from this breach with Brovik. I let him sort it out, waiting for him to unburden his mind. I was done with pushing him. This was ultimately his decision.

Finally he spoke, ‘’when I was fifteen, lying there while that mortal monster had his way with me, I tried to reason why. Why was I forced to suffer this? Why were my family loaded into trains and exterminated like cattle? Why was I living in hell on earth? Why had good people allowed these horrors to happen? I concluded there were no good people left. All were monsters because they did nothing. If we join Leisha, we don’t know if it will be better. It may be much worse, but I can’t stand by any longer without doing something. I hate Brovik for what he made me do to you. He doesn’t trust me anymore. What privileges and authority I have will disappear until I’m his slave in fact.” He continued to stare at the dark road ahead. “Whatever we do— it must be done very fast.”

“Are you saying what I think you are?”

He glanced at me and then turned his eyes back on the snow-covered pavement. “Call Leisha, I’ll get the money. We have thirty-six hours.”

When we parted at the airstrip, I was terrified I’d never see him again.

Leisha met me when I landed in New York. I explained everything that had happened with Dirk and about the discs but didn’t produce them yet on Kurt’s advice. She was very excited by the news. The necessary groundwork was already laid for the deal. It remained for her to fly west to close it.

When Kurt called from Switzerland to get the routing information for the wire transfer, he had concerns about the deal and asked to speak to her.

She took the phone and listened a moment then replied, “Fifty-fifty. I put this deal together… No, no way… I’m running this show… Sure, of course you can… You will, absolutely. I prepared the contracts myself… Good, see you soon… Oh and thanks, Kurt… I couldn’t do this without you.”

I took the phone from her. Kurt didn’t sound convinced. “I don’t trust her. Whatever happens to me, be strong. Don’t let her push you around.”

I was confused. “You’re coming, right?”

“I’ll do everything in my power. Just be careful. I love you.”

“I love you. Kurt— ” He’d already hung up.

When I got off of the phone Leisha hugged me. “Well done, Mia.”

“I had no control over what’s happened. It’s a quirk of fate.”

“You made him love you. That’s all you needed to do.”

“And he’s paying dearly for it. If anything happens to him, you’re on your own.”

She kissed my cheek. “Mia, we’re sisters forever. If anything happens to Kurt, I’ll take care of you.”

I pushed her away. “If he dies, so help me, I’ll kill myself.”

“Don’t talk that way. He’ll be fine. He’s smart and has friends among the rats watching out for him. Just go and get the discs, we can get whatever you need later.” Her face was all sad and concerned, but her eyes were cold. I didn’t trust her either.

Leisha and Kurt have very different ideas about how things should be done, Joe. That’s why she’s trying to cause problems between us now. Only if I back her, can she do whatever she wants. It’s that simple.”

Joe tapped his pen against his clipboard. “You both agreed to this because you thought you had no other alternative?”

“Neither of us are lawyers, nor were we in the position at the time to hire our own. We knew it was a bad deal, but we had no choice. The plan was, when Kurt landed in New York, we’d drive a rental car upstate to hide out until everything was ready here. We’d go over everything with her then— but nothing went according to plan.

The next evening, I retrieved the discs, diamonds and gun, and then went back to the airport to pick up the rental car and wait for Kurt’s flight. But when it arrived, he didn’t get off. I panicked. I checked my cell. I’d turned it off while I slept. The screen lit up when I pressed the button. He’d left a voicemail.

“Mia, he’s called out dogs already. I was followed to Zurich. I’m hiding outside Munich, with a band of rats. You can’t help. Go on without me. I’ll find you somehow. I love you— be careful!”

I wasn’t about to leave the best thing that ever happened to me behind