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Prax came to a sudden halt in front of a door that looked like a hundred other doors they’d already passed, set into the wall of a gray corridor that looked like every other gray corridor

“This is it He’s in here”

Before Holden could respond, Prax was ha on the door Holden took a step back and to the side, giving himself a clear view of the doorway past Prax A the case of chicken under his left arht thumb into his waistband just in front of the holster A year of patrolling the Belt, cleaning up the worst jackals that the governmental vacuum had left behind, had instilled some automatic habits in his crew Holden appreciated the security certainly hadn’t made Miller’s life any better

The door was yanked open by a scrawny and shirtless teenager with a big knife in his other hand

“The fk—” he started, then stopped when he saw Holden and Auns and said, “Oh”

“I’ve brought you chicken,” Prax replied, pointing back at the case Ae”

“Coulda got that for you,” Naoh tih time’ part that’s a problem,” Holden subvocalized back at her “But that’s definitely plan B”

The skinny teen shrugged and opened the door the rest of the way, gesturing for Prax to enter Holden folloith A up the rear

“So,” the kid said “Show it, sabé?”

Ale can from the box He held it up where the kid could see it

“Sauce?” the kid said

“How about a second can instead?” Holden replied, o get the rest of the footage, and we’ll get out of your hair Sound good?”

The kid lifted his chin and pushed Holden an aries,” Holden said, his se you promised my friend here”

“Maybe no,” the kid said He flapped one hand at Holden “Adinerado, si no? Quizas you got et this straight,” Holden replied “Are you shaking us down? Because that would be—”

A ot this one, Cap,” A between Holden and the kid He held one of the chicken cans in his hand, and he was tossing it lightly and catching it

“That guy,” A to toss the chicken with his right, “got his baby girl snatched He just wants to knohere she is He’s willing to pay the agreed-upon price for that infored and started to speak, but Aer to his lips and shushed him