Page 76 of Prisoner of War
She looked toward the window to check the light and judge the time.
Duardo was silhouetted there. The first light of the coming dawn streaked across the sky and outlined his still shape at the edge of the window.
“How long have you been there?” Minnie kept her voice low. She didn’t know how sensitivethe sound pick-up on the camera or the microphone under the bed was, but the conversation she’d witnessed in Serrano’s office had been clear. They had also been shouting. She kept her voice down and hoped it would be enough.
Duardo didn’t answer. He didn’t move at all.
She slid out of bed and tugged the shirt she wore back into place. She had thrown the remnants of the dress into the garbagecan and taken a shirt from Zalaya’s wardrobe. It came down almost to her knees. She’d had to tear open the side seam on one side to get it over the chain. She’d tied the ragged ends together once she had it on.
She moved to stand at the window with him. “They killed General Blanco,” she murmured.
He stirred. “Yes.”
“But they were trying for Nick.”
“Yes.”
“You were right, you know. It won’tdo what they intended.”
“Whether I’m right or not hardly seems to matter.”
“What does that mean?”
“I can only control things, contain them, when all the strings are in my hand.”
“You don’t have all the strings?”
Again, the contemplative silence. “Not anymore.” Another heartbeat of silence. “Things are unraveling.”
Minnie watched the red streaks fatten and glow in the sky as the sun drewcloser. “It’s going to be a beautiful day,” she observed.
“‘Red in the morning, shepherd’s warning.’ Isn’t that how it goes?”
“I’ve never heard that before.”
He straightened. “It will be anything but a beautiful day.” He turned away from the window. “Be warned,” he murmured. He moved passed her, toward the office door.
“You will not sleep?”
His answer was to open the door and pace heavilyto his desk. He leaned over the console and threw all the switches, turning on every bank of screens.
Then he carefully lowered himself into his chair and picked up the phone. “ConsígameSoto.”
