He raised an eyebrow. “So you know my name. You get the prize.” He gestured at the tall black-haired man who had come into her line of sight and carried a camera on a tripod. She had seen him inside the house. “You’re going to read a statement from Green War.” He walked over to the wall and picked up a foam board leaning against it. Words were written on it in black marker, but from this distance she couldn’t tell what they said.

Jack’s muscles bunched behind her. He must have just come awake. He gave a small moan, and then his body stiffened.

Cisco walked around to face him. “Well, Agent Haynes. Good to see you. I wondered if maybe Antoine had hit you too hard.”

“This is a mistake,” Jack said, his voice hoarse. “You need to let us go right now.”

Cisco chuckled. “I love how the fascist agent of our government just hands down orders to private citizens as if they’re going to be obeyed.” The humor left his voice. “Right now, you do what I say. I don’t do what you say. You might do well to remember that.”

“We have backup on the way. I called them before you attacked us.”

“Yeah. There’s no signal out here and you know it.” Cisco walked back into Lynda’s line of sight. She tilted her head to look up at him. “You’re going to read this statement on behalf of Green War.”

“We are federal agents. You need to let us go.” She tried to keep the fear out of her voice. “This will only end badly for you.”

He leaned down and put his nose close enough to hers that she could feel his breath. “You really need to quit worrying about my well-being and start worrying about yours.”

Terror flowed through her limbs. She could barely breathe. Nausea swirled in her stomach. Her wrists hurt and her shoulders ached, and to her humiliation, her eyes filled with tears. She looked down, hoping Cisco wouldn’t see her distress.

“Leave her alone!” The chair rocked as Jack struggled against his restraints.

She wanted to cry out to him to stop moving because of the pain. To her relief, Cisco moved out of her sight and said to Jack, “Fine. Let’s focus on you, Special Agent Jackson Haynes of the Fascist Bureau of Investigation.”

A man with wire-rimmed glasses that shone against his dark skin came from behind her. She didn’t recognize him from the house. He picked up the light stand next to her and moved it. Suddenly, the light no longer blinded her, the heat no longer made her feel like she couldn’t breathe. She closed her eyes, a hated tear slipping down her cheek, and tried to figure out what to do next.