Page 67 of Casualties of War
The slap, this time, was heavier. Her ears rang and her vision blurred. Calli lifted her chin, blinking. She couldn’t focus. The camera wouldn’t show that.
“You,” the other soldier told Roldán.
“Marisa Lupita Roldán, Ambassador of Mexico toVistaria de la República deEscobedo,” Roldán said, using the full and formal name of the country.
The guard standing nextto Roldán rammed the butt of his rifle into her stomach. She wretched and bent over, her hair falling forward.
“Vistaria, bitch! There is no more Escobedo!”
Then they were hauled to their feet once more and pulled out of the room. Stumbling, they were led across the rotunda into the south wing.
Calli staggered deliberately, brushing against Roldán. “Serrano next,” she warned in English.
Roldánnodded.
The airy, light-filled offices at that end of the palace held more Insurrectos in their ugly gray uniforms. Heads lifted as they were marched past desks and glass doors into the largest office in the corner. Calli had never been here. She suspected this had been Jose Escobedo’s office a few weeks ago. The elegant desk and good quality leather office chair said it had belonged to someonewith taste. That didn’t match the man sitting in the chair watching them being pushed to stand in front of the desk.
Serrano was shorter than Calli had realized. His girth, though, made up for that. He had a huge belly that the gray shirt had trouble encompassing. The buttons were strained around the middle. He had an equally round face with small eyes surrounded by deep folds. Even his hairwas tight, fine, short ringlets, which added to the volume, although it was thin on top and receding at the front.
She guessed he was in his forties. His eyes glittered with sharp cunning as he considered them.
“Video?” he said.
“Completed, sir,” someone said from behind them.
“You know who I am?” Serrano asked.
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” Roldán said coolly. “So, no, I don’t know who youare.”
Serrano’s eyes narrowed and his face shifted. The movement, Calli realized, was him clenching his jaw with irritation, only there was too much fat in the way for the movement to be visible.
Roldán had pissed him off by not recognizing him.
Calli hid her smile. She heard Nick’s voice in her mind. Never ask a question for which you don’t already know the answer. Leading questions nevergive you the answers you want.
Serrano’s gaze shifted to Calli. She shrugged, even though the movement made the zip tie dig into her wrists a little more. “Someone in charge?” she asked, letting her voice lift.
Serrano hissed and slapped the desk. “It would please me to shoot you right now and have your blood stain this carpet, just for your insolence. Escobedo has already stepped down. Floresis now President.” He studied her. “You know what that means?”
Calli knew. Trembling began in her belly and spread out cold fingers. If Nick had stepped down, then her use as a tool of extortion had ended.
For a moment, her heart went out to Nick. He had responded the only way he could, yet Calli knew how much he would rage against his helplessness.
“You would demonstrate you are as foolishas everyone thinks you are, if you kill her off now.” Roldán’s tone was polite, as if she was discussing a menu with a waiter.
Serrano glanced at her. His face grew red. “I will not kill her now because IlikeFlores being in charge. He is weak. It serves my purpose just as well to have him stay there. As long as I haveher, Escobedo is neutralized. And for the record, I don’t give a fuck whatthe world thinks of me.”
Liar! Calli breathed to herself.
“For the same reason I will keep you alive, Ambassador,” Serrano continued. “Mexico won’t help Flores while I have you.”
“In that case,” Roldán replied, her tone haughty, “you need to obtain long-acting insulin. I am a diabetic and need insulin every twelve hours, along with food. I should have had a dose at six pm tonight.”
Serranoconsidered her. “I will think about it,” he said.
“My use as leverage expires when I do,” Roldán pointed out.
Serrano scowled. “Get them out,” he snapped.
