CHAPTER 53 “Find your tongue, or lose it.”
The earth was not hard, but the digging was difficult. The sandy dirt slid back into the hole as fast as Renato could scoop it out.
So consumed was he that he did not immediately register the smell. There was no gradual strengthening of scent, as before. By the time he noticed it, the rancid odor filled the entire enclosure. He was no longer alone.
Continuing to dig, he scraped a handful of sand close to his waist. Quick as a snake, he tore the dagger from his belt and swept the blade in a wide arc behind him. With it went the handful of sand, straight for the intruder’s face.
With seeming ease, the man stepped out of range, allowing the dagger to sweep past, then moved back in, catching Renato’s wrist in a grip of iron.
Renato took stock of
