Page 170 of Cavern of Silence

"Listen to him. She came to me, too," Julieta reveals.

Our friends all stare at us in silence.

They probably think we are crazy.

Naomi clears her throat. She quietly asks, "What did she say?"

"'He set you up. All of you. It was a trap, spun behind closed doors,' and, 'You're here because of him.'"

"Only Louis set us up, or did Interpol know?" Andre asks.

"She didn't say."

"Andre, what did Kalim call about?" Dirk asks.

Andre focuses on Naomi. "He said he tracked Malin and Emilia back to Belize."

"Why would they go back there?" she asks.

"He didn't know, but I reiterated for him to back off."

"And he thinks Penelope is a spy?" Blaise asks.

"Axel insisted she wasn't," Naomi says.

"That was months ago. And if she's a spy, she knows how to manipulate people to believe what she wants them to," Blaise states.

"She isn't a spy," Julieta seethes.

Zoe comes out of the bathroom. She angrily spouts, "Are we seriously having this conversation again?"

Dirk pulls her onto his lap. "We have to be realistic. Anything is possible at this point."

Zoe pushes off his lap. She motions around the room. "We've all been victims of the Global Leaders. Penelope is, too. And they took her child."

Blaise holds his hands in the air. "She could be spying on the Global Leaders. I'm not saying she's a bad person if she is."

Hunter clears his throat. "Let's push that to the side for a minute. What I want to know is, who is running these cartels? If the top four drug lords are all dead, who are the new kings? And does that accelerate or slow down the Global Leaders' plans?"

Vanessa's face turns white. In a shaky voice, she says, "It accelerates it."

"How?"

"It puts the U.S. President and U.K. Prime Minister, along with the other heads of states in a position to gain total control."

"They would have no more fees to pay. More money, zero restrictions, and more power," Naomi mumbles then stares at Vanessa with wide eyes.

"We have to get the story out, now," Vanessa insists.

"We can't. Emilia said not to do anything until I see her."

"But—"

"You can't. Emilia was insistent Naomi didn't go against her wishes. She made me promise," Julieta says.

Vanessa rises. "We're running out—"

"Mummy," Millie screams, running into the room in tears. She jumps into Julieta's arms.