Amber called Zamian one more time and gave him a message that she wanted to consult him about security arrangements. She mentioned Ali's business proposal as well. Then they headed over to his house.

They walked up the steps, past well-groomed shrubs and a vine-covered railing. Then Amber rang the doorbell.

To Jason's surprise, the door opened a moment later. A young woman with large brown eyes and a sleek brown ponytail peered out. She wore a blue dress and a maid's apron. "Yes, may I help you?" she said.

"Is Zamian here?" asked Amber.

"I'm sorry, but the master isn't at home at the moment. What is your business with him?"

"I would like to consult with him about a security matter."

"And I have a business proposition," said Ali. "May we come in?"

"The master isn't home. Perhaps you can come back another time?"

"When will he be back?"

"I'm…not sure. He said it would be soon."

"If it's soon, then we'll wait."

"Does he know you are coming?"

"We called him," said Amber.

"In that case… if he knows…. Let me consult his partner."

"Of course," said Ali.

"In the meantime, if you would like to wait in the foyer…."

"That would be marvelous," said Ali. "We have time. All day, in fact."

Jason realized it was about four in the afternoon and they still hadn't had lunch. Now that he thought about it, he felt hungry. He didn't mind missing a meal but wished he'd been able to get something for Connie. He'd have to make it up to her later.

If this really was Karl's house, Jason didn't want Connie to get too close to him. Last time had been too close already. He would probably recognize them; Jason had shot him, after all.

"Maybe you'd better wait in the car," said Jason to her quietly as Ali and Amber walked inside.

"I don't want to leave you."

"It…could get dangerous. He's not going to be particularly happy to see us."

"Well… I don't really want to see him again either. I just hate to not be right with you… no matter what happens."

"I don't want you to get caught in any gunfire. You're good in a crisis—" He kissed her cheek. "But you've never trained for stuff like this."

"Even if you've trained…."

"It's no guarantee." He nodded.

"Maybe you should stay with me. He knows you—he doesn't know Amber and Ali."

"It will get dicey if he sees me. But he's not there now… I want to be able to look for clues. Plus… I don't know how much he can actually do, since he's been shot."

"He shot Markov—and he was still handcuffed."

"Yeah… but this time he's outnumbered. More so if I'm there. Maybe I'll just go in, look for clues… then you can text me if he gets here and I'll get out."

"Well…that sounds better."

"If something happens before I can get out, call Amber's backup, which is supposed to be around here somewhere. They're supposed to have our backs." He looked around furtively.

"I'll be your lookout."

He stepped toward the door, his hand still in hers. She started to step away but still clung to him. Her green eyes sharp with fear. "Jason—"

"It'll be fine. With you as a lookout—nothing will go wrong. I'll keep in touch if I can." He lifted her hand, kissed it. Then stepped close and wrapped her into an embrace.

She kissed him on the lips; he gloried in the kiss, not wanting it to end.

They parted, his fingers lingering in hers until he made himself turn, her sad face imprinted on his mind.

He stepped inside the house. Amber and Ali were sitting on a cushioned bench below the staircase, which wound dramatically up past an elaborate stained-glass window shedding iridescent light onto the landing. The other windows in the foyer were also stained glass, the ones at the front of the house amber colored, which created an interplay of colored light on the wooden floor. Two arched doorways on either side of the foyer led to other rooms, blocked by French doors of tinted glass.

Feeling oddly claustrophobic, despite the grand, open foyer and the massive staircase, Jason sauntered over to the bench to sit down beside Amber.

"Too bad we didn't get any lunch," said Amber. "I'm used to working on an empty stomach, but I do have to watch my blood sugar…"

"You're diabetic?" said Ali.

"I never got it checked out. I just have to eat every once in a while… I can push myself. But there are limits. I don't want to get so shaky I can't shoot."

"You won't be a liability?"

"I had a good breakfast. I should be good for a bit."

"We'll have to get some lunch after this," said Jason. "Or supper."

"I know a good place in the city," said Ali.

"In Zelise?"

"You just have to be okay with the possibility of getting robbed."

"I think I'll pass."

