The Territory of Lies

by Ana Stone

  the truth. I know everything now and I know you're

  innocent. I hope one day you'll be able to forgive me.

  I do love you, Blake. Please remember that.

  The contents of this package should prove

  that not only did Adrian set you up but that he's

  responsible for what happened to me, as well.

  These are only copies. The originals are in the safe

  in his private study at his house in Maryland. The

  combination of the safe is left 27, right 12 and

  left to 31.

  Use this to convince your superiors to

  search the house. In particular, I think you'll find

  a secret room in the basement quite interesting.

  The only way in is through Adrian's study. Push in the

  third middle shelf on the center bookcase and that will

  open a secret door. As for Adrian, I've decided to

  take care of him myself.

  I love you.

  Sydney

  Blake dropped the note and reached in the box to remove a stack of papers and a stack of DVDs. He carried everything into the den, put the stack of paper down on the coffee table and put one of the DVD’s into the player.

  "Jesus!" He breathed as the picture appeared on the television screen.

  Weasel looked up from reading the top paper on the stack and his face got a sick look on it. "God almighty! Where did she get these?"

  Blake shook his head and fast forwarded through the DVD. It showed in vivid detail the torture Sydney was subjected to. When he reached the end of the tape he put in another. In all there were six DVD’s of the torture. The last two were of him; one of him meeting with the fake general and the other the run-in he and Sydney had with the van full of men on their way to Virginia.

  He stopped the DVD and turned to Weasel. Weasel tapped the photocopies. "She's right, man. It's all here. Dates, times, places. Records of conversations, payoffs. I don't know how she got it, but if we can get our hands on the originals we can put that sucker away."

  Blake jumped to his feet and grabbed the phone. "Hello, this is Blake Edwards. I need you to put me through to director Braswell. . . . then give me his home phone number! . . . I don't care about that! I have to talk to him now. It's an emergency. Someone's life could be at stake. . . . okay, fine. I'll be here."

  He hung up the phone and walked past Weasel and down the hall. A few moments later the phone ran. Weasel reached for it but Blake ran back into the room and snatched it up. "Edwards. . . . yes sir, I'm sorry to interrupt your weekend but this is urgent."

  Weasel continued to read through the photocopies as Blake explained the situation to Braswell. When Blake finished explaining he listened for a few seconds then handed the phone to Weasel.

  "Yes?" Weasel looked up at Blake questioningly as he answered. "Yes, sir. I have the copies in front of me. . . yes, I believe the source is reliable and I also agree with agent Edwards that Mrs. Zayne may be in danger. . . . yes, sir. We're leaving now."

  He hung up the phone as he stood. "He's sending someone over to collect the DVD’s and copies. We're to go to Zayne's. Backup is on the way."

  Blake nodded grimly and headed for the door.

  

  Sydney stood silently waiting. Aside from a spotlight that shown down on the still figure on the table, the room was dark. There was a surreal, dreamlike quality to everything that she found odd yet comforting. A long time passed before a groan interrupted the silence.

  Adrian blinked and looked around, squinting against the harsh light that shown down on him, blinding him to his surroundings. He tried to raise his hand to shield it eyes but the thick leather straps held him secure. He looked around nervously, his eyes wide with apprehension.

  "Are you cold?" Sydney asked in a flat monotone voice.

  "Sydney?" He squinted his eyes tightly, craning his neck to try and see beyond the light. "Is that you? What are you doing? Release me this instant."

  "Not much fun, is it?" She stepped closer so that he could see her.

  "What are you doing?" his voice rose. "Release me."

  "I'm sorry." She smiled and put her hand on his bare chest. "I can't do that.

  "Have you lost your mind?" he shouted. "This is insane! I demand that you−"

  "You demand?" she laughed. "I hardly think you're in the position to demand anything."

  "All right!" he shouted. "Then I ask you. Please stop this foolishness and release me."

  "But I thought you liked surprises?" She taunted him as she bent down to pick up a large canister that the gardener used to water the flowers. "I thought you liked playing games?"

  "What kind of insane game is this?"

  She lifted the canister up and tipped it toward him so that a shower of water emerged from the spout, splashing down over his naked body. "There, isn't that nice and cool. Refreshing."

  "Release me!" His voice increased in volume and pitch.

  She finished dousing him with water then put the canister on the floor and moved to the cart that sat along side the table he was strapped to. "Remember this?" She picked up two metal rods about a half-inch in diameter and six inches long that were attached at one end to long cables that ran to a control panel mounted on the cart.

  "Get away from me with that!" His voice sounded less demanding. "Sydney, stop! Don't come near me with that! I mean it."

  "Or what?" She turned the switch on the control panel and touched the two rods together, watching a shower of sparks light the darkness beyond the circle of light. "Will you scream for help? Will you promise to do anything, say anything, believe anything I tell you just to keep the pain away? Or will you be brave and endure the pain - hold out until you pass out from the agony?"

