Page 105 of Sigma

Anselm, a mile away with a rifle, takes him out.

In the ensuing confusion, I’m whisked away.

Desperate, but better than doing nothing—in their eyes. And they don’t know what I know. What being here has been for me. What I’ve found, here.

They’ve assumed the worst—justifiably.

There’s no thought in the action, only instinct—I move to stand in front of Apollo, blocking him with my own body. I’m tall enough that there’s no clear shot.

“No.” I don’t scream—can’t. I’m barely breathing. “Not like this.”

“Corinna?” Apollo’s confusion is obvious in his voice. “What are youdoing?”

“Strangely, I find myself agreeing with him,” Daddy says. “What are you doing, Corinna?”

I hold my arms behind me, blocking him in. Stand tall. “Call him off.”

“I can’t.” Daddy’s voice is too calm—it’s thedon’t fuck with mevoice.

“I won’t let you do this.” I swallow hard.

Daddy looks at the men in the doors of the SUVs—the first visible sign I’ve seen of Apollo’s supposedly overwhelming firepower. There’s at least a dozen men, and it feels like the tip of the iceberg.

“Why?” He’s pleading with me. “Move out of the way.”

“Call your men off,” I say, my voice low.

“I told you, Ican’t,” Daddy answers. “I don’t have a phone or a radio.”

“Not you,” I snap, turn my head slightly to glance at Apollo over my shoulder. “Apollo. Send your men away. The ones out there, all of them. Stand down.”

“Malik is in position, sir,” the nearest of the men says.

A surface-to-air rocket, I’m assuming.

“Apollo.” I whisper it. “Make your choice. Do we all die?” I turn in place, look up at him. “Or do you choose me?”

“Corinna,” Daddy snaps. “MOVE.”

I whirl back to my father. “No.”

“Don’t you say it,” he snarls.

I frown in confusion. “Say what?”

“‘But Daddy, Ilovehim.’”

I cackle, an unexpected outburst of laughter. “This isn’t a Disney movie, Dad. I’m not Ariel—that’s not what I was going to say.”

I feel Apollo straighten behind me. I hear him take a deep breath, hold it, and let it out—the breath huffs on my hair.

His hands move to rest on my waist. “I choose you,” he whispers. He steps out from behind me. “Stand down.”

“Sir?” A gravelly male voice; a familiar voice—it niggles at my awareness. Like I’ve heard it before but can’t place it.

“All of you, stand down. Get in and go away. Fingers off the triggers or I’ll kill you myself.” A pause. “Confirm that Malik has the command.”

Silence.