Cassie DePeckel

As they're getting up, they hear a camp gate opening a hundred yards distant.

Two fences circle the camp, both topped with barbed wire.

The outer fence stands eight feet tall and is covered with bamboo, blocking the outside world.

When the gate opens, it's a rare chance to glimpse the world beyond the camp.

So Cobb and Williams hurry that way.

Cobb suspects that more prisoners are arriving, but instead of a transport truck, a single car pulls up.

And when Cobb looks closer, she sees that an unusual number of guards have gathered, at least half of the 200 here.

They're milling around as if nervous.

When someone shouts something in Japanese, they all snap to attention.

Cobb grabs William's arm.

I bet the new commandant is here.

Let's size him up.

By the time they arrive, several Japanese guards have rushed forward to open the commandant's car door and help him out.

When she catches a glimpse, she freezes in her tracks.

She's staring at the commandant, his thin mustache, his crooked smile, his stained teeth, and as always, the bottle of sake.

He catches Cobb's eye, looking amused.

But Cobb isn't laughing.

Their new commandant is none other than their old commandant at Santa Tomas, Sadaki Kanishi.

Panic surges through Cobb, and her heart flutters in her chest wildly.

This is her nightmare.