This was not going well. Lauren had assured Janus safe passage into Mexico, and here they were barely into Panama, with angry men shooting at them. This fact was not lost on Janus, who was giving off glares that would have lit Lauren on fire.

As Lauren followed Janus down a small side hallway, they saw a man who looked rather like a rat step quickly out of a door. “Ah … Janus,” he said smoothly, stopping Janus dead. “Would you please be so kind as to come with me?”

As the man pulled Janus into the room from which he’d come, Lauren went to follow, but the door slammed shut in her face. She tried to open it, with no luck. She removed a small pin from her hair and started to attempt to pick the lock, but she met with little success.

Luckily, the gunshots had stopped, and Lauren could see no evidence of the ones who’d been firing on them. She leaned against the wall. Need to find the item. Need to find Janus. Need to get the hell out of here. How in the hell do I do that?