“But we know very little about them. We also don’t know what allegiances he has, whether there are others like him. If we go up against him directly, what sort of retaliation can we expect?”
“Have you tried to take him before?”
“Twice. Both times the teams disappeared without trace.”
“So you thought his wife would be an easier target.”
“Exactly.”
He sounded pleased that she’d caught on so quickly. But she couldn’t believe the immorality of his response. You didn’t target innocent people to get to their loved ones.
“We’ll get what information we can from her,” he continued. “Then perhaps use her as leverage against Roth. Maybe even get him working for us, telling us everything he knows.”
He was almost rubbing his hands together.
“So where is she?” she asked again.
“Downstairs.”
“I want to see her.”
“No reason why not. The next session is scheduled for this afternoon.”
The next session—which meant they had already questioned her.
…
Unease had grown inside her, becoming a solid lump in her throat. She tried to swallow it as she followed the colonel down the corridor to the elevator. The colonel bent over the retinal scan, let them through, and they continued down a set of concrete stairs. Below ground all pretense of decoration had been abandoned. The walls were whitewashed and strip lighting ran along the ceiling.
“How’s it going with Ashton Delacourt?” the colonel asked.
“Good,” she replied. Something made her wonder if they were watching her or at least monitoring her movements, so she decided to stick to the truth as much as possible. “We had dinner last night. He says there might be a job for me at CR International. Apparently, they’re recruiting.”
“Good work. That might be useful.”
No way was she going undercover. Then she remembered the doctor’s words that morning. It probably wasn’t going to be an issue anyway.
Finally, the colonel stopped in front of a metal door. He slotted in his card and bent down to clear another retinal scan. The lock clicked, and he pushed the door open and stepped into a small room.
Faith followed him, her throat dry. She didn’t know what she expected, maybe Tara, but the room they entered was empty of everything, including people and furniture. The walls were white except for the one opposite the door, which had a black window of glass running the length of the room.
The colonel stopped by the glass and pressed a button on the wall.
“We’re ready.”
He stepped back. Faith stayed behind him, unable to banish the sense of dread that lay heavy in her stomach.
A light flashed on, revealing the room beyond. The window was a one-way mirror allowing them to watch the interrogation. Then everything stopped as she caught sight of the woman huddled in the corner of the room.
Tara sat on the floor, her knees hugged to her chest, arms wrapped around her. As the light came on, she raised her head and blinked.
Faith swallowed the gasp that rose up in her throat.
The jeans and bright T-shirt were gone. Tara was dressed in gray sweats and a white tank top. The top was stained dark, and it took Faith a moment to realize it was blood. Her lip was swollen and one eye shut. Tearstains tracked down her cheek, and it was the sight of those that broke something inside Faith.
“Is this necessary?”
The colonel cast her a surprised glance. “Remember what Roth is,” he said. “Do you think your mother is the only innocent he has killed over the years? And do you really think this woman could be ignorant of his crimes?”
She looked at Tara again and a wave of heat washed through her, followed by a blast of cold. Why hadn’t she expected this? She’d been deluding herself that the “good guys” wouldn’t hurt an innocent woman. Nausea rose in her throat, and she swallowed it down. The colonel had to believe they were on the same side. “I suppose so,” she said. “Has she told you anything useful yet?”
“No, so far she’s refused to speak. She has a very high tolerance for pain.”
Her stomach roiled, and she tried not to think what they’d done to discover that piece of information.
“We’re going to try drugs this morning.”
“Drugs. What sort of drugs?”
“We’ve been working on something that’s a combination of a pain inducer and a truth serum. It’s still experimental, but we feel the risks are worth it.”
He sounded proud of what they were doing. He was crazy.
Faith forced herself to look back into the room. It resembled a doctor’s surgery, with an examination table in the center and her stomach stirred again as she realized there were restraints at each corner. Otherwise, the room was empty except for a sink in the opposite corner to where Tara sat.