Page 27 of Mayflower

Candy is wearing more makeup than usual, a long skirt, and a pretty blouse. She smells like cigarettes and liquor, and her gaze is daring like it used to be.

She gives us banging news.

“You might be in luck,” she says. “Several military helicopters just landed at Ayana.”

“Military?”

“Giant. Maybe the Chancellor got military support. Maybe they’ll send a search party for you.”

I doubt it. And the military doesn’t make sense. I know all the contracts that Ayana is tied up in. It can’t be the US. Can’t be mercenaries. Even if Archer signed something new since my disappearance—and it’s only been a week—they wouldn’t have time to get here.

“What sort of military? Describe,” I ask.

“Not American.”

“What makes you think so?”

“They have some strange insignia.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a crown. And it has two letters. AT.”

Aleksei motherfucking Tsariuk.

I chuckle, then turn to Ali.

“Tsariuk?” he asks.

I nod. “Never mind, Candy. Those have nothing to do with our current situation.”

But my mind instantly goes to Maddy. If Tsariuk tries to break our deal and steal Maddy away, I will fucking find him. I’ll unleash the whole world on him once I get out of here.

“I’d like to ask you several things,” I tell Candy. “I’m sorry we are taking up your time and food, but?—”

“Cut the nonsense, Raven. I owe you. What do you need?”

There’s her business-like tone, her former power emerging to the surface. Hiding the two most wanted guys in Port Mrei is already more than I could’ve asked from her. Except what I’m going to ask next.

“Weapons. Do you have any?”

“Will they be returned?”

I frown, not understanding.

“That’s our only defense in case things get bad,” she explains.

“They can get worse?”

“Do you know why they are here?” She motions toward the girls as she brings her voice almost to a whisper. “Because they’ve become part of a certain demand.”

I don’t need to ask what sort of fucked up demand for little girls that is. Ali, next to me, shifts on the floor, his hands balling into fists. My mind goes straight to the images of Emily and runs nasty scenarios of what Candy is talking about.

I catch sight of the girls, sitting on the floor in a circle, their heads touching as they lean over a picture book they probably read a dozen times.

Fucking fuck.

“Yeah, anything goes these days,” Candy says. “Those four had to be hidden because… Well…” Candy sighs. “We are used to pretty much anything. Them?” She nods toward them. “If someone finds out and comes for them, I will shoot the motherfuckers in their faces. And I need a gun for that.”

---