“I bet he gave you the idea we were trying to keep something dangerous from coming through. That’s not true. The only thing that matters is getting the thing closed. A fire that can’t be put out is too weird — it might lead to discovery.”

“You know, they don’t even think we’re human,” she said.

Now that she’d gotten going, the words just kept coming. Every time I thought she’d reached a conclusion, something new spilled out.

“They call us ‘Nolanders’ because we don’t belong in either world. They used to actually hunt us. We moved up from game animals to slaves because they realized that humans pose a threat, and that we could be useful on that front. They use us until we fail at some task they give us. Then they figure we’re not useful anymore, and we die.”

She took a few shaky breaths. I honestly didn’t know what to think. If she was making this stuff up, she was a great actress. But maybe that’s what she was. If this group included receptionists, why not actresses, too?

“I bet he’s been coming on to you. Yes? That’s what he did with me. I was so stupid. Probably stupider than you are. I mean, I was fifteen fucking years old. Why would some hotshot older guy want me? I was so cocky, I couldn’t see how absurd it was.” She laughed bitterly. “That’s how he works. Gets you all starry-eyed and pumps you full of bullshit, then uses you to get ahead. Makes you do the most fucked-up shit, then takes all the credit. By the time you realize he’s using you, he’s ready to move on to his next mark.”

She stopped.

I sat there, staring at her. My fear had faded. Kara and Williams weren’t going to kill me. They were trying to recruit me.

The fear was replaced by frustration. Now I had two versions of things that were completely different. I was supposed to be confronting my new reality instead of being a passive victim. But how could I do that if I couldn’t get a handle on what was actually going on?

How the hell was I supposed to decide who was right? I had nothing to go on except what two different people had said.

I risked a glance over at Williams. He had his elbows on his knees and was looking at his hands. No help there — I couldn’t even see his face. Callie wouldn’t be any help either. I already knew her version of things, and it didn’t match Kara’s or Graham’s.