"I'm kidding. It's in one of the better neighborhoods. They do exist, you know. It's just the mud lake leaves a bad first impression."

"And the overzealous police."

"Yes, that."

"It was a good thing you happened to be at the police station."

"I sure am glad I was able to help you out."

"Why were you there?"

"Business. Needed to find out some things."

"Classified?"

"Something like that. Would probably bore you."

"Zelise is a good place to cut corners," said Amber. "The police station is corruption central."

Ali shrugged. "I needed things to work… smoothly. If I want my business to thrive here… I've got to play the game."

"You don't have to cut corners to succeed, you know. My parents didn't."

"Didn't they?" He looked at her searchingly.

"It is true they inherited their wealth."

"I had to build my business from the ground up. You have no idea what it takes to grow rich from your own effort." Not all of it legally, thought Jason. Some of it from selling innocent kids.

"It's true I haven't earned my privilege. I have tried to…make my own way. Earn my place in the world. I didn't have to pay for college. But I'm using my education to make the world a better place."

"That's an admirable goal."

"Besides, my grandmother did build her business from the ground up. And you can believe she didn't cut corners. She did this back when… Black women didn't exactly have it easy."

"So that's what part of your heritage is. I wasn't sure…."

"She was also Native American… which was just as much of an 'obstacle'. But people mostly saw her as African-American…though she was part German as well."

"If you don't mind my asking….what's the Muldavian part of your heritage?"

"Muldavian, Romani, Turkish."

"So we might be related, somewhere down the line."

"I've been trying to reconnect to my Muldavian roots… part of the family tree is a little hazy."

The maid returned, along with two other maids, both blond, carrying trays full of food and drinks. "If you'd like, you may come to the dining room," she said.

Jason glanced at Amber and Ali, wondering if the maid or someone else had overheard their conversation. He also wondered if it would be safe to eat here… Karl undoubtedly had security cameras. Plus, going further into the house would make it harder to get out… but perhaps there were clues there…

Ali stood. "We'd love to."

"Well…" said Jason.

"It should be fine," said Amber. "We're…not in a hurry."

The maid led them through a rather small room with a few couches, chairs and bookcases to the dining room. A chandelier hung over a long, glossy mahogany table, the reflection of the crystals glittering in its surface. A high, diamond shaped stained glass window tossed a bright pattern on the floor. In the room beyond stood a lavender grand piano, illuminated by another chandelier.

"This is a beautiful place," said Jason, part of him wishing Connie could see it. But it wasn't worth risking her safety.

"The master thanks you," said the maid, curtseying. "He takes pride in his possessions; it's taken him some time to amass this collection. When he arrives, he'll no doubt want to show you more, if you wish."

"Oh, we wish," said Ali. "I'd like to ask him where he obtains some of these items. Those books, for instance. They're priceless."

"I'm sure the master would appreciate your praise." She curtseyed again and the other maids mirrored her actions. They spread the food swiftly onto the table.

Jason wished Connie could have some of it… maybe he could sneak some to her…

Chocolates, he thought. That's what I'll get her. To make up for this. She adores chocolate… and I'm sure there's some wonderful shops here….

Keeping himself on alert, so he could do his job and protect Connie if he needed to, he tasted the hors d'oeuvres. The first one was a Brussels sprout, crispy and delectable, filled with some kind of cream. All of the hors d'oeuvres were equally surprising and delicious. Little pumpkin cheesecake tarts, mini cakes dipped in chocolate, stuffed mushrooms, strawberries dipped in white chocolate. He especially wished Connie could have those, but he couldn't exactly sneak those to her…. He did stuff a couple mini wraps in a napkin into his pocket, hoping they wouldn't squish too much or stain his pocket. It would be worth it to give her something that made her happy.

After the appetizer, the maids came in with the main course. It was a savory, chunky mushroom soup with dumplings. The cheese and cold cut sandwiches complemented it perfectly. Dessert was a strawberry cheesecake drizzled with chocolate.

Amber tasted the first corner of it. "Mm…." She closed her eyes.

"Zamian certainly knows how to enjoy the finer things," said Ali.

