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“The better question to me is, how did he know to take the started?”

“Yeah,” Naomi said, her voice quiet “Yeah, how did he know that?”

“Because he’s the reason why things went pear-shaped,” Holden replied, saying out loud what they were both thinking

“If he’s got all of those kids, and he or the people he’s ere able to start a shooting war between Mars and Earth to cover up the snatch …”

“Starts to feel like a strategy we’ve seen before, doesn’t it? We need to knohat’s on the other side of that door”

“One of two things,” Naoot the hell off this uns”

“Yeah”

The galley of the Somnambulist was quiet as Prax and Holden’s creatched the video again Naoe of Mei’s abduction into a single long loop They watched as her doctor carried her through various corridors, up a lift, and finally to the door of the abandoned parts of the station After the third viewing, Holden gestured for Naoers druhting to get away,” Amos said

“She’s known Dr Strickland all her life,” Prax replied “He would be alht hi on for …”

“Four years,” Prax said

“Four years,” Nao con to run unless the stakes are huge”

“Is it kidnapping? If they want a ransom payment …”

“Doesn’t wash A couple hours after Mei disappears into that hatch,” Holden said, pointing at the i each other Sorab sixteen sick kids and hide the fact they did it”

“If Protogen wasn’t toast,” Amos said, “I’d say this is exactly the kind of shit they’d pull”

“And whoever it is has significant tech resources too,” Naomi said “They were able to hack the school’s syste from the battle, and insert that wo”

“Some of the kids in her school had very rich or powerful parents,” Prax said “Their security would have to be top notch”

Holden drummed out a last rhythm on the tabletop with both hands, then said, “Which all leads us back to the big question What’s waiting for us on the other side of that door?”

“Corporate goons,” A,” Naoht be Mei”