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“Well I guess that tells us who the traitor was.” Sonia shook her head. “What an actor. He didn’t leak a hint… and what he did to this girl.” She knelt down where Adrian and Tara were calming Ella. “We’ll still have to check her, you know.”

“Of course you will.” Ella’s face was still tear streaked but the distressed squeak was fading from her voice. “I understand. It could be a double bluff after all.”

“We’ll have to check everyone – even me and my family,” Alexandra said. “Robert’s flight could be a second layer of deception, though I doubt it.”

“You, Alex?” Matthias said. “Surely not!”

“Yes, me,” she said. “I want not the slightest uncertainty that I can be trusted. People have to be able to trust me, given my position.”

“Alex is right, Matt,” Sonia said. “I’m sure she’s trustworthy but some people will be paranoid and it’s no skin off her nose to allay their fears.”

“I suppose,” he said. “But it seems wrong.”

“It’s fine,” Alexandra said. “But can you call Sarah and Lucas, wherever they are? We’re going to need both their services, I think. Especially Lu–” She broke off as an explosive retort sounded outside. “Aha! Sounds like my family found our fugitives. I need to listen in case they need back up.”

“If course,” Matthias said. “I’ve already called Lucas – he’s just at the house – and I’ll send a message to Sal.” He winced as another loud explosion came from outside. “That sounds bad; we need them alive.”

“Thank you,” Alexandra said. “And don’t worry, my kin know that.” She sank onto a nearby chair and closed her eyes to follow the battle.

***

Lucas had arrived by the time Alexandra’s family dragged Garrett, and Kayleigh into the gymnasium.

Garrett was unconscious but Kayleigh was twisting in her captors’ grips, hissing and kicking at them like a wild animal.

“Girl doesn’t know when she’s beaten,” Alexandra muttered. “Do we have any rope? We’re going to have to tie her up to keep her from hurting anyone.” She looked at her family. “Robert got away?”

Before anyone could respond, Kayleigh’s eyes fell on Adrian – but rather than slipping back into the box, her eyes filled with murder. Twisting even harder against her captors, breaking free and lunging for her husband’s throat. She barely got two steps before he threw out one hand and a pillar of ice grew out of the floor around her, engulfing her to the waist and freezing her in place.

“That should hold her.” Adrian sank back into his seat and began massaging his temples. “But really, she hates me that much? How long has she been deceiving me for? Did she ever actually love me?”

“We’ll find out,” Alexandra said sympathetically. “If she won’t answer us with an open mind we’ll have the team we’ve put together make her open it.”

“Actually I think there’s a more important question to ask her,” said a young woman who’d been pushed forward by the Seaton family to join the interrogation group. She looked around at the others who were staring at her in confusion. “I can’t be the only one who noticed.” She hesitated. “We need to ask her who she is and how long she’s been pretending to be Kayleigh.”

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