Dana could tell that Hastiin Sani was doing his best to fight the aftereffects of the drug. Although his speech was thick because of the bruises and cuts around his mouth, his mind was becoming clearer.

“We need to find a way out of here and, to do that, we have to work together,” he whispered quickly.

“I’ve been trying to get loose since I woke up.” With one final, painful tug, she managed to slip one hand free. Dana cast aside the rope that had held her hands then went to untie him. As she worked she noticed he was holding a scrap of paper tightly in his fist.

“We need to pry some boards away from that window as quickly and quietly as possible,” he said, pointing. “And while we work you’ll need to listen to me carefully and remember everything I’m going to tell you.”

Together, they began the arduous task of trying to force the boards loose. He pried them with his belt buckle while she used a large nail she’d found on the floor. “These men have no intention of letting me live,” he said. “I know too much about their plans and they know I’ll do everything in my power to stop them. Your own future is in question as well, particularly now.”

“The list of names the man said you gave him…was a fake?”

“No, but I wish it had been. There was no way I could stop myself. All my training, wasted…What I have to do now is destroy the list and hope they won’t be able to remember very many names. The man who took the list also dragged me back into this room so I managed to pick his pocket. But the paper tore, and I only got half. I’ll have to get the other part that’s still in his pocket,” he added, shaking his head.

“First, we get out of here. Then we’ll find a phone and call the police. They can handle these men,” she said in a whisper.

He shook his head. “Listen and remember,” he whispered urgently. “A man named Ignacio Trujillo is behind what’s happened to us. His name was mentioned in front of me, something they wouldn’t have done unless they’d already planned on killing me. We were kidnapped because Trujillo wanted that list of names they forced out of me. He intends to murder those people.”