Chapters (52)
- Copyright
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Acknowledgments
- Read More from the Market of Monsters Series
- More Books from HMH Teen
- About the Author
- Connect with HMH on Social Media
“Of course I should have. I’d doubt anyone trying to rob something as big as Tácunan Law. Even if they were a professional. I’m sure people have tried before.”
Nita had to admit this was true. “But they didn’t have Fabricio.”
“Precisely.”
For a moment, she thought of just how dangerous it must have been to be Fabricio, knowing that all anyone wanted him for was a chance to steal his father’s fortune in information, and she remembered his look of pure happiness and relief as he explained that with no more Tácunan Law, he was free.
“I have the only copy of the information now,” Nita told Adair. “The servers there have been wiped.”
“And that will be the end for it.” Adair’s voice was soft. “It’s been around longer than I’ve been alive. It’ll be strange to see it go. I wonder what will take its place.”
Nita shrugged. “Don’t know. Does it matter?”
“Not at the moment.” There was a short pause and then he said, “Well, I have some information I want, and you have some misinformation you want me to spread, so shall we get started on this exchange?”
“Let’s.”
“Do you have anything on Arlene Qiu?”
“Spell that?”
He did, and Nita searched her hard drive. She found the file and clicked on it, horror mounting as she realized that she had more than forty thousand pages of text on file. Documents, court records, account details, correspondence, audio recordings. An impossible number. It would take her a year just to get through one person’s data.
How was she even supposed to begin sorting this?
“Do you have anything?”
“I have . . . a lot.”
“Define a lot?”
“If I printed it all out and stacked it up, it would probably be as tall as your pawnshop.”
He paused. “I know what I’m looking for. Send it all.”
“All of it?” Nita’s voice was mildly incredulous.
“That’s my price. Everything you asked for. I’ll have your video with Reyes debunked as best I can. When people come to me to buy information on you, I’ll tell them it’s fake and that your time in the market was all a clever scam to get in, rob them, and burn it all down. I’ll tell them whatever you want to be known for.” He paused. “And all the information you asked for, on INHUP, on the list. Anything I know.”