I lean against the metal table, folding my arms while I watch her pace across the narrow room.
“That’s the idea,” I reply quietly, following the restless line of her movement from one wall to the other.
She stops in front of me. “You’re agreeing too quickly.”
“I’m not agreeing quickly,” I answer. “I’m agreeing because the alternative gets worse every hour we stay here.”
Her eyes narrow. “You’re not arguing.”
“There isn’t much to argue about,” I tell her. “If Ivan moves us somewhere new, whatever small advantage we have here disappears.”
“But you’re not saying it won’t work either.”
“No,” I admit after a moment. “I’m saying it’s the only real chance we’re going to get.”
She studies my face, searching for any sign of doubt. “You actually think it’s possible?”
“I think it’s necessary,” I reply. “Those two things don’t always mean the same thing.”
Lila glances toward the door again, her attention drawn to the muffled sounds moving through the corridor beyond it. “They’ll notice if we’re gone.”
“Yes,” I say, pushing away from the table.
“And they’ll shoot us if we run.”
“They might,” I acknowledge. “But if we stay here long enough, Ivan might shoot us anyway.”
She studies me for another second before giving a short nod. “Okay.”
The decision forms in her posture before she speaks it aloud. The restless energy that had been driving her pacing changes into focus. “What do we need?”
“Timing,” I tell her.
“And opportunity,” she adds.
“Yes.”
Lila glances toward the metal table where the empty bottles from earlier still sit. “They’ll bring more water.”
“Eventually,” I reply, leaning against the wall now and letting my hand rest briefly against my abdomen.
“That woman, Maria?”
“Most likely,” I answer, glancing toward the door as if expecting it to open any second.
She’s the only person who has stepped into this room without the detached indifference the other guards seem to live behind.
Lila watches me, reading the direction my thoughts have already begun to take.
“You think she’d help us?” she questions.
“I honestly don’t know,” I admit, folding my arms loosely as I consider the possibility again. “But she didn’t look comfortable the last time she was here.”
“But you’re thinking about it.”
“I’m thinking about anything that gives us even the smallest advantage,” I tell her, meeting her eyes. “Right now, that list isn’t very long.”
Her eyes move toward the door again. “If she comes alone…”
