Shards of Hope

Chapter 48

BEATRICE STARED AT the target she’d taken as part of her first live mission, nausea churning in her gut and threatening to erupt from her throat. The girl was crying again, begging to be released. Beatrice had given her water and some food, so she wasn’t emaciated, but her face was thinner, her eyes red.

“I don’t think she knows anything,” she dared whisper to Blake. “I’ve used every viable interrogation technique.”

Blake backhanded her. Hard.

She fell to the floor, stayed there when he came to straddle her body and wrench back her head with a grip in her hair. Blood trickled from her nose, her entire face a throbbing pulse. “You used only the nonviolent methods,” he said, his voice toneless and cold. “You’ve failed the test.”

Her eyes burned. “No, please.” If she lost him, she’d have nothing and no one.

“Stop sniveling and get up. I’m going to show you how a real interrogation is done.”

Rising to her feet, she wiped away the blood and tears and followed him to stand beside the girl, who looked at her with scared eyes. “Please help me,” she begged. “Please.”

Blake grabbed the girl’s jaw in a punishing hold. “There is no help here.” Taking a hunting knife, he cut a deep line over her left breast while muffling her screams with his palm.

Blood blackened her thin red top, but he’d cut with care to cause pain without doing a debilitating injury. Beatrice’s stomach lurched nonetheless and she would’ve stumbled back if Blake hadn’t raised his head and said, “This is how you get answers.” Removing his hand from over the woman’s mouth when her scream died to snuffles, he held the knife, point down, over her abdomen. “Your father is a scientist, is he not?”

The woman nodded frantically. “Yes, yes! He is!”

“And he’s creating a serum to neutralize Psy abilities.”

“Yes!”

“Good, we’re finally getting somewhere.” Turning, he held the blade handle out toward Beatrice. “Get the rest of the information.”