"You're resourceful." His voice was deep and dark and raspy. His words made her shiver with dread. He didn't sound particularly mad about her escape attempt. He didn't sound anything at all. His total lack of emotion was more frightening than if he'd bellowed in anger.

Silence almost sobbed with relief when the leather strap gave way. She clawed at the second strap, getting it undone. Not pausing to even think about why he was allowing her to do so, she sawed at the strap around her waist. Blood from several shallow wounds on her wrist dripped down her fingers making it more difficult for her to work.

"How do you plan to get past me?" His question was thoughtful, almost as though he was curious about her intentions.

His voice was closer now, coming from the deep shadows behind her. The last restraint fell away and she lurched from the chair. She whirled around to face where she thought he was. She couldn't see a thing.

"Stay away from me. I'll kill you if I have to."

No reply. But she knew he was there in the dark watching. Tucking her short blade in her jacket pocket, she grabbed up her larger one. She wished she had a gun but they were in short supply and given to the men and women who went out daily on patrol in the outer city. Somehow she felt all the weapons in the world wouldn't do her any good against this man.

"Who are you?" she demanded. Her voice was little more than a croak. Her throat was slightly swollen bruised and fear made it close even more.

"Who are you?" he countered. She circled slowly. He sounded as though he was on the other side of the room. She damned the shadows that made it impossible for her to track him. There should be some indication of his movement-a stray sound, a breath, a wavering of the air. But there was nothing.

The man was a phantom.

She took a step back and hit the edge of the table. The candle teetered and fell to one side, its flame flickering before being extinguished. Darkness descended. Silence got a sick feeling in the pit of her belly. She had no idea how to get out.

Moving forward, she tried not to make a sound as she headed toward where she'd first sensed him in the room. It made sense that the entrance would be somewhere around there.

As before, there was no sound, no tell-tale giveaway, but she sensed him as he moved in behind her. Before she could react, his wrists wrapped around hers. He didn't squeeze them, but his fingers pressed some pressure points. Her hands opened and her knife fell the floor, clattering on the dirt and stones.

He bent her elbows, crossing her arms over her chest. Because of the way he held her, his arms were crossed over her chest too. He surrounded her totally, much like the darkness.

"I don't want to hurt you." His voice was little more than a murmur in her ear. His breath ruffled the hair on the back of her neck, tickling the sensitive skin.

Silence licked her lips almost afraid to ask, "What do you want?"

The heat from his body seeped into her back, warming her. He was so warm and she was so cold. She wanted to lean against him and soak up his heat, but she held herself erect and as far away as his grip would allow. There was no safety, no solace to be found here.

"What's your name?"

She thought about it and then decided that telling him might be in her favor. Maybe he knew her brother. It was possible Adrian's name might get her out of here alive. "Silence. My name is Silence."

He chuckled and the raspy sound stroked over her skin sending goose bumps down her arms. "Very apt. You're an excellent tracker."

"Obviously not good enough," she countered, unable to keep the bitterness from her tone. Her entire life, it was the one skill she had that separated her from others. It had given her a place of respect within the resistance movement.

"No." He rubbed his chin over the top of her head. "Not good enough."

The matter of fact way he said it made her feel like more of a failure and that made her angry. Anger was a much better emotion to focus on than defeat. She could use anger to her advantage. "Who are you?" She figured if she asked him enough times, he just might answer her. And as long as he was talking to her, he wasn't killing her, which was definitely a plus in her books.