Page 16 of Savage Beauty

“When did you hear them say they were going to move you?”

“The day before Knox showed up. I assumed the man was speaking to Anton, but that was a fear-based assumption. I have no fact-based evidence. He was speaking Russian, but that’s circumstantial.”

Fear-based and fact-based. Sage’s sister disseminates information like a pro.

“It’s a good hunch,” I admit. “We’re looking to see if there’s a connection between Omar Cardenas and Alexis Flores to Anton Solonov. We suspect either he hired them, or the same person who hired Anton hired them.”

“You said you had theories. Plural. What are your other theories?”

“That they wanted Sage to force you to do something.”

“They lied to me. They told me they had her. But they wouldn’t let me speak to her.”

“Did they harm you?”

Those dark eyes seem to double. “They drugged me and locked me in the bottom of a boat. I’d say that’s harmful.”

“Yes. I agree. But did they do anything more? Hit you?”

“No. But I watched them beat a young man. They told me that would be me if I didn’t do as they wanted.”

That counts as a form of torture. “And what did you do?”

“I told them to go ahead and kill me. I think he would’ve liked to, but his boss told him not to hurt me.”

“He told you that?”

“No. I already told you. I overheard them.” That actually matches with what Knox had been told when he entered the compound. When a guard entered, he acted like he was coming on to her, and the guard told Knox there were other women he could have sex with, but not her. Of course, she heard all that. She was standing with Knox when it happened.

“Whoever orchestrated this didn’t want you hurt. Otherwise, they would’ve beaten you into submission. And they wouldn’t have differentiated you between the other women in the compound.”

“They do hurt those people. The ones working on the computers.”

“I didn’t actually enter the compound, but that’s our understanding, yes.”

“If people know about that place, why hasn’t anyone stopped them?”

“It’s connected to a powerful man. A Cambodian senator. He claims the people are there of their own volition and they keep no one against their will.”

“That’s not true.” The faraway off look returns. “I need to get my computer. After I distribute my report, I need to publish an account of what I observed in the compound. I have a contact atThe New York Times. She’s in sciences, but?—”

“Sloane, I don’t know you from Adam. I’m here on the job and for my friend Knox. But I strongly advise letting this go. You’re playing with dangerous people. And from what I can tell, connected people. Someone was protecting you. If you go after them publicly, whoever is doing this might not be so willing to let you live.”

“They didn’t let me do anything. You and Knox got me out of there.”

“True.” Can’t really argue with that. “So, tell me something. How do people make money from the research you’re doing?”

“Usually, people ask me to tell them about the research I’m doing.”

“I’ve got the general gist. You’re a cellular biologist. You were working on the effects of rapamycin on cells, and you had another study growing organs in test tubes.”

“That’s not?—”

“It’s close enough, right?”

“Yes.”

“How do people make money off it? I’m asking because right now we have a lot of questions. And generally, when people go around criming, they do it for money. How do people make money from what you do?”

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