CHAPTER 18

"Oh, right. I'm in the Witness Protection Program. I have a team of police officers I'm supposed to contact if I get in trouble, Teddy, Dan, Harry but they weren't there when I called."

"Is Aya your real name?"

She sighed. "I don't really feel safe saying my real name, My name is Aya Mayhem."

He touched her shoulder. "You feel very alive to me."

She squeezed her eyes shut. "I lost my family. I can never see them again."

"Tell me about them." Malcolm glanced at the clock. Twelve minutes to go.

She opened her eyes and gazed, unfocused, into the distance. "I have a two siblings, both younger than me. We were very close, growing up, 'cause all we had was each other. My dad works

for the government, so we grew up in a lot of foreign countries."

"Such as?"

"Norway, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Belgium."

Malcolm exchanged a glance with Erling.