Jason looked around for anything that seemed amiss. This place did seem slightly off… but maybe that was because Jason knew who lived here. Did he stash his victims here or were they somewhere else? If here… they probably weren't in plain view, in case he had guests….

Some of these riches were probably not from his security company, but from selling slaves. The cheesecake turned to ash in his mouth.

When the maid returned, Ali asked if she'd contacted Zamian's partner. She said she had and he would be here shortly. The other two maids swept the plates and silverware off the table, while the head maid ushered them into the living room. Or the piano room, since there were other rooms further in which looked even larger. They sat on the white leather couch, and Ali ended up maneuvering beside Jason. To the right was the piano. All of the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows were blocked with thick, heavy green curtains with rose patterns. Past the piano stood a marble table, the vase on it drooping with a bouquet of lilies. One petal had fallen onto the floor. Against the wall behind the piano was a bookshelf full of sheet music. To the left were more bookshelves full of books and ceramics and gems and artifacts.

Ali stood and walked over to the bookcase. "Just what I thought. A genuine Farthingale." He tapped the large book with the purple binding and gold letters. "And this…." He lifted a rock delicately. Turned it over and then walked back over to the couch to show it to Jason. "Look. A hummingbird. Trapped in amber."

Jason's heart flipped over as he looked at it. His felt sorry for the hummingbird. It was beautiful, in a grotesque way, the brilliant feathers dulled somewhat, gleaming through a sheen of amber as if drowned in honey. Ali held it up to the light.

"You'd better put it back," said Amber.

"You of all people should appreciate it."

"Why—Oh." She shrugged. "I'm not a fan of dead animals." She gestured to the stuffed white fox in the corner.

"You have to admit—it is unique."

"And we're guests."

"Of… a questionable person."

"Exactly. We don't want to antagonize him."

Ali strode back over to the shelf and put the amber back where he'd found it. But then he picked up a rock. "And this—" He carried it over to Jason. "Tyrannosaur egg. Half-hatched. See?"

Jason could see the delicate bones, the tiny mouth open as if screaming. He looked away. Ali laughed. "Can't stomach his unique collection, eh?"

"It's a bit macabre, you have to admit," said Amber. "It's a classy place, but if you look beneath the surface… there's hints of the psychotic. How he prefers to own things that are trapped…."

"It's getting me in the mood to do some collecting myself." Ali glanced at Jason and a strange, hungry look sparked in his eyes. But it sank into the depths of his brown irises and he stepped back over to the shelf. This time, he picked up a small jar. Something was suspended in honey-colored liquid. He tilted it carefully. "I'm not sure what this is…."

Jason looked at it. Despite himself he felt drawn to figure out what the thing was.

Then his stomach dropped sickeningly.

It was a tiny face. A baby monkey. Staring as if begging to escape. Almost perfectly preserved…. He shuddered. Looked away at the piano, seemingly the only pristine thing in this room.

"It's horrible," said Amber. "Put it back."

"As you wish." Ali bowed and set it back on the bottom of the shelf. Then he picked up a book and flipped through its pages, then sat down beside Jason.

"Look at this," he said after a moment.

"I'm not sure I want to," said Jason.

"It's about exploring the Amazon." He tapped the page. There was an illustration of a village of huts carved out amid the jungle of trees and crawling vines. "Looks like an original account. Probably quite rare." He flipped to the beginning of the book. "Yep, first edition. 1889." He became absorbed in reading the book, his lips moving, sometimes reading some words aloud.

"I wonder…" said Amber. "That piano is calling to me."

"It's not like he doesn't know we're here," said Jason. He had the creeping feeling of being watched. He slid his hand over his pocket where the pistol was, feeling its curves and edges.

Amber walked over to the piano and sat down. She touched the keys, then began playing from memory. Gorgeous sounds flooded the room, echoing grandly. Jason leaned back, letting the music wash over him.

A soft pressure crept onto his thigh. He looked to see Ali leaning forward, rapt, his hand resting on Jason's leg.

Jason cleared his throat but Ali didn't seem to hear.

"Ali—"

"What is it?"

Indignance welled up in him. "I would appreciate it if you kept your hands to yourself."

