Andrew Peterson - Forced to Kill

Damn it.

He checked the camera. Not active . “Grangeland, I need you.” He sensed Harv’s presence behind him as he removed the woman’s gag.

“My daughters. He took them!”

“We’ll find them, I promise. You’re safe now,” Nathan said.

“Who are you?”

“Let’s get you off that table.” Tears began as he freed her from the stirrups. Her legs quit when she tried to stand. He caught her before she fell and she buried her face into his shoulder. Nathan knew her knife wounds stung, but the adrenaline rush of being rescued overpowered her pain.

Grangeland stepped into the office and froze. He made eye contact. “Grab a chair from the other office.” She didn’t move. “Grangeland, a chair.”

She returned a few seconds later and placed it next to the metal table, then put an arm around the woman and helped her into it.

Nathan shucked his ballistic vest and removed his sweatshirt.

Grangeland helped Dalton put the sweatshirt on. It fit like a tent, but offered her some dignity. She whispered a hoarse thank you . Her eyes dropped to the diamond pattern on his chest and widened in recognition.

“That’s right,” he said. “You’re Nichole Dalton. You were kidnapped from the Fashion Valley Mall a few days ago. Harv, stay with Ms. Dalton. Grangeland, a word please.” Outside the office, he lowered his voice. “Get her something to drink. I saw a small fridge near the stereo cabinet. Try to keep her as calm as possible. Reassure her we’re going to find her daughters, but be vague if asks you anything about us, or how we found her.”

They reentered the office. “Sit tight, Ms. Dalton. This will all be over in a few minutes. Harv, follow my lead. Let’s go talk to our beloved guests.”

They returned to the gagged and bound men while Grangeland raided the refrigerator. She eyed the mercenaries with contempt as she hurried back to Nichole Dalton.

Julio and sofa man were conscious and looked quite concerned. When they focused on Nathan’s bare chest, their eyes widened even more.

Without saying a word, Nathan unbuckled Julio’s belt and yanked his blue jeans and boxer shorts down to his taped ankles. He pulled his Predator knife, examined its shiny surface, and smiled. Julio began flopping around in a terrified frenzy. His hip wound began oozing blood faster.

“Easy, partner,” Harv said to him, playing good cop.

“You saw what they did to my sister,” Nathan growled. “I’m gonna cut this asshole’s cojones off, cook them in the microwave, and stuff ’em down his throat. Better yet, he can eat ’em raw.”

Julio tried to scream, but the tape covering his mouth muted it. He frantically shook his head.

“What’s that?” Nathan asked. “I can’t understand you.” Of course he couldn’t, the man’s mouth was taped. “Hold him down. We’ll need something to cauterize his nut sack. Is your cigar torch filled with butane?”

“Indeed it is.”

Harv stepped behind Julio and grabbed his shoulders.

Nathan smiled at Julio. “You ready, amigo?” He lowered the knife out of Julio’s line of sight.

Nathan backed away just in time as Julio’s bladder quit. Yellow liquid arced through the air and found his bound partners.

“That’s disgusting,” Harv said.

Nathan sheathed his knife, walked over to the north wall, and removed the five gallon water bottle from the cooler. He poured the water on them, making sure to douse their faces. He winked at Harv and maneuvered behind Julio. Nathan tipped the bottle above Julio’s head, creating a crude but effective bit of waterboarding. Julio coughed and sputtered and whipped his head back and forth. After thirty seconds or so, Nathan stopped and tossed the bottle aside. He pulled his knife.

“Are you ready to become a woman?”

Julio lost control and began bawling like a child. A pathetic sight. Nathan had broken him in under a minute.

“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” he asked.

Julio desperately nodded.

Nathan bent over and ripped the tape free.

“We didn’t touch her. I swear, man!”

“That’s not what it looks like to me.”

“We didn’t. I swear! Ask her.”

“Where’s Montez?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is he coming back?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know much, do you?”

“I don’t, man, I swear.”

“Then you’re worthless to me.” He put his knife to Julio’s throat.

“Wait! There’s a safe house.”

“Where?”

“In San Diego.”

“San Diego’s a big place.”

“I’ve been there, I know where it is.”

“If you’re lying, dinner is standing by. I hope you’re hungry.”

“I’m not.”

“Hungry or lying?”

“Lying.”

“Who else has been to the safe house besides you?”

“Hector.”

“Which one is Hector?”

“You shot him. He was upstairs.”

He re-taped Julio’s mouth and returned to the offices. He motioned with his head for Grangeland to follow.

When they were out of earshot she said, “Nathan, that woman needs emergency care. She’s probably in shock.”

“At the risk of sounding callous, she’s not in any immediate danger.”

“ Not in any immediate danger? ”

Harv stepped forward. “Easy, Grangeland. We’re not trying to be insensitive, but Nate’s right. She looks bad, but her wounds aren’t life threatening.”

Her expression softened. “I’m sorry, Nathan. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know you didn’t.”

“I’m just really pissed off right now.”

“It’s okay. I am too.”

“They haven’t given her anything to eat or drink for two days. Those fucking assholes. ”

He couldn’t recall ever hearing her curse before. She did it well. “Don’t worry. Those fucking assholes are going to wish they were never born soon enough. Look, I know it’s a crappy deal, but she needs to be debriefed. We can’t take her to a hospital. Her wounds can’t be explained as anything other than intentional. The police will get involved. She may have vital information on Montez’s operation or his whereabouts. We’ll formulate our next moves based on what we learn from her and those mutts out there.”

“She’s worried sick about her daughters.”

“That’s where you come in. Find the bathroom and clean her up as best you can. Do you have a travel bag in the sedan?”

“My clothes should fit her okay.”

“Harv, give Grangeland your keys.” He turned toward her. “There’s an overnight bag in Harv’s trunk with a shirt for me. There’s also a green trauma bag. You know how to administer O-two?”

“It’s been awhile, but yes.”

“When you get back, wrap her torso up with gauze.”

Grangeland looked toward the woman for a moment, then left the warehouse.

Nathan pointed toward the bound men. “I’m turning them over to Cantrell. It won’t break my heart seeing them under the CIA’s special care for a spell. But before we turn them over, we need the ringleader to make contact with Montez. We need to make sure the guy who usually contacts Montez makes the call. It might raise suspicion otherwise.”

“Do we know which one it is?”

“We will soon enough.”

“Let’s hope he’s not the stiff with the machine gun,” Harv said.

“Cantrell?”

“I think it’s fair to assume she didn’t know about this warehouse or we would’ve been intercepted. This gives the CIA more than they had an hour ago. A lot more.”

“Let’s use this time to update Holly,” he said.

She answered after the first ring.

“We’re okay,” Nathan said quickly. It took about two minutes to update her and answer some questions.