Page 42 of Sigma

“Nein.”

“His name. Start there.”

“Apollo.”

“Not good enough to keep breathing, Kai.” I feel like an alternative version of myself.

I neither recognize nor like this version of me. But this version of me is cold and hard and efficient, and I need her to get through this. To get my baby girl back.

“I don’t know.”

What would Anselm do, in this situation? How would he make him talk?

“I would like to keep you alive, Kai, so you’d better start being worth my while.” I press the gun to his shoulder where it meets his chest. “What’s his name?”

“He doesn’t tell us his name! He is Apollo.”

“You said you know things. So far, nothing of use.”

He ducks his head. “I don’t know for sure. It’s rumors,ja?”

“Such as?”

“The son of someone who was once your enemy.”

“Our enemies aredead,” I snap. “Because they did what this asshole is doing.”

“It’s what they say. This is revenge.”

“For a life ruined,” I say, remembering his words. “That doesn’t help me. Tell me something that will help me find my daughter.Now.”

“You can’t kill me, now,” he says. “I’m no threat to you.” A pause. “I have children.”

I hold his eyes. “If you think I’m going to letanyonestop me from getting my daughter back, you’re gravely mistaken.”

“You would kill me in cold blood?”

“This isn’t cold blood, Kai. This is the fury of a mother.” I nudge him with the gun. “I’m running out of time and patience. Last chance.”

He hangs his head. “Apollo Karahalios.”

7

A Shark in the Deep Dark Sea

Apollo tosses the phone onto the nearby couch. We’re in the tower. I’m still in the dress, minus the heels.

He stands there a moment, head bowed, shoulders hunched, simply breathing. Then, he turns to me. “Your mother is a surprising woman, Corinna.”

“Why?” I ask.

“She killed four of my men.Four. Armed, trained, combat-hardened men.” He eyes me. “Did you know this about your mother?”

I swallow. “Intellectually, yes. I’ve heard stories.”

His eyes burn. “Stories, hmm?” He turns to face me, stalks closer. That heat and crushing weight of his presence, the scalpel-sharp intensity of his eyes bears down on me. “Do tell.”

I sit on the couch, smooth my dress under my thighs and cross my ankles under me. “It was all before I was born. They had enemies—my father did. Something to do with his life before he met my mom. I don’t know the whole story. What I know is only what I’ve heard in bits and pieces, but my mom was kidnapped by a woman named…Jenny? Gina? Gina, I think.” I notice, here, that his eyes narrow, one of them twitching. “It was an attempt to get back at my dad, from what I heard. Get back at him for what, I don’t know. And, um. My mom killed some people while escaping. I guess the Gina lady was batshit crazy.”