They reached his room, one white door in a hallway of many. He leaned against the wall, blinking rapidly. “I don’t feel so good.”
Nita opened his door. “Let me help you to bed.”
She took his arm and dragged him inside. He stumbled, nearly bringing them both to the ground, but Nita kept an iron grip on his arm as she pulled him along.
She let him go when they reached the bed, and he keeled over into it, groaning.
“I think something’s wrong.” His words slurred slightly. “I need to go to the doctor.”
Nita examined his room for cameras, and once she was satisfied of where they were likely to be, she leaned over Fabricio and put her hand to his forehead. It was clammy with sweat.
He stared up at her, gaze unfocused. “Nita, can you call someone?”
“No, I think I won’t,” Nita whispered.
He frowned. “What?”
She took her hand from his forehead and leaned in close to whisper, “I know what you did, Fabricio.”
His mouth opened and closed. “What are you talking about?”
“I know you’re the one who sold me out to the black market.”
He shook his head, eyes widening. He really was a great actor.
“I didn’t!” he hissed. “I couldn’t have! I was on a bus to INHUP.”
“Yeah. And during your trip you texted your contacts on the black market. You sent them my pictures.”
“I don’t have contacts on the black market!”
Nita rolled her eyes. “Sure you don’t, Fabricio Tácunan.”
He winced and looked away. Nita crossed her arms.
“Okay, yes, I have contacts. But I wouldn’t have sold you to them. You saved my life. Why on earth would I do that to you?”
“That’s what I wanted to ask you.”
“I didn’t do it, Nita.” He shook his head. “Why do you think I did?”
“Can we cut the crap, Fabricio? I have the messages you sent Reyes. I can show them to you.” Nita held up her phone. She tilted her head and examined his increasingly unfocused gaze and trembling hands. “But it’s a waste of time. And you don’t have much of that.”
“I don’t have . . .” He tried to get up, and Nita took a step back. He wasn’t even able to turn over. “What have you done?”
“What I should have let my mother do.” Nita’s voice scraped against her throat, trying to block out the memories of his screams when her mother cut off his ear. “Saving you was the one good thing I did in my life, and I’ve paid for that kindness in blood and screams. I learned my lesson well. I won’t make the same mistake again.”
Fabricio jerked forward, trying to reach for her. “Nita, please, I’m sorry for everything you went through, believe me when I say I understand.”
“Oh, I know you do. That’s what makes it all the worse.”
“Nita, it’s not what you think, I swear!” Tears streamed down his face.
“Oh? Then what is it? Tell me.”
He just shook his head mutely, his body trembling, whether from poison, fear, or something else, Nita didn’t know.
“You’re a liar, Fabricio. The best I’ve ever met.” Nita turned and walked away. “But you betrayed the wrong person this time.”
Fabricio cried out as Nita walked away, and there was a thump as he fell off the bed and tried to crawl toward her with jittering limbs.
“Nita, wait. Please. I can explain everything.”
Nita stood at the entrance to his room, and looked back at him once. He gasped each breath, lungs heaving, and his brown hair was a tangled mess. He reached out as though to grab her ankle, but he was too far away.
“I saved your life. It seems only fitting I take it away,” she said, flicking off the light.
“Nita!” he gasped into the darkness.
“Goodbye, Fabricio.”
She left the room and closed the door behind her.
Five
SEVERAL HOURS LATER, Nita dragged herself out of bed to catch her flight. She hadn’t actually slept. She’d lain on her bed, staring at the ceiling, imagining Fabricio slowly dying in his room, sobbing softly as the hallucinogenic properties of the plant made him lose his mind even as the organs in his body slowly shut down one by one.
Murderer, her mind hissed to her in the darkness. You killed to survive in the market, but this is just petty vengeance.
No, she whispered back. It’s preemptive self-defense. Fabricio sold me out once. He could do it again.
But her mind wouldn’t rest. At one point she even rose to go to Fabricio. To see if he was dead, to call for help for him, she didn’t know. But the knowledge that if he survived he’d tell INHUP what she’d done kept her from leaving the room.
What was done was done. There was no backing away now.
At three in the morning, she rose for her flight. Quispe was waiting in the back seat of a black sedan with two cups of coffee. Nita took one and sipped it as she climbed in. She wondered if she’d taste if it were poisoned or if she’d just slowly collapse like Fabricio. Not that she thought the INHUP agent would poison her. Mostly.
Dark circles hid under Quispe’s eyes. It didn’t look like she’d slept much.
Once they were buckled in, Quispe turned to Nita, folding her hands in her lap and taking a deep breath before she spoke. “Nita, I have something to tell you.”
Nita stiffened at Quispe’s tone. They couldn’t have possibly discovered Nita had poisoned Fabricio, could they? “What is it?”
“It’s Fabricio.”
Nita’s voice was a bit too high. “What about him?”
“He missed his appointment with his doctor to get the stitches in his ear out yesterday evening.” She rubbed her temples. “We found him unconscious in his room late last night. He’s been taken to the hospital.”
Unconscious. Not dead.
Nita’s shoulders relaxed, and she hated that a small part of her was relieved. That a little piece of her hadn’t wanted to be the kind of person that could kill a boy in cold blood, when her life wasn’t on the line that instant.
That part of her was going to get her killed someday if she didn’t learn to quash it better.
Quispe was expecting a response, so Nita covered her mouth and said, “How terrible.”
Quispe’s voice was gentle. “I know you two were getting close. I’m so sorry.”
Nita shook her head. “Will he be okay?”
“We don’t know.” But Quispe’s tone made the answer sound a lot more like no.
Good, Nita thought, banishing the traitorous guilt in her chest. He’ll never betray anyone again.
Beneath her hand, she smiled.
* * *
When they finally arrived at the airport, their flight was delayed for an hour.
Quispe took a seat in the departures area, black pleather airport seat squeaking, and gestured for Nita to join her. Quispe observed Nita as she sat, and Nita tried not to sweat. Had she done something to give herself away?
“Is something wrong?” Nita finally asked. “You’re staring.”
“I’m sorry.” Quispe sighed, her perfect poise slipping for a moment. “I was just thinking about your father.”