It leads us to a warehouse at the very end of a line of warehouses. The faint murmur of voices alerts us as we approach the building. We slow our steps and creep into the shadows cast by the empty warehouse right next to it. There are middle worlders standing at the entrance to that warehouse, watching something on their phones and blocking the way in. Though they are situated as guards, there’s a marked lack of caution against anyone trying to infiltrate the area. I, of course, have to take advantage of this carelessness.

We move soundlessly into the alley between the two buildings and through it to the back of the warehouse. To our surprise, an unguarded small door is propped open at the back, perhaps to ease the heat inside. Signaling to Widad to stay behind, I slip through the door and into the warehouse. If I am seen, things will get troublesome. There’s no easy entry to the Between here. I could end up a prisoner, and Valentina will be forced to rescue me before she kills me.

What’s living without risks?

I blink in the dark interior. At first all I see are shadows, abstract colors, which then coalesce into cages on the uncovered cement floor, containing children, mostly girls, but some boys, too. Naked light bulbs dangle from the ceiling, barely illuminating the large space. As far as I can see, there are five children crammed in each cage. Their faces are streaked with tears, and their clothes are dirty and torn. They are skin stretched tightly over bones. Their eyes…

Have you ever seen eyes without hope, without life?

This is not the first time I have seen children stripped of their humanity and locked up as products for sale. It probably won’t be the last, either. But every single time I come across something like this, I lose a little of myself.

Baarish, dressed up and hiding the monster inside, is walking around the warehouse, inspecting the cages and nodding in approval. His son preens beside him. Are the children inside invisible to him? How much of yourself do you have to lose to become this evil?