"Sorry. I meant no offense." He withdrew his hand. "Some of us are just a bit more…physical than others. Especially with people we admire. If you really mind that much, I'll refrain. You're just so… beautiful. Especially like that."

Jason's heart thumped hard. He slid away from Ali. "I belong to no one else. You know that."

"But that's so limiting! Don't you think?"

"No." He didn't want to go into any kind of detail with this man.

Ali shrugged. "Your loss. But I don't want someone who doesn't want me. Sadly…that's how I'm built. You're so gorgeous. Platonically, I mean. Something about you…. I'll always admire you in all ways, all facets of you. I do envy people who….Well." His eyes scanned Jason appreciatively and somehow that was worse than his hands on him. "To have a thing of such beauty in my collection… I'd pay any price."

The piano music halted mid-song.

Amber tilted her head, her hands poised on the keys. "Do you hear that?"

"What?" said Ali.

"I thought—"

Silence.

Then—

A scream. Muffled, but unmistakably someone in pain. It ripped through Jason's heart. Phantom pangs ripped through his scars, jabbed into his half-healed wounds in his side, shoulder, and hands.

He was in the cellar. Screaming as Gray carved into him. Pain riving his body apart. Shredding his muscles, his soul.

"Jason?" said Amber. A touch at his shoulder. He flinched.

Her hand jerked away. "I'm sorry," she said.

Shame filled him.

I have to be okay. I have to be strong. Not let this paralyze me. For their sake.

He stood. The scream resounded up through the floor.

"Basement," Jason said. He strode into the next room and the others followed him. He barely registered the chairs, couches, fireplace. Although the stage at one corner of the room set alarm bells off in his mind.

He wrenched open the door to the next room. The doorhandle hit the wall, making the glass quiver with the impact. He wouldn't care if it shattered.

This room was dark, with a rather pungent, cloying smell. Birds screeched in cages. Colorful feathers flashed. A monkey grasped the bars of its cage, moving back and forth. One glass cage had a white fox in it, which looked at him with dark, fearful eyes. Along the opposite wall were aquariums, gurgling, glowing faintly. Some pink jellyfish floated in one of them. In another swam a small shark, sleek and nervous. Near the door was a large glass cage with a small pool in it. A dark shape swam in the water. When Jason reached the door, a long nose emerged, slitted pupils eying him. An alligator. A thrill burst through him; he felt an urge to pet it, though that would probably be risking his arm, which he couldn't afford to lose.

The next door opened onto a dark hallway. This had a vaguely disinfectant smell. At either end of the hallway were doors; there was one right in front of him, in the middle. He tried the door knob. It was locked.

Ali headed to the door on the right while Amber accompanied him to the other door.

To his surprise, it opened.

A cement staircase curved down into the darkness below. It was eerily silent. Cold breathed up from the depths. Jason shivered. Claustrophobia grasped at him, especially when the door closed shut behind him. He turned the doorknob; thankfully it hadn't locked automatically.

Another scream. This time, less muffled but quieter and ending in a whimper. It was the cry of a young girl.

Amber turned on the light and he could breathe a little easier. It was less like heading into the basement of the abandoned yellow house where Gray had tortured him, kept him in darkness.

He drew his gun. The cold metal surface seeped into his fingers, soothing him.

Down, down, down.

When they reached the bottom, it was pitch black except for the slight haze of light from the stairway.

Then, more lights popped on, illuminating further and further into the massive basement. It looked too large even for the mansion. And there were doors along the walls leading to more space. It was probably built on the whole property, maybe even further.

The basement had various glass cases, or cages, standing in seemingly random order throughout it. Most looked empty. But further back…

He ran, tearing through the maze of glass. Almost running into a wall. His reflection gliding past like a ghost.

He stopped. Toward the middle (maybe; he'd lost sight of his exact location), something stirred in the bottom of one of the cases. A little girl in a red dress. She was kneeling in sawdust. Her eyes widened as he neared. She shuffled closer and pressed her palms to the glass. Her breath fogged it slightly. Fear warred with curiosity in her dark eyes.

He knelt slowly; she drew back. He set his gun down on the cement, making sure to keep it prominent in his consciousness. He held out his hand, the one he'd re-injured. He'd learned that sharing his vulnerability, even though it was uncomfortable, paved the way for trust to those who had been hurt.

