faster getaway than the space ranger on cannibal planet.
“I do not speak like a foreigner.”
Yep, loony tunes. “All right, but I still think it’s strange that the reverend would dare treat you like this.”
“The reverend is a very arrogant man. He thinks his contacts among the Raiders will protect him.”
“Does he know who I am?”
If she managed to escape this place, she would have to disappear anyway but it would help if the reverend didn’t contact her family and tell them about her.
“No.”
That was reassuring. “I might have signed my own death warrant with my stupidity earlier. Why can’t I learn to keep my mouth shut?”
If the reverend followed up on her knowledge of the Benzoni family in Denver, it was all over.
“You do not need to fear the reverend.”
For a moment she could have sworn his eyes shot red sparks at her. She blinked and the illusion disappeared.
“So you didn’t come here for me.”
Even if he denied it, how could she take his word on anything? He was the thug the family sent in to beat up helpless old people who couldn’t or wouldn’t pay their extortion credits.
“Yes.”
“What does that mean? Did you come to take me back or not?”
“No.”
Julia pressed her nails into her jeans-clad knees. “Please make sense. Did you come for me or not?”
The drug’s grip on him had to be escalating. Soon, it would be very dangerous to be in his vicinity. If it wasn’t already.
“I came for you but not to take you back to anyone else.”
She relaxed her hands and leaned her head against her knees. “Why do you want to speak to the man coming here?”
“My leader instructed me.”
“Uncle Jacob?”
Jacob was her mother’s cousin but because he was so much older and much higher in the hierarchy they all called him Uncle Jacob.
“No, Zacar.”
“You switched sides? But you just said you didn’t--” She threw up her hands. “Oh never mind. Uncle Jacob will have you panga’d. Actually, from what I remember, you were one of his favorites. He might panga you himself.”
“I do not know this Jacob.”
Ooookkaaay, memory problems, too . “Who is your leader?” she asked.
John must have switched sides. Maybe to Chicago, or Boston--that bunch liked their titles.
“Zacar,” he said.
She waited for him to elaborate but he simply crouched there, staring at her, his eyes unblinking. Julia looked pointedly at the bars. “The moment you get your answers, we’ll just walk out of here?”
“Yes.”
“So why did you change sides to work for this Zacar? Is he with one of the Chicago Corporations?”
“I have always worked for Zacar.”
She lowered her head onto her knees again. Did that mean he had been a plant when she knew him before? Nothing he said made sense. She wanted out of here. A terrible stench hung around the cell. It kept bile rising in her throat. The moans of the other captives were a constant torture, refusing to fade into the background.
She brushed at her legs. “All kinds of things with too many legs are crawling on me.”
He came and sat next to her, placed his arm around her shoulders. She smelled ground coffee and spice. She sagged from the weight around her shoulders and his hold lifted a bit. Julia snuggled into his comforting heat. She’d hate him tomorrow, get away from him. For now, she just wanted to feel safe. She pressed back slightly into the arm around her shoulders, trying to figure out what it was she felt. Instead of just a solid arm, something like very small tubes pressed into her skin and for a moment she feared he was shooting up, somehow, with some kind of contraption. Then she realized they were raised veins pulsing very faintly against her.
“I will keep you safe, even from insects.”
“Thank you,” she said absently, still wondering how his veins could be enlarged like that from the drugs without exploding.
They sat in silence for a while.
“We have to help the others.” She looked to the cage
“I do not speak like a foreigner.”
Yep, loony tunes. “All right, but I still think it’s strange that the reverend would dare treat you like this.”
“The reverend is a very arrogant man. He thinks his contacts among the Raiders will protect him.”
“Does he know who I am?”
If she managed to escape this place, she would have to disappear anyway but it would help if the reverend didn’t contact her family and tell them about her.
“No.”
That was reassuring. “I might have signed my own death warrant with my stupidity earlier. Why can’t I learn to keep my mouth shut?”
If the reverend followed up on her knowledge of the Benzoni family in Denver, it was all over.
“You do not need to fear the reverend.”
For a moment she could have sworn his eyes shot red sparks at her. She blinked and the illusion disappeared.
“So you didn’t come here for me.”
Even if he denied it, how could she take his word on anything? He was the thug the family sent in to beat up helpless old people who couldn’t or wouldn’t pay their extortion credits.
“Yes.”
“What does that mean? Did you come to take me back or not?”
“No.”
Julia pressed her nails into her jeans-clad knees. “Please make sense. Did you come for me or not?”
The drug’s grip on him had to be escalating. Soon, it would be very dangerous to be in his vicinity. If it wasn’t already.
“I came for you but not to take you back to anyone else.”
She relaxed her hands and leaned her head against her knees. “Why do you want to speak to the man coming here?”
“My leader instructed me.”
“Uncle Jacob?”
Jacob was her mother’s cousin but because he was so much older and much higher in the hierarchy they all called him Uncle Jacob.
“No, Zacar.”
“You switched sides? But you just said you didn’t--” She threw up her hands. “Oh never mind. Uncle Jacob will have you panga’d. Actually, from what I remember, you were one of his favorites. He might panga you himself.”
“I do not know this Jacob.”
Ooookkaaay, memory problems, too . “Who is your leader?” she asked.
John must have switched sides. Maybe to Chicago, or Boston--that bunch liked their titles.
“Zacar,” he said.
She waited for him to elaborate but he simply crouched there, staring at her, his eyes unblinking. Julia looked pointedly at the bars. “The moment you get your answers, we’ll just walk out of here?”
“Yes.”
“So why did you change sides to work for this Zacar? Is he with one of the Chicago Corporations?”
“I have always worked for Zacar.”
She lowered her head onto her knees again. Did that mean he had been a plant when she knew him before? Nothing he said made sense. She wanted out of here. A terrible stench hung around the cell. It kept bile rising in her throat. The moans of the other captives were a constant torture, refusing to fade into the background.
She brushed at her legs. “All kinds of things with too many legs are crawling on me.”
He came and sat next to her, placed his arm around her shoulders. She smelled ground coffee and spice. She sagged from the weight around her shoulders and his hold lifted a bit. Julia snuggled into his comforting heat. She’d hate him tomorrow, get away from him. For now, she just wanted to feel safe. She pressed back slightly into the arm around her shoulders, trying to figure out what it was she felt. Instead of just a solid arm, something like very small tubes pressed into her skin and for a moment she feared he was shooting up, somehow, with some kind of contraption. Then she realized they were raised veins pulsing very faintly against her.
“I will keep you safe, even from insects.”
“Thank you,” she said absently, still wondering how his veins could be enlarged like that from the drugs without exploding.
They sat in silence for a while.
“We have to help the others.” She looked to the cage
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