I barely recognized the figure standing between the security guards. His hat was gone, and his face was swollen and bloody with several teeth missing. He looked almost unhinged, eyes wide, mouth agape.
"This is Michael Townsend, and he wants to tell you about himself," said one of the men, giving the prisoner a shove. Michael stumbled forward, his eyes on the ground. He seemed even younger and more vulnerable than he did the night before.
"Tell them who you work for, boy."
The boy spoke slowly, his speech slightly slurred by his missing teeth and his swollen lips. "I don't-know-his name, but the guy who tried to take your dog, says he works for an organization that wants to make the world a better place. That's all I know—I swear to God—I was just—"
One of the men cut him off. "He met