He pressed his hand to the glass. She gasped. Then shuffled forward and pressed her hand to his. He imagined he could feel its warmth, even beyond the cold surface.

"It's okay," he said softly. "I'm here to get you out."

Hope sparked in her eyes.

Carefully, he searched around the cage, looking for a way in. There wasn't even a place for a key. At least the top wasn't enclosed, so she wouldn't run out of air.

"I'm Jason," he said. "What's your name?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Shook her head, fear in her eyes. Pressed one finger to her lips.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Shh." She trembled and scrambled back into the corner.

"Jason, over here!" Amber's voice echoed through the glass mirages.

"I'll be back," he vowed to the little girl, who looked up at him with bewildered fear. He ran toward Amber's voice, the gun secure in his hand.

About two-thirds through the basement, he stopped. The glass cages ended in a wide empty space. Except for some metal cabinets, some strange devices, a hose, a chair, a ladder, and other objects he couldn't name.

Past a few cabinets arranged in a rough square with some gaps at the edges stood Amber. A girl was bound to a metal bed, slanted at a forty-five degree angle. Her damp red hair was flung back from her terrified face. Fresh tears trickled down her cheeks. She was trembling, her thin body convulsing slightly. She wore just a thin sheetlike cream-colored gown, the hem ending just above her knees.

Bruises showed on her skin. Shaped like the imprint of fingers.

Sickness clutched his stomach and he had to force himself to fight it. He walked slowly over to Amber, the gun at his side, ready to use it, but keeping it in an unthreatening position.

"I'm trying to find a way to unbind it," said Amber, her even voice betraying a slight tremble.

"Let's see," said Jason, stepping closer.

The girl jerked away, gasping, her blue eyes panicked.

Jason softened his posture. "I won't hurt you. I'm here to help you."

Her brow furrowed, as if she couldn't comprehend what he was saying.

"I just have to find a way to get you out…" He examined the metal table, a shudder running through him. It looked tailor-made for torture—a thing of pure evil, created to cause pain. Not only that, but it was used on innocent little girls. This girl had to be no older than twelve.

"We have to hurry," said Amber.

"I know."

"I think—this thing is on some kind of automatic timer. When it turns on, it—shocks her."

Jason's stomach free-fell. How could anyone even think of such a thing?

He looked frantically for a release, some kind of keypad or something. Touched along the device, searching for any way to unlock the bonds around the girl's wrists and ankles. She flinched any time he got near her. Each time he thought he'd found the key to opening it, it did nothing. There was probably a special combination only the owner knew.

"Maybe it's not on the device," said Amber.

Jason drew back, giving the girl a reprieve. He stepped over to the nearest metal cabinet.

Inside, arranged neatly, were other torture devices. Knives, ropes, things whose purpose he didn't want to guess. Chloroform, rags, bottles of various kinds of drugs. A small keypad. He lifted it from the shelf. Entered a code.

The girl screamed.

Horror seized him. The keypad clattered to the floor.

The girl convulsed as shocks writhed over her body.

"Jason—I don't think that was you," said Amber. "It just—started up again."

Jason dashed forward, grasped for a section of the table, desperate for the screams to stop. A bolt of electricity leaped onto his hand, zapping into his skin with a cold tap then a bright bite of pain that ripped up his arm into his elbow and stabbing his shoulder wound viciously. He yanked his hand away though it pulled at him like a powerful magnet.

"I tried that too," said Amber grimly.

The girl writhed on the frame, blood pouring down her chin, trickling down her arms and ankles. Her cries weakened.

Jason searched the device, thinking he might risk getting shocked again. At least he could share in her pain. Not just stand by….

Something more useful than getting incapacitated ….

Of course.

"The circuit breaker," he said, and tore off toward the wall, her screams chasing him. Then they stopped, wrenching his heart. He hoped it wasn't too late.

His lungs ached from running; he wasn't sure how long he'd been searching along the wall. Cold air burned his throat.

He stopped at the large circuit breaker panel; the switches were all labeled with some sort of code.

