“What do you mean?” said Percy.

“You said it yourself. I’m ‘ethically flexible.’ I know how to see both sides. Why can’t I work both sides?”

“The only side you really care about is your own,” said Percy.

“That’s not really true, and you know it,” said Donny. “I came here to get justice for everyone.”

“Justice for your clients only comes in the form of punishment.”

“That may be. And that may be what you do to me. But before you do that, you need to give me a chance to make my case.”

“The people have already heard enough from you,” said Percy.

“They haven’t heard about the accounts we seized.”

“What accounts?”

“The three operating accounts in the name of the City of New Orleans you have at UZB and two other Swiss banks. The ones you use for payments from your international trading partners, and all these refugees who pay the vig to get their boat rides out of here.”

Percy looked over at her entourage of elders, and crossed a hand across her throat.

Donny reflexively put his hand over his own throat. It was too late to cover his mouth.

26

When they were done humiliating him on camera, the crowd dispersed, they turned the cameras off, and they let Donny and Heather down.

Except that Heather let herself down. And looked a lot fresher than she had when she was in the cage.

“What the hell?” said Donny.

“It was hot up there today, y’all,” she said. “But that was awesome.”

“You’re in on this?”

“Trying to do my part to help,” she said.

“White girls make good bait,” said Percy. “Especially rich ones.”

“I knew it,” said Donny. “Are the sacrifices real?”

Percy raised her eyebrows and looked away.

“Stick around and find out for yourself,” said Heather. A friend was rubbing her shoulders now, and helping her clean up from her performance.

“I’m going to stick around until you leave with me,” said Donny.

“That’ll never happen,” said Heather. “And right now, I need to get to my other job. See ya.”

She and her friend started walking away, just as one of the guards brought Donny his suit coat.

“Heather!” he yelled, as he dusted the filth off. “Please! I just need a few minutes. I have a message from your dad.”

“Buzz off,” yelled Heather, not even looking back. “I don’t want your help. Not unless you want to help get them to pay what they owe.”

“We need to talk!” said Donny. “That’s exactly why I came.”

She had already disappeared around the corner. Percy walked up as Donny pulled his jacket on. Her colleagues were standing nearby, conferring.

“Goddamn you people,” said Donny.

Percy grabbed him by the lapels and shook him, hard. Percy was strong, Donny was not, and it felt like she might pick him up and throw him across the square.