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Chapters (88)
  1. Titles by Mark Greaney
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  6. CONTENTS
  7. Epigraph
  8. CHARACTERS
  9. PROLOGUE
  10. 1
  11. 2
  12. 3
  13. 4
  14. 5
  15. 6
  16. 7
  17. 8
  18. 9
  19. 10
  20. 11
  21. 12
  22. 13
  23. 14
  24. 15
  25. 16
  26. 17
  27. 18
  28. 19
  29. 20
  30. 21
  31. 22
  32. 23
  33. 24
  34. 25
  35. 26
  36. 27
  37. 28
  38. 29
  39. 30
  40. 31
  41. 32
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. 48
  58. 49
  59. 50
  60. 51
  61. 52
  62. 53
  63. 54
  64. 55
  65. 56
  66. 57
  67. 58
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. 66
  76. 67
  77. 68
  78. 69
  79. 70
  80. 71
  81. 72
  82. 73
  83. 74
  84. 75
  85. 76
  86. 77
  87. 78
  88. EPILOGUE

Owwww!” His right arm swung up in a blur, and his forearm connected with the stun gun and knocked it hard, sending it flying into the backseat. It banged against the rear window and skittered to the floor.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” the man shouted now, his face a mask of pain.

But he did not go down. He did not collapse, faint, or appear, in any way, incapacitated.

Instead, he just seemed furious.

Catherine covered her face in her hands, cowered into a ball by her car door, and she readied herself for the killer’s retaliation.

“Jesus, lady! That hurt like hell!” The car began rolling forward. She heard him moving in his seat, and thought he was checking his neck in the rearview mirror.

When she realized he wasn’t about to hit her, she spoke. Almost to herself she said, “That was supposed to disable you for a full minute.”

The man behind the wheel yelled back at her. “Well, it didn’t!” he shouted, irritation strong in his voice. Then he said, “Those gadgets are overrated. Listen, lady, I’ve had a really shitty week. If you have any more dirty tricks I’d appreciate it if you’d just let me know.”

“No, sir. Nothing else. I’m sorry. I’m just very frightened.”

“You don’t need to be scared. Hell, I’m the one who just got zapped.” He seemed to take a moment to get control of his emotions, although he continued to cuss under his breath and feel at the spot on his throat where she’d shocked him. Finally he looked at her. “Sit up, please. I can’t talk to you like that.”

Slowly she did so, straightening her outfit and returning to her fixed stare through the windshield. They drove in silence for another block, and then she said, “This isn’t my first time.”

“First time for what?”

“I’ve been kidnapped before. 2004. Quetta, Pakistan.”

“I’m not kidnapping you.”

“I’m free to go, then?”

“In a little while.”

“Not now?”

“Not yet.”

“I don’t want to get pedantic, but I think that means you are kidnapping me.”

“I’m not. I’m offering you an exclusive interview. In exchange for me answering your questions, I’ll need you to answer some of mine. Deal?”

Catherine said, “I must respectfully decline. Can I go now?”

The man who called himself Six just exhaled slowly. “All right. You win. It’s a kidnapping.”

“Glad we agree,” she said. Then, “I guess I’ll interview you then.”