There was an intense pain in my head that throbbed with each beat of my heart. It made me wish that I was still unconscious. My body ached too. My joints felt stiff and ached as though I’d been sleeping in a very awkward position.

As the memory of the confrontation with Popescu returned to me, a numbing dread settled into me. I wasn’t able to fight them off. Manny had put something over my mouth, then… darkness.

I opened my eyes, but I couldn't see anything. ...