I skidded to a halt. This was the one tactic that would work against me.

“That’s a good girl. Agree to stay with us and I’ll let her go.”

Breathe. I didn’t have any supernatural stuff I could bring into play here. “Too late. Terry called the cops.”

“Then we’ll be gone before they get here.” He signalled to two of the men to take my arms. This time I didn’t fight. I’d got one person out. I could get myself and Lugenia out too, and I doubted she’d argue after this.

Miguel dropped the knife and Lugenia stumbled away from him. “Don’t worry, hon, I wouldn’t have actually done it.”

She didn’t look like she quite believed him, but they were pushing the two of us into an alleyway. There was a van parked out back, a plain one, the plates covered in preparation for nefarious activities.

We didn’t leave right away, though. They locked us in the back, then two of them went to retrieve their friends from the smoke-filled house. All eight were soon back together, some of them with bruises and all of them looking askance at me.

“We don’t have time to beat her right now. Let’s get out of here. The other one…”

“Got clean away. Probably did call the cops. Time for us to blow this joint.”

Who actually used lines like that? I glanced at Lugenia, but didn’t say anything to her. They could hear us, and I would bet they wouldn’t leave me alone at this point. The only reason I was still alive was because one or two of them wanted to rape me. What was it from that TV show?

Sapphire isle. Weight in sapphires. But I didn’t have any such lie to protect me. What did I have?

Loki liked me. Recalling that actually did steady me. What would he do? What would Thea do? They’d be different, but between the two of them I might be able to work out a strategy. The van was moving and they’d pushed us onto the floor. I was fairly sure we wouldn’t even be staying in DC at this point.

Time to move on. Well, at least being kidnapped was a good excuse for missing school. So. We had to take the first opportunity we could and run. No trying to fight them this time. Too many of them.

What opportunities would they give us? I wasn’t even sure where we were going. Virginia or Maryland? North towards New York or west into the mountains? Those were the two best disappear possibilities I could think of. I hoped New York. It would be easier to get away in a city.

Maybe not that far. Baltimore? They might go to Baltimore. Either way, I wouldn’t know until they let us out.

Which they had to do sooner or later. If nothing else, they wouldn’t want urine stench in the van. Which gave me the first part of a plan.