He flipped the main breaker to the off position. Darkness consumed him.

After turning on his phone flashlight, he jogged back to the torture room.

Amber held the girl's limp form in her arms. She laid her carefully on the floor, checked her pulse. Looked at Jason and nodded, anguish in her eyes.

Electric burns traced the girl's arms and legs, some lacing up her neck to her face. Her wrists and ankles were raw, burned flesh blistering around the edges of the wounds. Amber stroked the girl's damp hair back gently. "We've got to get her out of here. Maybe—could you see if there are any blankets in the cabinet? I doubt it, but… she needs warmth."

Jason nodded and searched the cabinets. To his surprise, he found some blankets folded neatly in the bottom of one of them. It struck him how it wasn't a mercy; it was for practicality. How many times this girl and others had gone into shock.

His blood burned. It was only the blanket beneath his hands that kept him from injuring his palms again. He carried the blankets over to Amber and she wrapped the girl up carefully, elevating her head. In the dim, converging, wavering light from their phones, the girl looked deathly pale.

"At least we got her free," said Amber. "Maybe let her rest a little, then take her out of here."

"I found someone else. I'll see if the door opens now." He ran back to the other girl to find the door of the cage had popped open. But the girl was huddled in the back, trembling.

"It's okay," said Jason, crouching down. "You can come out."

She shook her head. For one of the first times, he wished he wasn't a man. It was a man who had done this. The reason the girl could not trust him. At least she didn't look injured. But that didn't mean she wasn't traumatized.

He crept into the cage, a shiver of apprehension running through him, lashing against the residual feeling of being shocked. His fingertips felt especially sensitive, the mangled flesh of his palm spasming slightly, the pain thrashing against the numbness that had lingered ever since the nail piercings.

He knelt slightly to the side of the girl, hands held out. "I won't hurt you." He sat back against the glass, thinking it might be less threatening if he wasn't facing her. If he was joining her in her 'captivity'.

She looked at him curiously, studying his face, his hands, her eyes widening when she looked at the gun on the other side of him. Then she slid closer and leaned her head on his shoulder. Joy spread through his heart. He didn't dare move. She patted his arm, then drew her hand away, looking at him with solemn awe. "You're strong. Like Captain America."

He held back a laugh. "Thank you."

She grasped his hand, her small fingers reaching just partway around his. "I'm Lily."

"Hi, Lily. Nice to meet you."

From her reactions, he guessed she was new here. Hadn't been hurt, much anyway. He hoped it was the case. She was only about seven. It wouldn't take much to break her fragile body.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

"Where we going?"

"Out of here. Up the stairs."

"I didn't see light for a long time."

"How long?"

"Like two days! That bad guy took me in here and just left me. Then I—" Her eyes darkened. "I heard screaming." She buried her face against his arm.

"I'm here to rescue you and the other girl. Do you know her name?"

She shook her head.

"Are there others?"

She nodded. Fear shadowed her eyes. "I could hear them. They…cry sometimes."

"Where are they?"

She turned around, pointed to the wall behind her. Jason turned his cellphone, illuminating the doors lining the walls in regular intervals.

"Th—they aren't ghosts, are they?"

Jason shook his head. Hoping it wasn't too late. "We'll save them too."

"Can I open their doors?"

"Sure." He stood and Lily kept her hand wrapped tightly around his. Her fingers dug slightly into his palm, but he didn't mind. Definitely didn't want to pull away from her, just when she had gotten rescued.

He stepped toward the cage's doorway, Lily walking beside him, looking up at him with rapt happiness. It struck his heart how wonderful it was to be free. What he'd felt the first time, when he'd woken up in the hospital to see Connie and his father beside him… What he'd felt when Sierra had rescued him from Gray. Now, he was giving that feeling to others. Joy flooded him.

He'd have to call Ali—where had Ali gone-? And Amber would have to call backup. And he'd call Connie—

At the threshold of the glass door, just as he was about to step out, it slammed shut in his face.

He reeled backwards, just managing to catch himself so he didn't run into Lily.

"What's the matter?" she said, fear in her voice again.

