Page 9 of Defiance
Logan froze.
Every muscle in his body locked in place as the enormity of Jacob’s words sank in.
Jacob had said he could get someone in there who was on their side, but Logan didn’t want it to be him, for fuck’s sake. How was he supposed to stand by and watch while Cole was questioned? Paul’s men wouldn’t go easy on him.
How can I stand idly by while they hurt him?
Every part of him wanted to scream in protest, but he clenched his jaw tight, only offering a small nod that he understood.
“Lucky you.” Paul grinned, and Logan’s lip curled up in a snarl.
He made no effort to suppress the growl that rumbled out. “Fuck off,” he hissed. “It’s only your fucked-up team that delights in torturing people.”
“We do it for the good of the pack becausesomeonehas to.” Paul’s expression sobered. “Contrary to what you might think, we don’t actually enjoy it.” Logan remembered the excitement in Tim’s eyes and begged to differ. “But the people we interrogate—including Cole—could well have information that is vital to uncovering those involved in the human resistance and helping to put a stop to it. If spilling the blood of one of them spares hundreds of lives, then I think it’s worth it, don’t you?”
Shifter lives, you mean.
Logan doubted Paul gave a shit about human lives.
But all Logan could do was agree. What other choice did he have?
“You’re right, of course.” He hoped the words sounded more sincere than they felt.
Jacob turned to Paul. “I’d like a few moments alone with Logan.”
Paul stood. “I was going to escort him to Cole’s room; they’ll no doubt have started.”
“I’ll take him. I only need a minute or two.”
“Fine.” Paul gave them both one last look, then stalked out, leaving the door ajar.
“Petty arsehole,” Jacob muttered as he walked over to close it, shutting them off from the outside. He gestured at the four cameras in the corners of the room, and Logan watched as the red lights went off. “We have exactly one minute before they come back on,” he said, quickly taking the chair Paul had left.
“We have an ally in with Cole already, but he’ll be limited as to what he can do. Two other members of Paul’s team are in there and we can’t risk him being found out. They’re going to hurt him, Logan, probably already have, and you cannot interfere with that. Cole knew what he could face, and he agreed to go ahead with it regardless.” He reached for Logan’s hand. “You need to remember that, and that whatever they do... he’ll heal.”
“I know.”
“Good, because one wrong move from you and they’ll know. Then we’re all fucked.”
Logan swallowed thickly.
Why had they come back?
Oh yeah, to start a fucking revolution.
“You need to go in there and ask the questions in such a way that Cole doesn’t have to lie. If you can. I don’t care if you piss the others off by butting in. Michael wanted you in there, so he can deal with the consequences.” He glanced at the cameras just as the red light came back on. “I know it won’t be pleasant,” he whispered, smile wry for anyone watching. “But that’s why it’s a punishment.” Jacob stood, so Logan did the same and the two of them walked out of the room. “Let’s get this over with.”
* * *
The doorto interrogation room two was innocuous—the same as the other four doors in that corridor, but to Logan it might as well have had a big red X on it.
Jacob pressed the buzzer and leant close to Logan as they waited for someone to answer. “There’s three in there with him. Jez, Rich, and Smith.”
As Paul’s team went, those three were probably among the better ones. Logan liked Jez and Smith. Rich had wankerish tendencies, but he wasn’t anywhere near as bad as some of them.
Had Cole got lucky? Or had Michael done this on purpose?
He had to be aware of what Paul’s team were like. Logan felt a small flare of hope that Michael had picked those three because at the end of the day he still wanted Cole in his pack.
