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“Does she know it’s the Syndicate?”

Holiday shrugs “We don’t knohat she knows And she’s not sharing infor into the crash site”

I scratchitchy for a burner, stomach knotted for more zoladone “Well, if that woood as chopped They’ll start sending body parts to the Citadel in thorn-wrapped boxes”

“Which is e are here and Republic Intelligence is not,” Holiday says “You know the Syndicate better than we do We need you to come in and help coordinate the rescue effort”

“Not a chance They have people in your government”

Holiday squints “How do you know that?”

“We were given the boy’s itinerary more than a month in advance But they didn’t volunteer any other insiders Prolly didn’t want to burn them Which is why I had to recruit you…” I look at Lyria “If they know I’ you…”

“Body parts,” Lyria says

“If we’re compromised, then you’ll have to retrieve them,” Holiday says

I snort a laugh “Fuck that”

“Thought you’d say that I know you don’t care about your life, Ephrai tells me you care about hers” She sets a holocube down on the table and an ie of a cell appears with a woa

“We found her at the Cerebian Zoo,” Holiday says “She was easier to find than you were What wasn’t easy was keeping the Teleht”

“If you touch a hair on her head…”

“No It’s your turn to listen Your turn to obey If you do not do everything I ask, then I will give her to the Telemanuses” Lyria looks as surprised as I am

“Don’t hurt her,” I say