Page 152 of Lethal Abduction

“You, too.” The guard smacks Mary on the back of the head, then nods at Yrsa. “And her.”

Lucky works in an adjacent room. I can only hope Rodrigo has managed to successfully request her, too.

We take the evening clothes handed to us and head to the dormitory to change. My heart leaps when I see Lucky in the bathroom smiling cheekily and waving a red dress.

“Thank goodness.” I hug her briefly.

“Okay, ladies.” Lucky beams around at us. “I hope we all have our running feet on tonight!” Her energy and optimism is infectious enough to elicit wary smiles from us all, even Yrsa.

Mary turns to me. “So. What is the plan, Abby?”

I look at her expectant face. “I don’t know.”

She and Yrsa stare at me, their smiles slowly fading.

“What do you mean,” Mary says quietly, “you don’tknow?”

I lift a shoulder, trying not to let my own tension show. After Luke’s visit, Dimitry’s messages have been frustratingly mundane. He’s behaved like the perfect mark, insecure and needy, desperate to please. He’s invested enough money in the scam scheme to save me from running the Loop on a daily basis. Beyond that, I know nothing more than I did when I left Thailand: I will attend the auction and point out Jacey to Rodrigo.

I attempt a reassuring smile. “They had to be careful, in case someone was watching.”

And someoneiswatching.I can feel it.

I’d like to believe that Luke just meant to warn me that all communication is being watched. But we already know the supervisors monitor every message.

No, he came to warn me that someone else is watching. Someone dangerous.

Someone like Jacey.

And despite the fact that I’ve always known it’s Jacey behind my capture, and this place, ever since Luke’s visit, I can truly feel his malevolent presence. It’s like an invisible gas permeating the air, a dark cloud that I inhale with every breath, infecting my every moment with fear and suspicion.

“So, what?” Yrsa’s accent becomes more pronounced when she’s nervous, sowhatsounds more likevod. “We must just wait now?” Her tension is audible in every syllable, in the tight lines of her face.

I’m trying to find the words to reassure her when Lucky interrupts.

“Not exactly.”

We all turn to her. Lucky ducks her head, speaking frombehind a waterfall of hair. “You have some very clever friends, Abby.” She says it quietly, but I can hear the edge in her voice. “And when I say they must be clever, I mean seriouslygood.” She shakes her head slightly.“That system is built to withstand government probes. But after I moved the Otis profile to you, they made direct contact with me. I’ve been helping them hack into our system all week.”

Mickey.I feel a surge of excitement.It has to be.Roman’s godson might only be a teenager, but his hacking skills are already legendary.

“The bidders will all have numbers,” Lucky goes on. She looks up at me, her beautiful face grave. “You and I need to work out which number belongs to...him.” She glances nervously around the changing room, as if Jacey is listening to our conversation.

For all I know, he is.

“We will tell Rodrigo,” she says. “He’ll communicate with your friends and tell them.”

I nod. It’s simple enough.

If it works.

“I’ve also helped your friends make contact with most of our programmers,” Lucky goes on. “Or the ones I know are trustworthy, at least.”

“What?” I stare at her, my heart pounding. “What for?”

She meets my eyes defiantly. “We’re not the only ones who are looking for a way out, Abby. These people deserve the same chance. While the auction is going on, the programmers will spread word to the workers. Hopefully most of them will make it out of the compound. Your friends have said they will help them escape from there.”

I stare at her in disbelief. “Get them out?” I shake my head. “But there are thousands of people here.”

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