Page 94 of Lessons in Power

Daniela’s head snapped back, as if Priya’s words had hit her with physical force.

“They’ve given us an ultimatum,” Priya continued. “Either we hand you over to them, or they start shooting students.”

They’ve already started, I thought, unable to stop myself from remembering Matt’s face in those last seconds.

Daniela’s left hand joined her right on her stomach. There was meaning woven into that gesture: she had a child to think about, too.

Whether that helps us or hurts us …

I needed to find out. “Could you give us a minute?” I asked Priya.

Vivvie’s aunt and the terrorist both turned the full force of their powerful stares on me.

“I was told I had to talk to Daniela alone,” I said.

With each second of silence that followed, I became more aware of the fact that I wasn’t supposed to be here. No matter what strings Priya had pulled, all it took was the wrong person discovering our presence, and I might find myself in a facility exactly like this one.

Twenty-seven minutes.We didn’t have time for complications, and we didn’t have the luxury of getting caught.

“You can’t get me out of here, can you?” Daniela pulled her gaze from my face and resumed studying Priya. “If you could, we’d already be on the move.”

Vivvie’s aunt returned the stare. “You aren’t leaving here without an executive order.” Priya’s tone gave no hint to the pressure we were under, but my mind went to what would happen if that executive order didn’t come through.

Twenty-six minutes.

“I need to talk to Daniela alone,” I repeated. I had to trust that Ivy would come through. She would secure Daniela’s release. She had to. And before that happened, before Daniela walked out of this room, I had to deliver the terrorists’ message.

And one of my own.

“Let the girl deliver her message,” Daniela told Priya. “She won’t come to any harm by my hand.”

Priya showed no signs whatsoever of moving.

I gave her a look. “She’sreallypregnant,” I said. “I’m pretty sure I can take her.”

Priya snorted. “I am fairly certain you cannot.”

Nonetheless, after tossing another assessing gaze in Daniela’s direction, Priya turned to leave, telling us she’d be right outside. Clearly, Daniela was meant to take those words as a threat.

I waited until the door closed behind Priya before I considered what I was getting ready to say—and whether or not it was worth saying it at all. “Walker Nolan is not the president’s son.”

In all likelihood, that statement—and all the ones that followed—would mean nothing to Daniela. In all likelihood, what I had to say would have no effect on her at all.

“Georgia Nolan had an affair,” I continued, “with a man named William Keyes.”

It didn’t matter that this probably wouldn’t work. I had to take the chance that the interrogators were right, that Walker Nolan meant something to the woman in front of me.

“This is the message you were asked to deliver?” Daniela raised an eyebrow to aristocratic heights.

“No,” I said. “That’s not the message. I’m not telling you this for them. I’m telling you for me. Walker doesn’t know. The president doesn’t know.”

“But you know?” There was a clear note of challenge in Daniela’s voice.

“My father died before I was born. His name was Tommy Keyes.” I took another step forward. “He was Walker’s brother.”

Daniela said nothing. I took one step forward, then another. After a long moment, I turned and lowered myself onto the bench next to her. She tracked my movements, hyperaware. On the bench beside her, I stared straight ahead at the wall that Daniela had probably been staring at for days.

“Why tell me this?” Daniela asked finally, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen between us. “What could you possibly expect to gain?”