For strength, I needed food.
We were each given a small, dry sandwich and told to make it last—it was supposed to be our breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Amendment. First convince someone to feed us.
A little while later, I was escorted to Kelly’s chamber of horrors and strapped to the chair, electrodes taped all over me.
Kelly sat beside me. “See. I told you the toxin wouldn’t kill you.” Grinning proudly, he patted my hand like Pops used to do. “Now, let’s talk before we begin today’s testing.”
“Let’s not. I’m too hungry.”
He ignored me, saying, “We know where each of your friends lives, but what we don’t know is if they possess any unusual abilities, like you. More specifically, I’d like to know if any of them are able to heal supernaturally fast.”
“I’ll trade answers for food.” False answers.
His expression hardened. “I admire your spirit, Miss Bell, but it’s going to get you into trouble. I told you I would do whatever was necessary to help my daughter and I meant it.”
“Cheeseburger. Fries. Chocolate shake.”
He stickered me with more electrodes, these attached to the funny-looking machine, and flipped a switch. Volts of electricity shot through me, sharp and hot and carnivorous. I opened my mouth to scream.
The pain stopped as swiftly as it had begun.
Desperately trying to suck oxygen into deflated lungs, I glared up at my tormentor.
“Now, I’m sorry I had to do that, but you brought it on yourself. Thankfully for you, I’m willing to try again. Do any of your friends possess the ability to heal supernaturally fast?”
“Pizza,” I rasped.
Frowning, Kelly flipped the switch.
The pain lasted longer this time, my heart actually stopping in my chest before restarting on its own.
On and on we continued. He would ask a question about the slayers and their abilities, and I would name a food—if I could speak. I was pretty sure my brain had turned into a cherry Slushie.
“Pay attention, Miss Bell.”
My head rolled in Kelly’s direction. He thought to break me, and with my body, he was succeeding, but he was only strengthening my resolve.
“If you don’t want to talk about the slayers right now, we won’t, but we’re not quite done with today’s session. You see, I sent a man to capture you. He shot Halim Bendari, and someone else shot his driver. I haven’t seen or heard from him since. Do you happen to know where he is?”
“Try looking...up your butt.”
He popped his jaw—and flipped the switch.
The chair shook with the force of my shudders, the pain acute, gut-wrenching and soul-zapping. Kelly was going to kill me. How could he not? After a while, even my skin began to vibrate, and it didn’t stop when he turned off the machine. My bones felt brittle, as if they would break at any second. My lungs had to be filled with glass rather than air. Every breath was agony.
I...came to as Kelly tapped my cheek. I must have passed out.
“That’s enough for today,” he said with a sigh. “We’ll pick this up again tomorrow. I hope you’ll be in a more agreeable mood.”
I think he’d pushed me harder than he’d intended.
“Lasagna. Spaghetti. Garlic bread.”
He scowled. “I don’t want to do it, but I’ll strap your friend Kat to the table. I’ll make you watch as I infect her. Will you talk before I inject the first needle?”
Monster! I bared my teeth at him, wishing so badly I could do more.
He smoothed the soaked hair from my forehead, knowing he’d reached me on a level the machine hadn’t. “Tomorrow we’ll have another chat. If you fail me as you’ve done today, I’ll use the already sick Katherine Parker.”
He knew. He knew she was sick, and he was still going to use her.
I was unable to support a single pound of my own weight and had to be carted back to the cage. I wanted to assure Kat and Reeve I was okay, but the moment the guards dumped me on the floor, darkness swallowed me.