Lips pulls the rifle back a few inches and then uses it to prod Parker’s shoulder. “You’re not supposed to be back here. Didn’t you hear? You messed up. You had one chance to come out and you didn’t.”

He doesn’t recognize Parker. Better that Lips think he just chose not to leave this space than have him learn about the phone, the knife, and the cut zip ties. “I’ve been hiding back here since the beginning. I just wanted to keep my sister safe.”

Without turning his head, Parker looks for the knife. It’s lying on the floor just behind Lips, partly hidden by the open door. Can Lips see the remains of the zip ties? Are they on the worktable? Is the top edge of Parker’s phone poking from his pocket?

“I don’t think that’s a good enough excuse,” Lips says.

“It’s the only one I have.”

“Get up and go back out there.” Lips prods him again. “We’ll see what they want to do with you.”

The quicker they leave this room, the less chance that Lips will spot the knife or realize Parker hasn’t really been back here the whole time. Parker grabs Moxie’s hand.

“He was hiding in the candy store’s back room with his little sister,” Lips calls as they walk out into the hall. They stop about twenty-five feet from the gate.

Through the security gate, Wolf’s ice-blue eyes regard Parker. With his features obscured by the ski mask, it’s hard to know what he’s thinking. Parker forces himself to drop his gaze. There can be only one dominant male here, and it’s for sure not going to be the one without a gun.

“You.” Wolf points at one of the college girls, the one in the Stanford sweatshirt. “Hold his sister.”

Parker nudges Moxie to the girl. Moxie tries to tear away, so Stanford grabs both her wrists as she twists and squirms.

“We told you what would happen if we found you.” Wolf’s voice is calm, and all the more frightening for that. “You had your one chance and you threw it away.”

Parker stays quiet. There doesn’t seem to be much point in arguing or trying to feign abject apologies. Off to the side, he sees an older lady in the white Van Duyn uniform. Van Duyn must be worried he’ll try to save himself by ratting her out for hiding his sister.

“Do you believe this kid?” Wolf points his rifle at Parker’s chest while he scans the rest of the hostages. His mouth stretches wide in the approximation of a smile. “He thought he could disobey me. He thought he got to choose what to do. No. You all belong to me now. To us.” His eyes fasten back on Parker’s. “Get on your knees.”