”“She was. And that’s how I got to go to Australia and Singapore, as well as get back to Japan.”“She told me. She also said you compensated ...er with a free trip to Australia!”“It was the least I could do! And speaking of that, is there anything I can do for you?”“Smuggle me out of this prison?”“I’m not quite sure how I’d do that!”“Smuggle IN an In-N-Out Burger?”“I hear those things are addictive!” I chuckled.“Have a ‘Double-Double’! You’ll see. And after nothing but liquids, I need some real. We shall recover Lady Maria.”“That’s not in doubt,” she said as the gold leaf-covered minarets atop the Presidential Palace came into view. The embassy was a few blocks away.“It may be the government that has her, Contessa.”“I don’t think so. Supreme Comrade and President-for-Life Kiburi enjoys beating his chest on television too much to be this quiet about it. And he knows better than to cross me. There’s a reason nobody stopped me from entering the country with sixteen men loaded down to. ‘Last Christmas I gave you my heart But the very next day you gave it away.’ It hit me like a freight train. The lyrics certainly meant more to me now than on Christmas Eve. I eventually went home and got back into work. Somehow I survived, I’m not sure how. Around March I made some investments for a major client that worked out really well for all concerned. The client was so impressed that they asked my firm to let me take over their complete portfolio. This was a major promotion for me and I. " That's wonderful, Emily. I'll make sure you'll have as much... Um..." Cannon searched for the right word."Smack." Emily quickly interjected."Is that what the kids call heroin." Mr. Cannon rhetorically asked. "Anyway, you'll have whatever $10,000 can buy you. Now please leave."Emily retreated, backwards. "Thank you sir, thank you!" She turned tail and briskly sped out of the hall, rubbing her arm.She'll probably have overdosed and be dead by morning, Cannon thought to himself.The door to the.