in the hotel, but she hardly ate a bite, just picked at her omelet with her fork It may be a result of her concern for her friend, but I find her sudden inability to ask continuous questions or try to converse with

I do wonder why she has yet to try contacting family rave situation with her dear friend, she would not also show interest in calling a sister, grandmother or an aunt That she did not use the one opportunity she had last night while I was sleeping

This leaves me with two theories: she cares more about the life of her friend, or she has no family left Perhaps it’s both I’ againstand I stand up from the table in the lobby and reach inside to retrieve it

The girl is instantly attentive to me

My brother’s code na up with er over the answer bar, but hold the phone, face-down against irl to sit back down, I say, "I want you to stay here I’ht outside to take this call I trust that you’ll be here when I get back" I know she’s not going anywhere

Clearly wanting nothingon my every word, she takes a deep, heavy breath, crosses her arrits her teeth behind her softly pressed lips

I walk out the front doors and put the phone toto put Javier on this call," Niklas says "Are you prepared?"

"Yes," I answer and hile Niklas makes the transfer

Javier’s voice seethes with barely controlled anger when he is patched through:

"You’ll die for what you’ve done," he says in English "Sarai should’ve been brought back to me the second you found her!"

"What’s done is done," I say "Get to the reason for your contact"

I hear hi quietly