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He catches his breath; sweat beads on his upper lip; the armpits of his plaid shirt are discolored by ave ins as he flips open a blue folder in his hand, "and there were no matches to anyone within The Order, but there was a match to a hit"

He handsany bells, sir?" Woodard had not been in the surveillance roos many bells, Jaain avoiding his questions I fold the paper into a square and tuck it away in the front pocket of my slacks

Woodard’s confidence returns in the forood?" he asks, always needing the validation

I siet those results back," I say

"Sure thing, boss" He s uards outside Dorian’s door step to the side as I walk up

"They reuard says, "and stitched him up He requested he not be restrained due to his injuries, but we followed through anyway"

Sliding the key into the steel door, the lock clicks with an echo

I close the door behindinside the small room with only a tiny boxcovered by bars to let in the sunlight A ray brick wall, covered by a thin cot A toilet and a sink are shoved closely together near one corner

Dorian sits on the s over the side, his booted feet touching the dingy tile floor His hands are cuffed in front of hies on his shoulders

He raises his head and looks up atto do," he says, "and I will, but ht now isn’t the time? I’m more worried about Tessa There’s nottime for this," I tell hi it here before the forty-eight-hour deadline, so it will make no difference whether or not I takeup?" he asks, apprehension and disbelief ory--Izabel loves her like a ive up on her?"

"This is not about giving up on anyone," I say, "but facing the reality of the situation Without Gustavsson’s cooperation, they are all as good as dead, and since there has been no con that he intends to co my focus on other matters"

Dorian shakes his head and looks down at the floor

"Tessa doesn’t know anything about you, or anyone in this Order, not even me," he says in a defeated tone of voice He raises his head again "It was safer for her to tell her I work for US Intelligence"

"Because you know the nature of both," I say, already knowing