okay?”
I turned to find that she hadn’t kept pace with us. Instead, she had a hand on the wall, leaning like she felt faint. Her face was pasty and a fine sheen of sweat stood out on her upper lip.
“All wrong,” she whispered. “This is all wrong.”
I went back to her and tugged her upright so she could lean against me. “Sis, what’s up? Do we need to leave? Because you don’t have to do this. Jorge and I can question Ann.”
And I would love to question her. Ask her how she slept last night, knowing hundreds had died at her command.
Mamie stirred. “Sorry. Just a little déjà vu. I’m okay.”
Her pallor suggested that she was anything but okay, but I nodded. Sometimes a brother had to be encouraging, no matter what. “I’ll walk with you then.”
Taking our time, we made our way to the elevator. Johnson held the door open, watching her with concern. He met my eye when we got in. The look said he’d rather not make this trip, and part of me agreed. Still, Mamie had proved the only effective weapon against Ann and we needed to know what the witch knew.
The elevator ticked down two floors, opening up on a gray hallway. It was colder down here, and the scent of bleach was even stronger than upstairs. What went on in this building? I probably didn’t want to know.
Mamie stumbled into the wall. “I don’t like this.”
“Don’t like what?”
“There’s something here. I can’t explain it. Something like a blot in front of my eyes. I can’t See.”
I heard the capital S in that sentence. “Do we need to leave?”
She shook her head. “I have to know what she knows.”
“Are you sure?” I stood in front of her, so the others couldn’t see her face. “I’ll take you back to the hotel if you aren’t well enough to do this.”
She stood up taller. “It doesn’t matter how I feel. We need answers only she can provide, and I’m literally the only person she’ll talk to. I’ll be fine.”
“We have other options,” I said. “The Chinese shaman is bound to turn up sometime, especially if Dad’s searching for him. He might know things about the Shadow—”
“Do not say his name,” Mamie hissed, her eyes glowing that preternatural blue for a brief moment. Then she slumped a bit. “Sorry. Let me be the one taking the risk of naming him here, okay? This is something I have to do.”
I raised my hands, wondering why the very mention of the Shadow Man had her so jumpy. “Okay.”
She took a deep breath. “Don’t worry. I’m good to go.”
A lie if I ever heard one. “Then let’s go.” I motioned for Jorge. “Jorge can take you in. Johnson and I will be in the room right next door. If you need us, wave and we’ll come running.”
A door at the end of the hallway opened and two CIA officers—both armed with pistols, based on the holster straps showing under their jackets—came out. They were identical in their boring suits, red ties, and regulation haircuts. Both had stern expressions to match the woman’s upstairs.
The first one, who I decided would be Frick, said, “The prisoner is secured and ready.” He pointed at a door to his right. “This is the observation center. We’ll monitor the progress with you there.”
Frack, the second one, asked, “Who’s going in?” When Mamie raised her hand, he frowned. “I was under the impression a specialist was coming.”
“She is the specialist,” I said. “So’s her escort. The captain and I will observe.”
Identical eyebrow raises from Frick and Frack, but they didn’t ask any more questions. Frick led Jorge and Mamie to Ann’s door, while Frack escorted Johnson and me to the observation room. Like before, there wasn’t a two-way mirror, but a monitor bank with six different video feeds from various angles.
What struck me as different, though, was Ann’s appearance.
The last time I’d seen her was five weeks ago. She’d been defiant at every turn after we captured her, even after Dad told her the
I turned to find that she hadn’t kept pace with us. Instead, she had a hand on the wall, leaning like she felt faint. Her face was pasty and a fine sheen of sweat stood out on her upper lip.
“All wrong,” she whispered. “This is all wrong.”
I went back to her and tugged her upright so she could lean against me. “Sis, what’s up? Do we need to leave? Because you don’t have to do this. Jorge and I can question Ann.”
And I would love to question her. Ask her how she slept last night, knowing hundreds had died at her command.
Mamie stirred. “Sorry. Just a little déjà vu. I’m okay.”
Her pallor suggested that she was anything but okay, but I nodded. Sometimes a brother had to be encouraging, no matter what. “I’ll walk with you then.”
Taking our time, we made our way to the elevator. Johnson held the door open, watching her with concern. He met my eye when we got in. The look said he’d rather not make this trip, and part of me agreed. Still, Mamie had proved the only effective weapon against Ann and we needed to know what the witch knew.
The elevator ticked down two floors, opening up on a gray hallway. It was colder down here, and the scent of bleach was even stronger than upstairs. What went on in this building? I probably didn’t want to know.
Mamie stumbled into the wall. “I don’t like this.”
“Don’t like what?”
“There’s something here. I can’t explain it. Something like a blot in front of my eyes. I can’t See.”
I heard the capital S in that sentence. “Do we need to leave?”
She shook her head. “I have to know what she knows.”
“Are you sure?” I stood in front of her, so the others couldn’t see her face. “I’ll take you back to the hotel if you aren’t well enough to do this.”
She stood up taller. “It doesn’t matter how I feel. We need answers only she can provide, and I’m literally the only person she’ll talk to. I’ll be fine.”
“We have other options,” I said. “The Chinese shaman is bound to turn up sometime, especially if Dad’s searching for him. He might know things about the Shadow—”
“Do not say his name,” Mamie hissed, her eyes glowing that preternatural blue for a brief moment. Then she slumped a bit. “Sorry. Let me be the one taking the risk of naming him here, okay? This is something I have to do.”
I raised my hands, wondering why the very mention of the Shadow Man had her so jumpy. “Okay.”
She took a deep breath. “Don’t worry. I’m good to go.”
A lie if I ever heard one. “Then let’s go.” I motioned for Jorge. “Jorge can take you in. Johnson and I will be in the room right next door. If you need us, wave and we’ll come running.”
A door at the end of the hallway opened and two CIA officers—both armed with pistols, based on the holster straps showing under their jackets—came out. They were identical in their boring suits, red ties, and regulation haircuts. Both had stern expressions to match the woman’s upstairs.
The first one, who I decided would be Frick, said, “The prisoner is secured and ready.” He pointed at a door to his right. “This is the observation center. We’ll monitor the progress with you there.”
Frack, the second one, asked, “Who’s going in?” When Mamie raised her hand, he frowned. “I was under the impression a specialist was coming.”
“She is the specialist,” I said. “So’s her escort. The captain and I will observe.”
Identical eyebrow raises from Frick and Frack, but they didn’t ask any more questions. Frick led Jorge and Mamie to Ann’s door, while Frack escorted Johnson and me to the observation room. Like before, there wasn’t a two-way mirror, but a monitor bank with six different video feeds from various angles.
What struck me as different, though, was Ann’s appearance.
The last time I’d seen her was five weeks ago. She’d been defiant at every turn after we captured her, even after Dad told her the
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