over the room. He noted the blood on the sheets, the

w now, wrapped in a black robe,

without turning around. "Ta

protocol is to return t

er said. "And she's.

to the guards

ed Arla in a wool blan

f a golf cart, took her to a sm

ssing a bundle of f

There are no personal items

e door, his ha

wo: You do not attempt to contact the outside wor

ut. The heavy oa

counted to sixty,

embling in her legs was gone. She walked to

iling: a small r

other red l

om, checked the corners. N

d water run. She splashed her face, scrub

e, low and rough. Always leav

her name, she

explore the

rp objects, no knives, only r

d the jun

er

rclip, wedged

and to her mouth, pretending to cough, and

y, Culver sat in front

ago," Julian said, reading from a tablet

rom the cottage. Arla was curled up o

marks," Culver said. "Dig deeper, I

amera, her fingernail was scratching a map into the fabric of the so

sed the int

mute," his voice e

k, trembling smile. Under her tongue, the pa