[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.I had aformal meeting with Marshal Connors the same as I requested one with MarshalBeaulieu.There would be no reason for me to break him out right away.""Unless you wanted us to think that." The man's stare was dark, uninviting, and seemed to burn through Boyd."Obviously your previous strategy didn't work, and mentioning thefirst incident would be a convenient excuse.""I would be pretty stupid to do something so obvious and then provide you with theexcuse right away if that were the case," Boyd said plainly, giving the man a sidelonglook."I know I have a lot to work on but I'm not an idiot.When I tell you I don't know, I don't know.""Hmm."The man stood, releasing his hold on Boyd's hair.Boyd started to look to the side whenthe man abruptly hit Boyd so violently on his left cheek that his head snapped to theright.The momentum threw him from the chair and, unable to move his arms, he hit thefloor hard.He squeezed his eyes shut and grit his teeth as pain spread across him."What's the matter?" the man asked calmly, walking over to Boyd's side and staringdown at him."I barely even hit you."Boyd didn't answer, gathering energy to push himself up.Before he could, the mansuddenly slammed his heel down on Boyd's left shoulder right where the skin graft wasIn the Company of ShadowsInterludesstill sensitive.A strangled shout escaped Boyd, who cut the sound off immediately andpanted as he tried to ignore the way the pain reverberated through him."Oh, that's right," the man continued, his tone making it obvious he'd never forgotten."You were hurt recently, weren't you?"He kicked Boyd hard in his upper arm, where the gunshot and debris scars were.Boydgrit his teeth and tried not to make another noise, although he wasn't entirelysuccessful."Does it hurt?" the man asked in mild curiosity.He kicked Boyd even harder, enoughthat Boyd's body lifted briefly off the floor before he crumpled against it again."Maybe the wounds haven't fully healed yet." He stomped down on Boyd's upper backwith more strength than before and Boyd couldn't help a short, twisted scream."Maybe it hurts a little more than normal when I do this." He steadily put more and more pressure until Boyd felt like he couldn't breathe properly due to the pain and the weight.Boyd's mouth dropped open and he panted against the floor, moisture puffing outagainst the pure white and darkening it.He groaned lowly, then slit his eyes open andlooked over as best he could from his position.He had to breathe heavily to gain theenergy before he hissed, "What's your name?"The man watched him with a non-expression."Joseph.""Well, Joseph," Boyd muttered, eyes turning dark and almost cold as he stared up."You wouldn't make a good masseuse.You missed a spot."There was a long moment in which Joseph stared at him evenly before he removed hisfoot and Boyd breathed a little easier, although the pain didn't immediately dissipate."You seem to have become more defiant with time," Joseph observed as he started towalk around Boyd."Thank you," Boyd muttered."That wasn't a compliment." Joseph paused at Boyd's right side and studied him briefly.Almost as if mirroring Boyd's position, his hands were clasped lightly behind his back."Although it is a quality we seek when you're dealing with the enemy, you shouldn't bedoing this to your employers."In the Company of ShadowsInterludes"I'm not tr--"Joseph casually kicked Boyd in the ribs hard and quick, cutting off anything Boyd wasgoing to say.Boyd let out a strangled grunt."I think you've been exposed to badinfluences.""I think you're reading into this too much," Boyd mumbled, breath harsh and caughtagainst the floor."If it were my choice, I would terminate you," Joseph continued as if Boyd hadn'tspoken.He watched Boyd without emotion and added, "I would like to, in fact."Boyd didn't answer and Joseph kicked him again, swiftly and violently.There wasnothing malicious in Joseph's face as he did so; he simply delivered the kicks with aviolent snap of his leg that wrenched the breath from Boyd and made him coughroughly."Where is Hsin Liu Vega?" Joseph asked firmly."I don't know," Boyd hissed and Joseph kicked him even harder.Boyd's eyes widenedin pain and he couldn't help crying out; he collapsed against the floor again and wishedhis arms were free so he could protect himself in some form."Where is Hsin Liu Vega?" Joseph repeated."I don't know!"Joseph leaned down and grabbed Boyd by the hair, hauling him up roughly until he washalf standing and half dragged to the table.Joseph slammed Boyd's forehead againstthe edge of the table with a resounding crack and Boyd's vision briefly darkened evenas he gasped."Where is he?" Joseph demanded and Boyd nearly shouted in pained anger, "I don't fucking know!"Joseph made a noise in the back of his throat and dropped Boyd, who couldn't stophimself from crashing against the floor again."Very well," Joseph said peaceably, as if he hadn't just been throwing Boyd around.In the Company of ShadowsInterludesJoseph strode to the door and knocked on it twice; the door opened just wide enoughfor him to have a quiet, brief conversation with someone on the other side.After amoment, the door shut firmly and Joseph walked over to Boyd's side."You seem to have forgotten that we know all about you."Boyd squeezed his eyes shut against the aches in his body and set his jaw."We know your greatest fears; your greatest weaknesses," Joseph said sedately whenBoyd didn't respond."We know you're afraid to be held down.We know you're afraid ofdrowning.We know how you operate
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]