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"Pierce came to you," I said "He offered to solve your proble"

Kostas stilled An expression I couldn’t quite read flitted over his features A one "You talk too , he crossed the room to stand in front of me, too close for co, then held the disposable phone up to my ear "Talk to your sister"

"Ivy?" My voice cracked halfway through her name

"Tessie?" Ivy’s voice didn’t crack It didn’t break But soh to tell me she was already broken

"He hasthe words out "A big building There’s electrical wiring to one side--"

Kostas took the phone from my ear "You asked for proof of life," he said "You have twelve hours to getup the phone--and didn’t say another word to me for eleven hours

CHAPTER 57

I had one hour left to live Ivy had one hour to give Kostas what he wanted--whatever that was

I tried talking to hih he’d stopped replying hours ago If Kostas was going to killto hio out of my body and know that he had no honor

I’d s Noas pissed

"It’sto die if Ivy doesn’t solve your problem The least you can do is tell me what it is you need her to do"

He didn’t say a word It was like he didn’t even hearhimself, already, to do what needed to be done

I don’t want to die It was a stupid thought, a cliché one, thought by everyone as about to die, ever

"I don’t want to die" I said it out loud "I don’t want to--"

"I heard you" Kostas broke his silence "For what little it is worth, I don’t want for you to die, either"

"But you will kill h He would kill ht If he killed e

That was theI started entertaining the possibility that he ht hurt er An ear Would he send pieces of es? Would he anesthetizeto shoas serious? Would he putif it becaainst the bindings onpain and struggled harder Blood trickled down ainst my skin

Slick

I let the pain roll overto it I tried to pull out of the bindings, greased up with my own blood I tried I tried--

"Stop" Kostas followed the order up by picking up one of the needles