The machine did not care about Caleb.

But Sal did, and his brother-in-law did, and in the end the ordinary decency of a few real people was enough to stop the machine and undo what it had done.

Chapter 26 — Paid in Full

For a moment, no one in that kitchen spoke.

Caleb pulled back from me and stared at Sal, and then at the manila envelope, his eyes wide with something that was slowly, cautiously turning into hope.

“The debt is gone?” he stammered.