Sweat slicked my palms at the thought of being in a prison cell for the rest of my life. Never seeing the light of day…
Don’t think about it.
The lock released, and I hurried down the stairs into the bright white subterranean corridor.
When I opened the door to the observation booth a few minutes later, I pulled up short at the sight of Holt’s glower.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded. “I thought you were supposed to go home and sleep.”
“What are you doing here?” Holt retorted. “You’re supposed to be in there, questioning him.” He jabbed a finger at the bank of video screens displaying various angles of Grandin sitting shackled to a steel table in a featureless room.
“And I will be,” I snapped. “I just wanted to scope him out first. But since you’re here anyway, you can tell me what you’ve asked him so far.”
Holt snorted. “Doesn’t matter. He hasn’t said a word. Ask him anything you want.”
“Hm.” I studied the video screens, noting Grandin’s headdress of electrodes and the electronic case on the small table near him. “Was it a good idea to leave the lie detector in there with him? It’s classified techn-”
“Fuck, Kelly, you think I’m a fucking idiot?” Holt jerked forward in his chair, his fists clenching. “He’s shackled to the fucking table so he can’t reach it. And just in case he somehow got free, I’ve had security personnel watching him the whole time I was in Stemp’s fucking useless briefing. That was a total fucking waste of my time. There was no damn reason for me to be there at all.” His jaw jutted as if daring me to piss him off again.
I dared.
“You should say ‘fuck’ one more time. You missed using it in that last sentence.”
“Fuck off,” he snarled.
I grinned. “Nailed it.”
A grudging smile fought its way onto his craggy features. “Not bad, eh?”
“Yep, you looked feral.” I lifted my upper lip with a fingertip to display my teeth in a parody of his snarl. “You should have shown Grandin that face. He would have talked for sure.”
“Wouldn’t have done any good,” Holt grumbled. “That asshole knows he’s sitting pretty while he’s under surveillance. Give me a few minutes off-camera with him and I’ll have him begging to tell us whatever we want to know.”
I sighed. “Yeah, it doesn’t seem fair that he should be able to murder an FBI agent in cold blood and then hide behind the laws he was supposed to be upholding.”
“Murder an FBI agent, shoot an MI6 agent with intent to murder, and drug and kidnap one of ours,” Holt corrected. “Which reminds me, how did you get back here this morning? I thought you weren’t supposed to drive for twenty-four hours after you’d been drugged with ketamine.”
“I drove. I’m fine.” I changed the subject. “So did you really question him all night?”
“I grabbed a few naps between sessions, but I had the guards make sure he stayed awake all night. He’s tired now. He should crack any time.”
A glance at Grandin’s slumped posture gave me a pang of unwanted sympathy. “Looks like he’s sleeping now, just sitting in the chair. Has he had anything to eat or drink? Bathroom break?”
Holt rolled his shoulders, massaging the back of his neck as if to ease aching muscles. “Yeah, the guards gave him breakfast and took him to the can. Not that he deserved it. You going soft or something, Kelly?”
“I just don’t want to be in there when he shits his pants.”
Holt barked out a laugh. “As if you’re going to scare the shit out of anybody.”
“I have,” I said shortly. “It’s overrated.”
Holt scowled. “Then stop wasting time and get your ass in there. I’ll be here to take over when you give up.”
“I thought you had orders to go home.”
“Quit stalling, Kelly.” Holt gave me a narrow smile. “Unless you’re too scared to go in.”
“You’re such an asshole.” I yanked the door open and marched out.
Back in the corridor, I hesitated at the door to the interrogation room and tried to ignore the quizzical scrutiny of the guard stationed beside it.
Dammit, I didn’t have any idea how to make Grandin talk. I had studied the Department’s interrogation resource guides, but I didn’t have the kind of real-life experience Holt had. My interrogation experience came from cajoling expense reports out of my bookkeeping clients.
And extracting intel from criminals under threat of torture. Guilt twisted my guts at the memories.
Worst of all, Holt the Magnificent would be watching my every move. If I made some rookie mistake, he’d never let me hear the end of it.
