Page 32 of Collateral Claim

“Over here,” the same voice says.

I turn again but once more find nobody there. Oh boy. “I’m hearing voices,” I announce.

Two obsidian SUVs pull up. About a dozen men and a woman rush out of them. Some of their clothes are bloody, and they’re dragging two people with hoods over their heads. Endo steps out from the front passenger seat and unbuttons his filthy shirt, which was crisp and clean this morning.

He shrugs it off and uses it to wipe the blood from his neck and cheek. His eyes find mine, and I look toward the river. Lots of men guard the forest, but not too many of them guard the river. I could dive in and swim away. I’m a pretty good swimmer, and with the current, I could get away.

Endo steps in front of me and looks me up and down. Eyebrows drawn, he says, “Call in a meeting.”

“Will do,” Dec answers while I salute.

“Oops,” I say. “Thought you were talking to me.”

The shirt mopped up the blood over his cheek and neck, which tells me that is not his blood. The implications of that make me dizzy. Endo steps closer. He smells like blood and violence. I lean in and sniff him, and my nipples tighten. I want to climb him like a warm tree.

I have enough sense left in me not to do that. Barely.

“What are you doing outside?” he asks me.

“I was… I am…” I shrug. “Things.”

“Declan?”

“She slipped out while I was in the bathroom.”

Lie. We walked out together. “Mary called me.”

“Did she let you examine her?”

“No, but we chatted for a while. She needs to see someone. Meanwhile, I prescribed her some meds I think will work.”

“Is it something serious?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Good.” Endo tilts his head. “Are you high?”

“No,” I lie.

“You’re high. Dec, you let her smoke?”

Declan’s on the phone. He hangs up and says, “Mary made her do it.”

“We bonded,” I say.

Endo shakes his head. “She’s not supposed to enjoy her captivity. When she calls her daddy tomorrow, she’s supposed to say how I treat her horribly and she wants to go home.”

“I’ll say that regardless.”

Endo sighs. “Get back in the house.”

I spin around, but my leg lags behind me, so I trip over my own foot and fall forward. Dec’s there to catch me. As soon as I’m upright, he pushes me away and lifts his hands in surrender.

I’m really dizzy now.

“What was Mary smoking?” Endo asks.

Dec tells him, but I can’t make out what he said because Endo picks me up and carries me. “For fuck’s sake, Dec.”