After a time of darkness during which he is questioned, Borlú wakes in a room in a crosshatched zone. He looks out a window but cannot tell where he is. Just then, a figure—“a cutout of darkness, a lack” (290)—appears, ordering him to sit. He and several others with expressionless faces enter the room. They introduce themselves as Breach. The shooter, Borlú suddenly remembers, was one of the nationalists he encountered during his investigation. Rodriguez’s murder, apparently, is of less concern to them because, unlike Borlú, the shooter never breached. They ask about Rodriguez and Geary, about Orciny. He tries to escape, but one of them overpowers him easily. When they continue to ask about Orciny, Borlú realizes they are just as clueless as he is. They are seeking information.

They show Borlú a film of Bowden and Dhatt’s interrogation, which shows both denying the existence of Orciny. They ask once again what Borlú knows about Orciny. He agrees to help them under the condition that Geary’s killer is punished (hoping also to gain some leverage to get out of Breach). He claims to know where Orciny is.