Dammit.
I clenched my teeth and walked into the interrogation room. Grandin stiffened awake but didn’t raise his head.
“Good morning,” I said.
His head jerked up, surprise flickering across his face before he schooled his expression to blankness and stared at the wall.
Pulling out a chair across the table from him, I eyed him for a moment before dropping into it so he wouldn’t see my knees trembling.
Shit, what should I do? What question could I ask that Holt hadn’t already hammered at him umpteen times through the long night?
I stared at Grandin.
Grandin stared at the wall.
Maybe he’d start talking if I said nothing.
After several minutes of silence, he hadn’t moved or spoken. Had barely even blinked.
A furtive itch crept up my leg.
Shit, please tell me there isn’t a spider crawling on me.
I resisted the urge to scratch my leg. Be silent. Motionless.
The tickle climbed to my knee.
My nose itched. My arm itched.
Patience…
Itchy prickles skittered across my scalp like tiny bug feet.
Oh God, Skidmark had borrowed my car. What if he had head lice? Those revolting little creepy-crawlies had three long hours to creep up out of the upholstery and burrow into my long thick hair, GROSS!
I convulsively scratched my scalp.
Okay, outwaiting Grandin wasn’t an option.
“So…” My voice came out in an uncertain croak. “Um… I hear you like Gummi Bears.”
Grandin’s gaze twitched in my direction, his eyes pinching in confusion.
“You like them a lot. ’Way too much, in fact,” I went on, warming to my story. “That was a pretty disgusting video of you masturbating with them. What’s so special about the red ones, anyway?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” After a sleepless night of disuse Grandin’s voice was a dry rasp.
Got him. I hid my surge of triumph.
“Oh, come on, don’t be coy,” I prodded. “You obviously have an exhibitionist streak, since you filmed yourself doing it.”
“You’re nuts.” He pressed his mouth shut and resumed staring at the wall.
I smiled and relaxed, clasping my hands behind my head and stretching out my legs. “Seriously, you’re not even going to own it? We know it’s you in the video. We can see your face, and we captured a digital fingerprint from the corner of the footage when you grabbed the camera to pull it in for a closeup of your dick.”
His gaze flicked to me again before returning resolutely to the wall.
“It was pretty funny the way you humped that bag of red ones.” I dropped my hands to my lap and did some pelvic thrusts, half-closing my eyes and grunting, “Gummi. Gummi. Oh baby…”
A muscle twitched in Grandin’s cheek.
I leaned down to peek under the table at his crotch. “Wow, you’re getting a hard-on just thinking about it. Those red ones must be really something.”
“I am not!” he barked. “And you don’t have a video, because it never happened.”
“Sure it did. But the red Gummi Bears must not be as special to you as…” I dropped my voice to a seductive singsong. “…the yellow ones.” Resuming my normal tone, I we
nt on, “That was some sick shit you did with them. Literally. How long did it take you to wash the yellow goo off your ass when you were done?”
Grandin said nothing, but the muscle jumped in his cheek again.
Leaning forward, I whispered, “But even that wasn’t as sick as what you did next. You’re gonna be famous when that hits the internet.”
“THERE’S NO VIDEO!” Grandin’s sudden bellow and jerk at his shackles made me rock back in the chair despite the knowledge that he couldn’t get to me.
Giving him a slow smile, I purred, “Oh, you’re so wrong. Do you know how long it takes to fake a porn video? Any recreational hacker worth his salt can do it overnight. And a true professional? Ha. By now you’ve got a whole series. You’re the Great Gummi-Fucker. Just wait ’til you see the episode where you lick up your own-”
“Kelly!” Holt’s sudden bark made me twitch as he strode through the door.
“Damn, don’t startle me like that,” I complained.
“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded, but under his scowling brow I spotted the devilish glint in his eyes.
“Nothing.” I gave him an innocent look.
“You’re supposed to be questioning the prisoner.”
I leaned back in my chair with a dismissive wave. “Fuck him. I don’t want him to talk. If he does, we’ll have to keep him here; and we don’t have the death penalty. But in a few more hours the FBI will come for him, and then I’ll get to watch him fry in the electric chair.”
