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@Dakota @emberynus-the-dragonslayer @kari-karast @urwen-starial @mayacat @esmeralda-gramilton @kayla-skywriter (desperately hope no one’s slipping my mind)

PHEW! Okay, I’ve got my characters’ next pieces ready.

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<p style=”text-align: left;”>Gerik’s fists tightened in his pockets. What’s that boy doing here? he thought, his teeth gritting. It doesn’t matter. He’s pulled the Mockingbirds off our scent. An ugly, bitter thought slid through his mind like algae. I hope he keeps their attention for a while. He deserves all he can get.</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Suddenly, his lowered head bumped into something. He looked up into a familiar old face.</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>“Gamma 6.5,” he said, reminding himself to use the aged apothecary’s code name. The man stared him intensely in the eye.</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>“Have you seen him?”</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Gerik met his gaze. “Seen who?”</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>“Kiet. The boy who works with me.”</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Gerik’s nostrils flared at the name. Kiet, he thought. That’s right. That’s what his name was.
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Kedori watched as the officers and the young woman disappeared with his friend into the dark stone tower. He dug his fingers deeper into his dog’s fur.</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>I wish there was something I could do, he thought, tears stinging his eyes. I hope he’ll be all right. That tower—it’s an awful place.</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>He squeezed his eyes shut. Hoping’s not enough. I know what happens there. So few people that go in come out unscathed. Few enough ever come out at all. His heart pounded in his ears. What if he doesn’t? What if I never see him again?</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>A shaky breath slipped from his lips. But what if I did. . . what if I helped him escape? What if—</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>No! Kedori blinked. I can’t. It would be treason! I’d be betraying the whole city.</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>But if I don’t. . . I’d be betraying him.
___</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Kiet braced himself and gritted his teeth as the woman’s gentle hands pulled his wounded leg into her lap. She’ll have to extract the bullet first, he thought, his jaw tightening. Then clean it out, pack it, dress it— He bit back a cry as she pressed near the shot. Breathe, he tried to tell himself, but panic stretched its fingers across his mind regardless.</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Then the pain started.
—
By the time the young woman finished with his leg, Kiet was exhausted. His face was streaked with dried tears, his throat tight and sore from trying and failing to stifle the screams. A trembling breath, nearly a sob, escaped his lips.</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>“Are you done?” a gruff voice said above him. Suddenly, rough hands grabbed his arms and jerked him up.</p>
<p style=”text-align: left;”>“Take him to the interrogation room,” another man’s voice said. “We’re ready.”</p>
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Dakota, I’m thinking maybe Rob interrupts Gerik’s conversation?

Also, what does everyone think about the details of the interrogation? I’d like to hold off on writing Kiet’s next part until I’ve got people’s opinions on how it works. Not sure how much I’ll cover, but I’d like to make sure what I do end up writing is correct.