Thankfully she’d found my CD collection and arrived at the designated area the same time Victor did.
“Thanks, Jasmine,” I say, taking my CD wallet from her. Turning to Victor, I ask rather sheepishly, “Umm, can I borrow your CD player please?”
“Yes, I’ll get it for you now.” With curiosity lacing his voice, Victor asks, “Why do you need music?”
“Strangely enough, it helps me concentrate and extract information quicker.”
I don’t follow Victor when he goes to retrieve his CD player. Instead, I head back to the holding cell, flicking through my music.
“No, no, no, maybe, definitely not.” The last one I snort at. I’d forgotten I had it, but there was no way I was listening to pop music while interrogating someone. Now don’t get me wrong, I like pop music, but cheerful bouncy music with a happy vibe is definitely not appropriate for an interrogation. Granted, most people wouldn’t find any music suitable, or maybe it’s the interrogating most people would find inappropriate?
“Ah, yes, now we’re talking,” I crow in delight, drag out a mixed rock soundtrack from a vampire film I love, just to stop as Victor comes back and gives me a rather queer look.
Quickly taking the CD player from him, I insert my selected CD of choice. I go to open the door, but just in time remember it’s locked. Turning toward Victor, I look at him.
“Do you want me to interrogate him?”
“No, but I do need you to unlock the door,” I reply shaking my head in denial. “Victor, I’m going to assume you have cameras in there. I hope what you see doesn’t change what you think of me. I like you.”
Taking a deep breath at the look of growing puzzlement on Victor’s face, I continue, “I like you a lot, but what you might see me doing—” How can I explain the unexplainable? With a grimace of annoyance, I shake my head again. “Can you unlock the door please?”
****
Moving quickly Victor reaches the door and unlocks it. But blocks my way by stretching a muscled arm across it. He still wears his puzzled look, but his voice is calm.
“We’ll talk when you’re finished. This is not the first interrogation I have seen, and I’ve participated in many during my lifetime. There is nothing you will do that could possibly shock me. I’ve seen too much. Oh, and I like you, too,” Victor finishes his statement, stroking his fingers down the side of my face.
He opens the door and unlocks the cage. “Will you be all right in there on your own? I’ll have to lock both doors behind me for security measures, if you want me to stay, I will.”
“I’ll be fine, thank you, Victor. Lock me in.” I have to admit, I like his concern for me, but like it even more that he doesn’t insist he be the one to extract information, or even be in the room with me.
“We’ll be watching and listening. Be safe.”
****
Stepping into the cell, I sense Victor swing the door closed behind me and with a clang of finality he locks it. Next, he closes the outer door but doesn’t lock it. I place the CD player on the floor by the door.
“Now, I know you’re awake so you can stop pretending,” I inform the prisoner just before he springs off the bed and tries to jump me. Turning swiftly, I punch him in the solar plexus. “That was not nice,” I growl before grabbing him and dragging him to the chair.
I heft him up and plop him down on the chair as he struggles to catch his breath. I stroll back to the CD player and hit play. The opening chords start playing, and I notice a hitch in the wheezing coming from behind me.
“Now the first question I’m going to ask you is simple. What’s your name?”
“I’m not telling you, witch. You can’t make me,” he laughs.
“No? Okay, when you’re ready to tell me, let me know,” I reply with a friendly smile, just before I punch him in the face and break his nose.
“Ahhh, you broke my nose, you fucking bitch,” he garbles, as blood runs down his face.
“You will have lots more broken if you don’t tell me what I want to know,” I reply and kick him in the calf.
A scream of pure agony rips from his throat as his fibula bone gives a sickening crack. “Benny, my name’s Benny O’Brien, you crazy fucking cow.”
“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it, Benny?
Especially, since that was the easiest question. Why were you watching my grandmother’s house?”
“I was to wait for you to come back and take you in,” Benny mutters, before spitting at me.
“Take me where, Benny?” I ask with venom lacing my words.
Benny starts to shake and snivel. “I’m only doing what I’m told.” And then he tries to throw a punch at me.
I quickly deflect his punch, grab his wrist, and break his arm in one quick brutal maneuver. “Now Benny, just answer my questions and I’ll stop hurting you. Stop the screaming Benny, and answer my questions, then I’ll get you some help. Where were you going to take me?” I enquire, as I walk in a circle around him.
“I can’t believe you broke my arm,” sobs Benny, his voice laced with pain and shock. His chin trembles uncontrollably, and his pasty complexion looks even paler. He watches me circle him, not knowing when the next blow will come. I slam my fist into his cheekbone, breaking the bone.
With a scream of terror, Benny finally answers my question. “I was to take you to George Seabast the Fourth’s house,” he moans.
“What? Does he have my grandmother?” I demand, but to be honest I’m confused by this turn of events.
“Your grandmother? I don’t think so,” Benny sobs, sounding just as confused.
“Why were you hiding in the bushes staking out my grandmother’s house?” I growl.
“Ah…yeah, you, I was paid to take you, but I know nothing about your grandmother. I promise,” whines Benny. “Please, don’t hurt me anymore.”
“What does he want me for,” I snarl, looming over Benny with such savageness he starts to scream in terror.
With a disgusted look, I turn my back on him and walk toward the cell door. Benny lunges at me, and I turn just in time to see the manic look in his face turn to shock, as my fingers elongate into razor sharp claws. I slash my claws across his stomach.
“Oh Benny, you shouldn’t have done that,” I murmur, as I push him back into the chair and drive my claws through his thigh pinning him to the seat.
“Tell me what I need to know, and leave nothing out.” With my free hand, I call forth a flame, and cauterize his stomach wound.
“Now, let’s start again, and this time, I won’t be so easy on you.” I growl the final part, before swiping my hand out of his leg to push it through his side. I turn my claws into flames, and burn his wounds from the inside out, catheterizing the bleeding as his howls of pain echo through the cell.
“Stop, stop, please I’ll tell you,” Benny begs, as blood, snot and tears wash down his face mingling with his saliva.
“He wants to punish you for embarrassing him.” “That’s not all Benny, or you would have told me straight away. You wouldn’t have been stalking my grandmother’s house, if that was all. You know more than you’re telling me,” I inform him so quietly he has to strain to hear me.
I know the instant my words register, for his pasty face blanches even more until it’s turned a grayish green color.
“You knew!”
“Of course I knew.” I transform my fingers back into claws, and lash them across his stomach.
“Now before I spill your guts across this floor, tell me where my grandmother is. Trust me, Benny; this is your last chance.”
“George-Seabast-the-Fourth-has-her-at-his-place-in-a-shed-around-the-back.”
Benny pants as he rushes the sentence out in one long word. “Please, don’t hurt me anymore. I’ve told you the truth, honest,” he begs before bursting into even louder sobs.
“Don’t worry, Benny, I won’t hurt you any more unless I find out you have left anything out or lied to me. Then, I won’t go easy on you at all.” Before he can say anything else, I whisper a healing spell.
His wounds start to knit back together. I turn my back on him as he screams in pain, his bones mending and wounds closing. I walk toward the cell door again, this time I look up toward the ceiling, letting Jasmine know I was ready to leave. When I reach the door, Victor unlocks it, letting me out.
“Oh, and Benny, if anything has happened to even a hair on my grandmother’s head, what happened here will look like a party to what I will do to you.” I collect the CD player and leave, leaving Victor to lock up behind me, and Benny whimpering and screaming in pain and terror.