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Then the corridor erupted with rapid chi

A cell-phone

Everyone froze Franco lowered his head, his body rolling in on itself "Fuck" His eyes latched onto mine

My instincts soared out of control Whoever was calling had so, trying to get free I had to answer that phone "Please Let us answer it!"

Sergio planted a hand on ainst the wall The cuts on my shoulder blade fro you out of here in a straitjacket"

Chi sliced ht I’d pass out if it wasn’t answered

Franco snapped, "You have to let s you don’t understand"

I froze, never taking et us free

Sergio laughed "And what don’t I understand? Feel free to infor to know"

The phone ceased its awful chi had happened, and we hadn’t picked up the phone Had we ruined his chance of survival? Had these bastards taken away our one shot at finding hi to do?"

Sergio crossed his ar us carefully

Franco spoke only to e of the operation is in effect They’ll assuht to Blair as tea Would this unknown Blair coh for us? Would he be as ruthless and focused as Franco? God, I hoped so

Franco softened "Don’t worry They’ll find hiio ju like a ladly kill to get free "Theassle If he dies while you’re acting out so sorry"

Sergio’s face gloith righteous happiness "Threat nuh risk prisoners, and I have full right to detain you until I feel you aren’t a risk too A cell has your na left to hide because if they locked ain I would die alone I would cease to exist the moment I felt Q’s life snip from my own "Please! It wasn’t a threat It’s the truth" I sed tears "They took him Quincy Mercer Five io didn’t say another word as he sto patients and wide-eyed nurses

With a punch to the large swinging doors of the exit, Sergio dragged

A patrol car waited at the curb

I struggled "No! You don’t have any reason to arrest us No reason at all!"

Sergio nodded for one of his men to open the car door "No reason? Care to explain why pedestrians reported a topless wolass" His eyes fleeen Franco andMercer He always has to go one step too far" He caughtup hisQ insideto be curled up in bed with hi amy head, I mumbled, "That was me I take full responsibility Can you write io chuckled "Public indecency is more than a ticket, miss But it’s above that now I believe there’s a conspiracy here I believe some man--possibly not this man with you--but another, forced you to have intercourse I also believe the sexual activity was interrupted by soio pointed at Franco "And until I understand the full story, no-one is leaving, capisci?"

"It wasn’thurt"As you can see by evidence A"

Sergio’s eyes narrowed "Just how y in my city? How many infractions do you want to add to this tally?"

Franco shook his head, breathing hard "It’s not like that If you stopped and listened for one goddamn second you’d be saved a lot of paperwork and possibly a ood-cop routine, launching hirunted, "We found blood on the carpet And a bullet casing by theIf we find out the bullettrouble So don’t start waving your dick around here because it won’t fking work"

Spinning away, he dragged a hand through his hair "Get theo"

My heart infested with panic as so me into the vehicle The vinyl seats squeaked as I fell sideways I couldn’t push myself up with my wrists handcuffed behind my back

Tears bubbled in my spine but I refused to let therunted in pain butposition "You okay?"

My ot co minute took Q further and further away I didn’t want to look at a clock I didn’t want to see just howwasted by idiots of the Italian police force

Q I’m so sorry This is all my fault

A sob clawed up my throat

Franco patted io clih the barred partition "That’s what you think"

The interview room was frozen-over hell

All metal and mirror and steel My hands and feet were blue with a mixture of fear and ice I’d been uncuffed and thrown into the rooo

Franco had been taken soed ani My heart wouldn’t stop clanging Claustrophobia clawed atcloser and closer and closer Burying me alive in an icy to my hands, I shoved the self-pity away I refused to bow to such useless eet out of this I would find Q I would find him alive, and I would marry him the second I fell into his ario Ponzio entered looking like a stuck-up peacock ay too iving jaded look that said he’d heard every story, listened to every lie He was finished having people make a fool of him

Which was fine I understood that But when he was so blind he couldn’t see the truth--putting another’s life in jeopardy, then I couldn’t understand that I couldn’t control the lava of frustration and hatred flowing inI’d be able to stophis heart out--because he obviously didn’t have one

"Please Sit," he said, pointing at thewith h infractions to battle through, without adding battery and assault to a police chief

"Water?" His bushy eyebrow rose

I shook ht corner of the room

Enemy Saboteur Betrayer