Marli slipped a gun out of her purse and pointed it at Elsha.

“Wel,l your employers are paying good money to get you back,” she said when Elsha’s face turned pale with shock.

“Marli, how can you, we’re friends, back when we were children I saved you from the faculty bullies, the professors—”

“Oh yea, blah, blah, blah…” Marli waved Elsha’s protests aside as if they were nothing. “Like you said, you gotta do just about anything to eat nowadays.”

Elsha looked like she was about to vomit, or something.

Marli laughed and put the gun away. “Fooled ya,” she said.

Elsha struggled to catch her breath. “That was a very cruel thing to do,” she snapped, her fear transposing to anger.

“’Tis a lesson learned,” Marli added. “Mayhap you won’t be trusting so quickly next time. Someone like you should trust no one. Not even family.”

“I, I guess…” Elsha faltered. “What can I do now?”

“Go hide, once we’ve shot your brother.”

“What…?”

“She’s in there!” Her brother’s voice was followed by the sound of gunfire.