“Huh.” Holt leaned a shoulder against the wall, crossing his arms as if in thought. “I think they use a lethal injection in most states.”
“That’s okay. I hear it can be pretty slow and painful.”
“Yep,” Holt agreed. “I heard about this one guy that took more than an hour to die; and they’d screwed up the anaesthetic, too, so he felt every second of the poison burning inside him.”
I shrugged. “That’ll be fun to watch. But not as much fun as the videos. Whichever prison he ends up in, I’ll make sure those videos get there first. The other prisoners are gonna love the Great Gummi-Fucker to death.” I gave Grandin a wolfish grin.
Grandin slumped in his chair. “Okay, fine, you can cut the crap. I just needed some time to think things through, and The Mouth there…” He shot a glare at Holt. “…wouldn’t shut up long enough so I could hear myself think.”
“So who’s your contact?” Holt demanded.
Grandin sat back with a smile. “Not so fast, Mouth. First you cut me a deal.”
Holt snorted. “I don’t deal.”
“Then I don’t talk.”
“Suit yourself,” Holt snapped. “Come on, Kelly. I want to see those videos.”
“You’re going to laugh your ass off,” I said as I rose. “The look on his face is just priceless while he’s fucking those red ones.”
Holt laughed as we exited the room, closing the door behind us.
Out in the hallway, I muttered, “You know we’ll likely have to negotiate with him.”
“Probably, but let him sweat a bit first. We can’t cut a deal without Stemp’s say-so anyway.”
“Well, at least he’s talking now.”
Holt grinned. “Yeah. Are we good or what? Boo-yah!” He held out his fist for a fist-bump, which I reciprocated. As he lowered his hand he pulled his brows into a mock frown. “But seriously, Kelly. The Great Gummi-Fucker? Lame.”
I smirked. “It was the best I could do on short notice. But it’s okay. The only thing worse than having the world know you perform unnatural acts with Gummi Bears is having the world know you perform unnatural acts with Gummi Bears and you’ve chosen the lamest nickname ever.”
Holt eyed me, grinning. “You’re one sick puppy, you know that?”
“Thank you.” I sketched a bow.
He turned to face the guard’s open-mouthed expression. “Watch the prisoner. We’ll be back.” Turning back to me, he said, “Come on, let’s go report to Stemp.” As we walked down the corridor, Holt added, “You didn’t actually have time to fake any porn videos, did you?”
“No.” I considered for a moment. “But I know a guy who’s tapped into some major kink. I could probably get some pretty fast. Videos,” I added hurriedly before Holt could misconstrue my meaning. “Get some videos. Not ‘get some’. I wouldn’t touch this guy with a ten-foot rubber-coated pole boiled in antiseptic.”
Holt’s lip curled. “Nice. Anyhow, I figured you’d be getting yours from Kane. Or that Hellhound guy that was all over you. You doing him, too?”
“None of your business.” Hoping I wouldn’t blush, I held my head high and stared straight ahead.
“You’re blushing.” Holt let out an incredulous laugh. “Well, shit. Never thought Kane would be pussywhipped enough to share his main squeeze with another guy, but what the hell; I learn something new every day.”
Damn my telltale redhead’s skin. My cheeks burned.
I kept my gaze trained forward. “You’re such a disgusting prick. I’m not going to respond to any of that.”
“No need. Your face says it all.” He nudged me with a lascivious elbow. “Hey, Kelly, if the two of them can’t keep you satisfied, I can-”
I spun, flinging out my palm in a ‘stop’ gesture only millimetres from his face. “Now you’re over the line.”
Holt jerked to a halt and backpedalled a step. “Sorry.”
I waited for the next gibe that would force me to rip out his tongue and strangle him with it, but he said nothing. We stood staring at each other from close range.
After a moment, I said, “Okay, then.”
We walked up the stairs to the time delay chamber in silence.