"I—don't know." He hoped it was just a glitch. He could just push it open… or Amber could help. Smash it, maybe. Get the ladder….

The lights popped on again, shining their quivery sickly fluorescence over the massive house of horrors.

He pounded on the glass, but it was thick, strong, as if made of bulletproof material. He picked up his phone, called Amber.

Crackling static.

Panic clutched his chest. He willed his heart to calm, but only partly succeeded. Just enough to chase away the black spots at the edge of his vision. His heart thudded like a desperate fist.

Dear God, please.

Please help us.

Don't let me be trapped again.

Lily tugged at his arm. "Look," she said, her voice hoarse with fear.

A figure was making its way through the labyrinth of cages. Tall, muscular, the man leaned on a cane, limping. In his other hand, he held a gun.

Jason's heart stopped.

This can't be happening.

"Well, well," said a voice. Startling him, making his vision sharpen vividly around the figure who'd said it, everything else blurred. His body trembling uncontrollably.

Karl stopped in front of the glass, peered at Jason like a spider eyeing its prey. He looked Jason up and down, then his eyes flickered to the little girl, who had slid behind Jason, still holding his hand. Then his gaze swept back to Jason, regarding him appreciatively. "Not bad, really… a little… weathered, shall we say. But some people like that, believe it or not. You will present quite the challenge… I haven't worked on a man of your age yet. It never hurts to gain new skills." His mouth stretched into an unpleasant smile. "With the added bonus of revenge. In the process of breaking you… I'll get to cause you the pain you caused me, directly or indirectly. I might have let it slide… but you don't get away with such blatant disrespect without punishment to match the offense. You cost me two days of potential work. You brought the law to my door. You blew my cover. And you shot me. I can endure pain. But this leg…may not be the same again." He tapped his leg above the knee and winced slightly. "Not to mention…." He touched near his jaw, and in the dim light Jason could see the substantial bruise blooming there. As well as other wounds, revealing the extent of Markov's working-over. "I'll get my revenge at least. I think I deserve that indulgence—after all I've been through the past few days." His eyes narrowed and hatred flashed through the dull brown. A chill flickered over Jason's skin. He knew he should move, do something—but what could he do. He was rooted to the floor as if he'd turned into a statue. Stuffed like Karl's arctic fox upstairs.

Karl crouched down, tapped the glass. Lily darted directly behind Jason, letting go of his hand.

"This little morsel… I saw her the other day and just had to snatch her up. It won't take much to condition her. The little ones… so tender and pliable." He laughed.

Anger stabbed through him like heated blades.

He had to keep him away from her. At all costs.

"Don't you dare hurt her."

Karl laughed. "I won't even have to hurt her much. At this age, they're so terrified they'll do anything you say."

"Stay away from her."

Karl stood straight again, smirking. "And what exactly will you do about it?" He stepped toward the door.

Jason turned to look at Lily, whose eyes were wide with terror. "It's okay," he said, wishing he could believe it, but needing to soothe her. "I'll protect you. Just—stay behind me."

She looked at him for a moment, then nodded.

Karl laughed again, a raucous sound that echoed through the basement. Then, he lifted something from his pocket. A small dark gray device reminiscent of the control panel from the cabinet. He pressed a button and something metal descended from the ceiling. It snapped around the top of the glass cage with a hiss.

Jason knew that sound. It was locking the air out.

His chest tightened, even though he knew there was still air inside the box.

But not for long.

"Wh—what is that?" whispered Lily, looking up at the metal and rubber ceiling, which had some kind of pipelike device embedded in it.

"I—I'm not sure."

A hissing sound. Lavender fog puffed through the pipe. Jason huddled over Lily, trying to block her from the mysterious gas, but he knew it was in vain.

Holding his breath would only delay the inevitable, but he did it anyway. Maybe someone would get to them… Where was Amber? Had she been captured too? Or had she managed to escape and get help….?

In a few moments, dizziness seized him and had to take a breath. His vision wavered; he had to fight to stay alert. But soon his mind fogged, his stomach churning sickeningly. He tried to focus on Lily… reached out to her to comfort her.

The world faded

He tried to imagine Connie's face…

But that faded too.

Darkness consumed him.