  Adrian shook his head as she moved closer. "Why are you doing this to me?"

  "I could ask you the same question," she replied softly. "Why did you do it to me, Adrian?"

  "I didn't! Sydney, you're confused. It was Blake Edwards. He's the one who−"

  "Blake's done nothing!" She tapped the metal rods together over his wet chest. "I found the DVD’s, Adrian. Just like I found this little room. And the journal. I know everything. I even heard you talking to the man you hired to torture me. Tell me, were you watching the whole time? What did you think while you watched? Did you get off on it, darling? Seeing me naked, strapped down to this table, screaming for the pain to stop?"

  "You've have it all wrong," he insisted. "Just put that down and release me and I can explain."

  Sydney adjusted the current and lightly touched one of the rods to the sole of his right foot. Adrian groaned, gritting his teeth to keep from crying out as his body jerked. Sydney waited until his breathing slowed a little. "That was the lowest setting. That's how it started. The lowest setting, working up from the bottom of the feet. Painful isn't it?"

  "I can explain!" he hissed.

  "I’m sure. Just like you can explain how you set Blake up to look like he'd done something wrong."

  "I don't know what you're talking about."

  Sydney leaned over and looked into his eyes. "I really don't like this game very much, you know. All this talking and we're getting nowhere. It's starting to bore me. Tell me, darling. Do you have any idea what it's like to have something like this inside you?"

  His eyes widened more and his skin paled as he stared at her. "It's actually very horrible," she whispered. "It makes you want to die. But you won't, you know. On the low setting the current's just enough to cause tremendous pain without inflicting trauma. Only, after a while it doesn't matter. You just can't take it anymore. Want me to demonstrate?"

  "You're crazy!" he breathed. "You're absolutely insane! How did you−the martinis! You drugged me!"

  "Nothing fatal, I assure you," she said with a smile. "Although I have to tell you that getting you down here was a real feat. You’re a very big man. I'm afraid you're going to have a few additional bruises from the trip down the stairs.
I had to roll you over onto a spread and drag you."

  "Who's in on this with you?"

  "Why no one, darling." She held out her hands and gestured around the room. "We're all alone. Just you and me. So, enough of this. I want you to do something for me. I want you to tell me all about how you set Blake up and why you did it."

  "Blake Edwards!" He spit the name like it was dirty. "He's nothing! Why can't you just forget him and give us a chance to be happy? I can give you anything you can imagine."

  "Not love," she said sadly.

  "You're so wrong."

  "No, I'm not." She extended one of the rods and touched him on the inside of his left thigh. This time a howl escaped his lips before he clenched his jaws tight.

  "Tell me!" She lowered the rod toward his genitals.

  "All right!" he screamed. "All right! Just don't . . . do . . . that."

  She paused in motion and looked at him expectantly. "I did it for you," he said. "Because I love you. Can't you understand? I couldn't lose you and you were running away from me."

  "So you what?" she prompted him.

  "I set Edwards up," he admitted.

  "How?"

  Adrian quickly outlined his plan. Sydney was silent until he finished then she turned off the current and put the rods down on the table. She unfastened one of the arm straps and stepped back from the table.

  "I'm leaving, Adrian. I've made copies of the DVDs and of your journal. At this moment they're on their way to the FBI. You're finished. The game is over. You lost."

  With that, she turned, walked out of the room and climbed up the hidden stairs to his study. Then she proceeded up to the bedroom, picked up her suitcase and purse and turned to leave. Adrian was standing in the doorway.

  "You can't leave me," he said as he stepped into the room. "I love you. I won't lose you."

  "You already have," she replied calmly. "I don't love you and I don't want to be anywhere near you. Get out of my way and out of my life."

  "No!" He grabbed her arm as she tried to walk past him. "I won't let you go."

  "Get your hands off me!" She jerked away, swinging her suitcase as hard as she could against him. The case knocked him off balance and broke his hold on her arm.

  "Sydney, please!" he pleaded with her. "We can go away - start over. It'll be like none of this ever happened. We can . . . "

  "Shut up!" she yelled at him. "Don't you get it? I hate you. You cost me everything! My career's shot to hell, my professional reputation ruined and I lost the man I love. All because of you. I despise you and I don't ever want to have to lay eyes on you as long as I live."

  Without giving him another chance to speak she ran out of the room and down the stairs. Just as she reached for the knob on the front door, she was jerked back. Adrian had one hand tangled in her hair and in the other he held a gun, a Baretta 9mm with a silencer attached. Sydney froze as she saw the gun.

  Adrian grinned wickedly and backhanded her. The back of his fist caught her in the cheekbone; the barrel of the gun slamming into her temple. She fell, dazed by the blow. Looking up at him from the floor, she raised one hand.

