Page 72 of Wild Sentinel

Scott nodded to Horseshoe. He uncuffed me, grabbed my arm and helped me to my feet. His buddy had his weapon aimed at me. If I so much as flinched, he’d put a bullet into me.

Horseshoe cuffed my wrists behind my back.

They marched me out of the room and across the hall.

My eyes adjusted.

Another goon opened the door, and they escorted me at gunpoint into the room. Brooke was handcuffed to another chair, the bag still over her head. I hoped they hadn't smacked her around yet.

42

Brooke’s holding cell was set up in the same way mine had been. 1,000-watt yellow work lamps blasting at her, the black bag over her head, her hands cuffed to the legs of the chair. Curtains blacked out the window.

Scott, along with the two goons from the coffee shop and another from the helicopter, flooded into the space. There was another man in a suit who kept his distance, observing. The helicopter pilot was armed and seemed like he'd be handy in a fight.

With all of us in the room, it was pretty tight.

Brooke stiffened, sensing their presence in the room.

Scott approached and pulled the bag from her head. "It's so good to see you again."

She glared at him. "Fuck you, Scott."

"Oooh, touchy. Is that any way to greet your employer?”

"You’re not my employer.”

"It seems like you’ve been violating our nondisclosure agreement, leaking classified information. That's a serious crime.”

Brooke scoffed. "Like murder and kidnapping aren’t a crime."

Scott shrugged. "We're going to engage in an experiment. You like experiments, don't you?"

Brooke glared at him.

"We're going to see how much pain and discomfort Deputy Wild is willing to see you endure before he tells us everything he knows.”

Brooke’s eyes widened, and she swallowed hard. "He doesn't know anything.”

"We’re going to find out. Or you can save yourself a lot of heartache and just tell me where Adam is now. I'm going to find out eventually. Why go through all that pain and suffering?”

"I don't know where he is.”

"Don't lie to me. I know you know exactly where he is.” He stared at her for a moment.

Brooke looked up at him, growing uncomfortable, trying to put up a good front.

"I'm going to give you a choice.” Scott moved to a table with various implements of torture that could pry the truth from someone. Scott held up a ball-peen hammer. "I can start here. Smash fingers and thumbs. That would be fun, wouldn't it?"

Brooke tried to remain stoic.

Scott set the hammer down and picked up a pair of pliers. "We could go the old-fashioned way. I could pull your fingernails out one by one. I bet you’d talk then.” He set the pliers down and picked up a small blowtorch. He pulled the trigger, and the blue flame hissed. "Now this looks fun. Just think what this would do to the skin or an eyeball.” He shivered for dramatic effect, reveling in it.

Brooke shifted uncomfortably.

Scott moved closer to her with the blowtorch, and her eyes rounded with fear. He drew the blue flame close, and she recoiled. "Why don't you just tell me?”

I was helpless to stop it.