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Thing Trenched the panel door shut as Thing One fired up the engine I e negotiation, but couldn’t think of anything that would help me It was probably best to keep my mouth shut for noay

Thing One wound his way out of the city and got on the 101 freeway southbound I thought it was a really bad sign that they were letting ested I’d be dead soon, so it didn’t matter if I knew our destination

Eventually we took an exit for the airport and I wondered ifshipped off somewhere But then we headed into an industrial area south of the airport, full of large warehouses and heavy industry Thing Two pulled out a phone and dialed, then told whoever answered, “We’re here with the special delivery”

The bay door of a big, nondescript warehouse was rolled open directly in front of us And Thing One pulled Lucy up beside a shiny black (I’n The bay door was shut behind us, and my heartbeat accelerated Possibilities for escape where looking worse by the minute

Panic welled in me as I tried to think, tried to formulate some kind of plan But I ca rescued, but that see And even when they figured out I was gone, no one would knohere to look The fact that the Packard was in this warehouse told istered under Sokolov’s na to look for me here, because I was pretty sure very few people even knew that ‘here’ existed

Sokolov and two otherout of a little office at the back of the warehouse as my hands were cut apart and I was escorted from the vehicle “Well hey there, Jaame

Thing One and Thing Two led ainst it They tied me to the pillar with rope as Sokolov smiled and said, “Well daht youas quietly as a little lamb” I just stared at hi to say to me, Jamie?”

He cahtened up and held his gaze And he said, “You know, normally I like it when the people around me remain silent But in your case, I have to say, I find your silence really fucking irritating” And then he sucker punched ut

I gasped and doubled over slightly, as much as I could with the rope wrapped around led to fill rabbed a fistful of my hair and jerked me back up, and said to one of his ht” A rope was run around gled to take a breath I panicked ainst my bonds, but that only made the rope cut deeper into ht, you ood is it if he passes out?” The rope was loosened just a hair, enough so I was able to breathe at least, and I gasped desperately

“So Jamie When I said earlier today that I’d see you soon, I never iined it would be this soon Did you?”

When I didn’t answer he punched ain, and I couldn’t double over this tis and pressed h the pain as Sokolov hissed, “I said, did you iain so soon, Jamie?”

“No,” I ground out through gritted teeth

“No what?” If he thought I was going to call him sir, he was delusional

“No, you fucking piece of shit asshole,” I growled

That earned me several more blows to onize him, but I couldn’t help myself

When finally he stopped hitting ony, Sokolov said calht where he’d left off, “I thought you’d ht et bored of you and move on like he always does, despite all the lovely dovey bullshit that’s been co from him the past few days I really didn’t want to stir up trouble fora member of the SFPD But then Dmitri forced my hand, didn’t he?”