Alif and Dina arrive back at their apartment building, where they find a man standing out front “looking like he owns it” (64). Alif receives a text identifying Intisar’s fiancé as the Hand and, with sinking clarity, realizes the state agent is here for him. Alif sends Dina inside to smuggle his netbook out of the building. They go to Abdulla’s, where Alif explains how he left his computer connected to Intisar when the Hand hacked him and that the Hand now knows who Alif is. Worse, the copy of Alif’s program to identify people based on computer use is on Intisar’s computer, which means the Hand now has it, too.

Abdulla directs Alif and Dina to find Vikram the Vampire, “a black market thug” who may be able to protect them (73). They follow Abdulla’s directions, only to be captured by Vikram at his tent

Vikram is a jinn with “a predatory, unnerving humor” in his eyes (91). Alif explains their situation and asks Vikram for help. Vikram refuses, both because Alif can’t afford his service and because his help would get them in deeper trouble.