Douglas Dorow - The Ninth District

James sucked in his gut and tightened his stomach muscles reflexively to avoid the pain. His eyes locked onto the knife. “What are you doing? That hurts. Quit screwing around.”

The Governor remained calm, but spoke with authority. “James, look at me.” He stared at James, waiting.

James was breathing in short breaths, afraid to take his eyes off the knife handle. He pressed his back into the bed trying to avoid the sharp point he couldn’t see, but could feel, on his stomach.

“James, look at me.”

James turned his eyes up to look at the Governor, but he didn’t turn his head.

“Relax. You’ll be OK. I just want you to know that I’m serious. That I really want you to think about what you’re going to tell me.”

“What do you want to know?” James’ eyes flicked to the knife and back to the Governor. “I didn’t do anything with her that she didn’t want. Why are you doing this?”

The Governor twisted the knife on James’ belly. “This isn’t about her. I want you to relax and think about what I am going to ask you. I want you to know that I’m serious. But, if you give the right answers, I’ll let you go. If you don’t…” the Governor slid the sharp blade against the skin, shaving a patch of skin bare, “I’ll hurt you.” The Governor lifted the knife off James’ stomach and held it in his hand where James could see it, black, curly hairs hanging from the silver blade. He waited for James’ breathing to calm down a little and watched as James’ brain sorted through the panic and the facts, knowing he would begin to figure some of it out.

The Governor planned to start simple, like a lie detector test. Let James give out information that was private, but he was willing to give up; information like his birthday, his employee ID, maybe his ATM PIN. He was going to test him, show him the process, and demonstrate how this game was going to work. After a couple of penalties for information that was too slow in coming or incorrect, James would be more likely to give up the rest.

James was weak. The Governor held a pillow over his face to smother some of this screams. He had made an initial show of strength, vowing he would never give up the information the Governor wanted, but after a couple of slight nicks and cuts on the stomach and a penetration into the shoulder joint with the blade of the knife, James was willing to tell the Governor anything he wanted to know.

The Governor listened to the recording he’d made during the interrogation to make sure he had all of the information on tape. “Did we forget any important piece of information James?” James was sucking in breaths against the pain in his shoulder. He shook his head weakly from side to side. The Governor put the backside of the blade against James’ neck. “If I find out this information does not get me what I want, you will die. Let me ask you again. Did we forget any important piece of information?”

“No,” James said quietly. “You can get what you want with that.”

“OK, I believe you.” The Governor walked across the room, opened a drawer, and took out a roll of duct tape. “I want to go up on deck, but I’m sure you understand that I need you to keep quiet. I’m going to put a strip of tape over your mouth to make sure you don’t make too much noise.” He pulled a strip from the end and let the roll dangle at the end of the strip stuck to his finger. He slashed through the tape easily with the knife and let the roll fall to the floor. The remaining twelve-inch strip of silver tape hung from his finger. The Governor put the handle of the knife in his mouth and held it between his teeth. He grabbed the free end of the tape to keep it from sticking to itself. With his right hand, he pressed the end of the tape to the counter top and pulled the strip taut with his left. The twelve-inch strip became two strips as he sliced through the tape.

The Governor walked over to the side of the bed. “Put your lips together James.” James complied and the Governor placed the strip over James lips. “Can you breathe through your nose?”

James’ cheeks sucked in as he reflexively tried to breathe through his mouth. His breath whistled as it passed in and out through his nostrils.

“Just relax. You don’t want to hyperventilate.” The Governor walked across the room, took his mobile phone out of his pocket, and dialed a number. As he waited for an answer, he glanced at James, whose breathing was slow and regular through his nose. What would happen next would depend on how this call went.

“Alo’,” someone answered the phone in Russian.

“My friend, it’s me. I’m sorry to call you so late, but I have some information I need you to verify.” The Governor looked over at James who stared at him and nodded his head as he listened to him tell the person on the phone the codes and passwords he had told the Governor earlier. The Governor walked back to the side of the bed and stood over James as he listened to the phone. “OK, call me back once you’ve verified everything that you can.”

The Governor ended the call and put the phone back in his pocket. He looked down at James.

“You’re sure you can breathe OK?”

James nodded yes. The Governor smiled. “I’m going up on deck while I wait for my friend to call me back. You lay here and just relax. If you told me the truth, everything will be fine.”

“Hey, beautiful, where are you?” the Governor asked to the night air as he walked to the back of the boat. He looked around. On the bench were her sweatshirt and towel and next to that the empty glass from the drink he gave her. Her phone was on the deck of the boat. He picked it up. A missed call from Ross Fruen. “Damn it.” What was she thinking turning on her phone?

He’d expected to find her passed out on the bench or floor of the boat after she finished the drink with the roofie in it. “Damn it.” He peered over the side of the boat. She must have gone for a swim, but with the date rape drug in her she’d probably drown. Not that that was a bad thing. Made his life easier. He walked around the perimeter of the boat, looking out over the water. He wanted to know for sure where she was. Shining a flashlight out over the water was out of the question. That would draw attention to the boat. He went into the cockpit and turned off the party lights, leaving just the running lights on.

He looked out over the water to see if he could spy the lights of any other boats. He hadn’t heard any boats and he couldn’t see anything. “Sandy,” he hissed out over the water. “Where are you?”

Ross led the way as he and Jack walked up the steps. “You been here before, Junior?”

“Maybe once,” Ross answered.

The man at the door eyed Ross, Jack, and then Ross again. He opened the door and held it open for the agents to enter. “Welcome back, sir,” the doorman said to Ross. “I hope the other guy looks worse.”

“Thanks,” Ross mumbled. “Car accident.” They stepped inside.

“Maybe more than once, Junior?”

“Really, Jack. Once, maybe twice, when I first got to town.” Ross looked back towards the closing door. “I probably look like somebody.”

The door shut, removing the last source of natural light into the room. The crowd was ramping up and Sheiks was starting to come alive for the evening.

“You called her?” Jack asked.

“Straight to voicemail. Phone’s off.” Ross answered.

“Let’s see if she’s here.”

The darkness turned to light as their eyes grew accustomed to the interior lighting. Ross wasn’t moving, so Jack led the way to the bar where he leaned forward on it, supporting his weight on his elbows while he waited to catch the attention of one of the bartenders working behind the counter. Ross stood next to Jack, but with his back to the bar so he could scan the crowd.