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Drake aze, then wavered, and looked down at the floor There was red in his cheeks, a dangerous glitter in his eyes, but he could not meet Caine’s triumphant scowl

“Remember this when you finally decide it’s time to take me on, Drake,” Caine whispered

Caine turned to the others and beamed happiness at his crew Jack, still at the coed in his work that he was barely aware of as going on Bug, drifting in and out of view Diana pretending to be uni she wouldn’t respond Drake’s two soldiers, lounging

“What do I want?” Caine yelled back through the charred hole in the wall Then, carefully enunciating each word for emphasis “What Do I Want?”

And then, Caine drew a blank For a moment, just a moment before he recovered, he couldn’t think of what he wanted No one else heard the hesitation But Caine felt it

What did he want?

He searched for an answer and found one that would do “You, Sam,” Caine purred “I want you to walk in here all by yourself That’s what I want”

The hostages, Mickey and Mike, looked at each other in disbelief Caine could guess what they were thinking: their big hero, Sam, had failed

Sam’s voice was muffled but audible “I would, Caine To tell you the truth, it would probably be a relief” He sounded weary He sounded beaten Luscious, wonderful sounds to Caine’s ears “But we all kno you act when there’s no one there to stop you So, no”

Caine let out a loud, theatrical sigh He sht you’d take that attitude, Sam So I have an alternative I have a trade in mind”

“Trade? What for what?”

“Food for ligh

t,” Caine said He put his hand to his ear as if listening To Diana, he whispered, “Hear that? That’s the sound ofhe just becaood word? Servant? Slave?”

Sam yelled, “Looks to me like you’re the one in trouble, Caine”

Caine blinked A warning light was flashing in the back of his mind He had just made a mistake He didn’t knohat, but he had made a mistake