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Sam sat down on the desk and unobtrusively fumbled for the letter opener. "You are an enterprising man." she flattered Lapuente. Sam spread her legs and touched his foot with his foot. Amazed, he looked around.

Sam turned his back. "Today my body is clean." Her numb fingers closed on the letter opener. She waved her index finger at Lapuente.

With a stupid expression on her face, the prison director approached. From his half-open mouth hung a silver thread of saliva.

"You want a solo contribution?" he greedily grinned at Sam.

Sam tensed his muscles and thrust the letter opener into his left cheek. The blade penetrated his skin, like a hot knife slipping through butter. The blade severed his skin and muscles. Sam jerked the letter opener forward.

Tacky his blood ran down her hand. The director squeaked and blew like a stoned pig. Again and again he tried to attach the two skin flaps to his face.

He looked as if he were grinning to his ears on the left side. Sam glided smoothly from the desk and rammed the letter opener into his stomach. Again and again she had the blade puffed up until he was only weakly twitching on his desk.

Sam opened the big window. She measured the distances of the curved bars with appraising eyes. They served primarily as an ornament and not to thwart escape attempts. Lapuente was slim, that would work.

The director's breath faltered as Sam balanced him to the window. Sam peered through the bars but could not make out any dogs in the yard from the first floor. She whistled shrilly on two fingers and suddenly two black shadows broke from the darkness and trotted into the middle of the yard.

"Brave little dog," she praised Sam. The director's body hung like a wet sack between two bars. She bent his arm over his head and heard a thumping crack as she either dislocated his joint or broke his arm.

Sam remained calm. A broken arm was probably his least problem. She pushed and kicked Lapuente's body until his slender ass slid through the bars. Sam held his lower leg tight for a moment. From below she heard the greedy growl of the dogs.

"For Jessica." With these words she let go of his legs. Slowly his remaining body slipped through the bars and he disappeared from Sam's field of vision. Only a few dark blood stains remained.

Let the dogs do the rest. Sam pushed the intercom button. "It's over."

She went to Li and helped her to lie down on the couch. Sam was still sitting with her when Brutus hastily entered the room and looked around wildly. "Where is he?"

Sam nodded toward the desk. "In the yard."