Chapter 3
Inside the hushed confines of the time-delay chamber, Holt spoke again. “I am sorry, Kelly. I didn’t mean to push it that far. I know I can be an asshole sometimes, but…” He grimaced. “…I start joking around with you and forget you’re not just one of the guys.”
Deadpan, I said, “So you’re saying you hit on all the guys?”
At the sight of his popeyed expression, I couldn’t suppress a snicker.
“No, I don’t hit on guys, for fucksakes!” Holt scowled, but I could see the worried sincerity in his eyes. “I’m just saying I didn’t mean to-”
“Forget it,” I interrupted. “We’re good. But you can stop being an asshole any time. Sooner would be better.”
He snorted. “Easy for you to say. Being an asshole is my life’s work.” We shared a wry grin as the chamber door opened into the main floor reception area.
When we arrived outside Stemp’s office, the door was closed.
I peeked through the sidelight. “He’s gone.”
“Huh. I can’t believe the guy actually takes a piss every now and then like a normal human being.”
I glanced behind us, expecting Stemp to materialize with his usual impeccable timing, but the corridor remained empty.
“Maybe he left for the day,” I suggested.
“Stemp?” Holt gave me an ‘are-you-kidding?’ look. “The guy’s a robot. The only reason he ever goes home is so we don’t catch him plugging himself into the wall and going into hibernation mode until work starts again.”
Another glance down the hallway assured me that Stemp wasn’t returning from the men’s room.
“It’s Sunday, and his parents are in town for a visit,” I said. “He might have gone home. I’ll check with the security desk.”
As I stepped into the nearby conference room to use the phone, Holt snorted. “Parents? You mean those hippy-dippy nutcases that call him ‘Cosmic River Stone’? No way those are his real parents. He was created by some unholy union between a snake and a cyborg.”
“Lay off, would you?” I shot Holt a frown, then transferred my attention to the phone as the security guard picked up.
“Hi, Leo, it’s Aydan,” I greeted him. “Has Stemp left for the day?”
“He’s just signing out. Do you need him?”
“Oh. Um…”
Damn, for once in his life Stemp was trying to take some time off. I hated to spoil that for him…
“Never mind.” Leo’s voice interrupted my deliberations. “He’s already on his way back to his office. He’ll be there in a minute.”
I sighed. “Thanks. ’Bye.”
“He’s on his way up,” I told Holt.
We waited in silence for several minutes.
“What the hell’s taking him?” Holt asked, but before I could reply Stemp appeared at the top of the stairs.
His gaze sharpened as he strode down the deserted corridor. “Developments?” he asked as he unlocked his office and motioned us inside.
“Yep,” Holt said smugly as Stemp closed the door behind him. “Grandin’s ready to talk.”
“Well done, Kelly,” Stemp said.
A muscle ticked in Holt’s jaw and I hurriedly corrected, “Greg and I tag-teamed him. Now he wants to negotiate.”
“Excellent.”
“I told him we won’t deal,” Holt said. “I figured we can let him sweat over that for a while.”
Stemp lifted one shoulder in a fractional shrug. “Don’t take too long. Let me know when you’ve negotiated a deal that satisfies you and I’ll pitch it to the chain of command. You’ll also head up the investigation into who paid him to capture Kelly. Dismissed.”
Holt drew himself up, his ego visibly inflating along with his chest. “On it.” He strode out of the office, a rock-jawed steely-eyed action hero trailing an invisible cape blazoned with ‘Holt The Magnificent’.
Somehow I managed not to groan. “Will I be assisting Holt?” I asked without much hope.
“No.”
Feeling inexplicably slighted, I blurted, “Why not?”
A moment later I bit my tongue. What the hell was wrong with me? I should be thrilled that Holt was handling it.
“You have yet to file your reports from your last mission. You also have your own assignments, which will require all your time; and which are less likely to be dangerous.” Stemp gave me an incisive look. “When you have completed your post-incident psych evaluation, I will re-evaluate your status.”
“Holt hasn’t done his psych evaluation yet, either,” I protested, reasonably secure in guessing that he wouldn’t have had time.
Friends In Spy Places Page 2
