Page 82 of Gamma

“Oh?”

“I won’t have won until I’ve personally put a lead slug in your fucking brain.”

“You think the forces I’ve been sending after you are all I can bring to bear?” A harsh, sarcastic laugh. “I really don’t think it was wise of you to taunt me, Miss Roth.”

“Bring it, bitch.”

Another laugh. “But honestly, sending men to kill you was just meant to keep you busy. See, I am well aware that my photographer is dead and his equipment destroyed. How sad. Whatever shall I do?” His voice is mocking and cruel. “What you may not be aware of, however, is that before he was killed, he did manage to send off electronic copies of his day’s work. I never trust my bottom line to any one person, you see. People are foolish and lazy and stupid, and mistakes are made. Cameras can be lost. Accidents happen. So, I arranged a system whereby my photographers upload photographs to a cloud account so I can access them.”

I don’t like where this is going, but I play along. “You’re tech-savvy. Bully for you, Dick. Enjoy it while it lasts, because you’re—”

“My reason for telling you this, Miss Roth,” he interrupts, “is that I haveallof the photographs he took that day. Including those of you.”

Shit. My stomach turns.

“Like I said, Dick, enjoy it while it lasts.” I play it breezy, careless. “You wanna jerk off to pictures of me? Go for it. I don’t care. It’ll just be more fuel for my determination to see you dead.”

“You mistake me. You arefartoo old for my tastes, as I am sure you’re well aware. Oh no, my point is not salacious at all. I’m going to release those photographs. I have access to media all over the world. Very soon, the young heiress to the great Valentine Roth’s estate, the youngest-ever CEO of a fortune five hundred company and youngest female CEO of any major corporation, America’s socialite darling…you, my dear, will sit by and watch as those photographs circulate. And theyarequite detailed, you know. If I had been able to get a video of you being raped by a buyer…nowthatwould have been the real coup. But, I’ll take what I can get. I hope you enjoyyourlittle adventure. By the time you’re back at home in Houston, those photographs will be in the hands of every website, magazine, and journalist in the country. I might even have someone fabricate a story about it. Something truly sordid, perhaps.”

I grit my teeth until my molars ache. Deep breath. Force myself to relax. “Have fun with that. If you think I’m going to be embarrassed or in any way harmed by some leaked nudes, you’re greatly mistaken. And I know the truth, remember. Those were taken in the service of rescuing twenty-five innocent women from sexual slavery. If having those photographs released is part of the deal, so be it. I’ve got no regrets. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a murder to plan. Bye, Dick!”

I end the call and drop the phone on my lap. Breathe slowly, deeply. “Shit.”

“Glad you answered the phone?”

“Yes.” I close my eyes and breathe until my emotions settle. “Do Iwantthose photos out there? Of course not. But they’re not, like, sexy nudes I took for you that were stolen or something. They’re clinical, more than anything. My naked body, and that’s it. It’s an invasion of privacy, it will be embarrassing, but it is what it is. I’ll deal with it. I just really have to make sure that man dies a horrible, slow, painful death.”

Apollo’s gaze is…pained. “I am not at all sure I like this violent, angry, spiteful version of you, my love.”

I swallow hard, closing my eyes. “Me either,” I whisper. “But it’s the version of me that’s getting us through this.”

“I am so very—”

I touch his leg, squeeze. “Don’t. Do not apologize again, Apollo. It was not your fault. You’re a victim as much as I am, as much as Yelena is, as much as those women are.”

“I just hate it. I hate that you have to become…this.” He gestures at the gun on my lap. “The killer. This hard, cold, hateful, violent…thing. It’s not you. I recognize the necessity of being that person, in this situation. I truly do. I had to get there myself, in going after those sex traffickers. I just hate it for you, and Iamsorry my past has dragged you into this. I apologize not to admit or proclaim fault or guilt, but regret and sorrow.”

“Just...once it’s all over, you have to help me find myself again. You have to help me find the soft, sweet, sexy woman.” I hold his eyes for a moment, before he returns his attention to the road. “The woman I was in that hotel room. You have to help me get back to her, when this is over, okay?”

“I will,” he whispers. “I swear it on my soul.”

17

Eyes on the Prize

We eventually find a spot near the docks, near the ancient Roman port ruins. Along a fence, empty, stacked shipping containers blocking our rear and left sides, open space in front and to the right, limiting the directions of approach.

Rin is expecting a call at any moment.

She’s upset, angry, disturbed. And there’s not a damn thing I can do, in this moment.

I can’t help but feel like thisismy fault. That Idobear blame.

Finally, the phone rings.

She answers it and puts it on speaker. “Hi.”

“We’re landing as I speak,” her father says.