Z 2134

throat, and the inner interrogator was suddenly back. “You were seen going into the church,” he said. “Do you deny this truth?” He cut Ana with a second question before she could respond to the first. “People are willing to testify that you were there, and that you were with Liam. Do you deny this truth?” he said again.
    Ana held his eyes, hating herself for trusting monsters more than her father.
    She shook her head. “That wasn’t me.”
    “We’re not interested in keeping you here, Ms. Lovecraft.” The officer sighed. “Do I have to beg you to keep you from making this difficult? Tell us what you know, and you can return to Chimney Rock tonight. Or don’t,” he shrugged. “But then we have a problem. A big one.” He held both palms to the air. “So, what’s it going to be?”
    “I don’t know what to tell you.” She shook her head. “I wasn’t there. That wasn’t me.”
    Keller leaned down, and his head thrust forward like a striking snake. He was suddenly centimeters from her face, close enough for Ana to smell the sour bubbling up from his throat. In a low growl, Keller said, “I’m giving you one more chance to save yourself. Don’t lie again.”
    His vinegar-like breath made Ana want to vomit.
    “Were you at the church with Liam?”
    Ana shook her head, holding his eyes even though fear ran cold through her blood.
    She said, in almost a whisper, “That wasn’t me.”
    Keller smacked Ana so fast across the face, she had no idea his large hand was on its way until pain splintered her cheek and rang through her left ear.
    She shook her head, reeling, trying to blink through the stars, as fat hammers slammed the walls inside her head.
    She fell hard against the wall on her tiny bed, where she lay curled up, staring up at Keller, determined not to cry.
    He pulled her up roughly by the hair, forcing her to stand.
    “Let’s try this one more time, OK, dear?”
    If Ana told the truth, she was dead.
    The only thing keeping me alive is their uncertainty.
    Keller said, “I really don’t want you to be here. I want you to have a hot meal, and I want to help. You and Adam both.” He shook his head. “But I can’t help either of you if you are unable to tell me the truth.”
    He’s going to kill me.
    His mention of Adam worked like a screw of doubt, twisting away at her plan to keep quiet.
    “Were you at the church with Liam?”
    Ana paused, then shook her head again.
    “That wasn’t me.”
    Keller gritted his teeth, then squeezed his fingers into Ana’s arm, pinching hard into her flesh. He stood above her, glaring down. “You know, you and your mother have a couple of things in common,” he hissed. “You’re every bit as pretty, and just as stupidly stubborn.”
    “How do you know my mom?” Ana cried, suddenly twice as scared and at least three times as angry.
    Keller ignored the question, then leaned into Ana, giving her nostrils another blast of his rancid fog as her eyes swallowed the icy heat of his burning stare. “I’d hate for you to end up just like her, too.”
    He’ll kill me, no matter what.
    He said, “I’ll give you until lunchtime to consider.”
    The door opened and Keller was gone, though the chill he left in the room only grew colder.

    It was several hours past lunch before Keller returned. Ana spent the entire time swimming in indecision, wondering what she should do, whether there was any way out, and most importantly, what would happen to Adam if there wasn’t.
    Keller was smiling as he entered the cell, his hair slightly damp and his face freshly shaved. “So, have you given any thought to the truth?”
    Of course she had, though Ana was certain her definition of the word truth was a sun to Keller’s moon.
    She shook her head. “It wasn’t me.”
    Instead of growing angry like Ana had been picturing through most of the many hours she’d been kept waiting, Keller simply laughed.
    “OK then,” he said, falling into his chair and resting a hand on his knee. “It’s decided then. This is how it shall be.”
    Each word sounded more threatening than the one before it. By the time Keller whistled the end of the be, Ana was shaking.
    Change your story.
    Tell him what you know!
    Save yourself — it’s not like you know where Liam is. He’s a big boy. He can handle this a hell of a lot better than you or Adam!
    Just tell Keller what he wants to know!
    Ana, suddenly proud to be her father’s daughter again, for the first time since the