  He snarled and yanked her up from the floor by her hair. Jerking her head back at a sharp angle he jammed the gun under her chin and sneered at her. "Beg."

  "Never," she refused.

  He smirked and jerked hard on her hair. Sydney cried out as the gun rammed into the soft flesh under her chin. "You belong to me," Adrian rasped, pulling her up so that she was forced to stand on her toes. "I say when and if you leave. Do you understand? You're my property . . . just like this house and everything else. I own you."

  Tears glistened in Sydney's eyes but she blinked them back. "Kill me," she whispered defiantly. "Go ahead. Pull the trigger. I'd rather die than live with you. Do it!"

  He laughed in her face. "Kill you? No, my darling. I have other plans for you. To begin with I'm going to take you downstairs. That's going to be your new home. I'll make what was done to you before look like a romp in the park. Yes . . . " his eyes shown with maniacal glee. "You'll be begging me to take you back into my bed - willing to do anything I ask."

  The thought of having to endure what waited in that room made Sydney crazy with fear. Without thinking of the consequences she started hitting at Adrian, screaming and kicking. He jerked her around by the hair, shouting at her to stop but she would not. Grabbing his hand holding the gun she bit down as hard as she could on the side of his hand, just below the knuckle of his last finger.

  Blood filled her mouth as the skin punctured. Adrian roared and slung her around. The gun went off as she slammed into a marble table on one side of the foyer. She hit the floor and scrambled to push herself up. He was on her before she made it to her knees, driving her down under his weight.

  Sydney screamed and thrashed around as he rose and jerked her over on her back. She raised her hands as his descended. The first blow made her head reel dizzily. She kicked at him, feeling her foot meet his leg. He cursed and hit her again. Still she would not stop fighting back. That enraged him even more. Over and over he shouted at her to stop as he pounded on her. She fought until her strength ran out. He continued to hit her until she was limp. Then he began to tear at her clothes.

  She wanted to fight him but could not. Every inch of her body hurt and her arms felt like rubber. Still, she could not just lie there and take it. She tried to hit him, but he just grabbed her arms and pinned them over her head with one hand, laughing at her as he wedged his knees between her legs and forced them apart.

  "Please, no," she cried. "Don't, Adrian, please don't."

  "That's it," he chided. "Beg, darling."

  She cried out as he viciously stabbed inside her. He pounded on her furiously as she writhed around, trying to get him off her. Unable to hold her still with one hand he released her wrists. As he did she went for his eyes, her fingers curved like claws.

  Adrian howled as one nail tore a ragged gash from the corner of his right eye and down his cheek. Sydney pushed at him, managing to squirm back as he grabbed his face. She continued to push herself backwards and spotted the gun on the floor. She rolled over onto on her hands and knees and went for it. That was when Adrian reached her again. His foot caught her in the ribs and lifted her up off the floor.

  She couldn’t even scream. All the air was driven from her lungs. Another kick to her side and she was struggling just to breathe. He grabbed her hair and jerked on it, forcing her onto her knees. Sydney was dimly aware of him kneeling behind her. When she felt his erection against her and realized what he was about to do, it galvanized her into action.

  She lunged forward, feeling her hair pull and tear. With a scream she drew her foot up behind her. Her heel made contact with Adrian's testicles and he screamed in pain and doubled over.

  Drawing on strength she didn’t know she possessed, she crawled across the foyer and grabbed a chair by the study door to pull herself to her feet. On wobbly legs she stumbled into the study. On the wall beside the bar was what she needed.

  The pearl-handled Colt 45's beaconed her like a light in the darkness. With lurching steps she moved toward them. As she reached the holster she cut a look over her shoulder. There was no sign of Adrian. Her hand closed around one of the guns. It was heavier than she had thought. She pulled it free. Behind her Adrian's voice rang out.

  "Put it down!"

  She turned her head to see him standing in the doorway, cupping his injured testicles with one hand and pointing the Baretta at her with the other. She knew if she gave up the gun she didn’t stand a chance. She ran behind the bar as Adrian ran toward her. He tried to reach across the bar and grab her but she snatched up a bottle and hit at him. It missed his hand and shattered on the top of the bar. Glass and liquor splattered all around them. Adrian made a noise as the liquor splashed in his face and eyes. He reached for his eyes, wiping at them.

  Sydney saw her opportunity and took it. She ran unsteadily from the room, headed once more for the front door. Her
only thoughts were of escape. The door was only feet away when her luck ran out. Adrian tackled her from behind. She lost the gun as she was driven to the floor.

  For a moment neither of them moved. Then he pushed himself up and slapped her in the side of the head as he started to stand. "Look at me!" he ordered.

  Sydney stayed as she was with her eyes glued on the pearl-handled gun that was just out of reach. "I said look at me!" Adrian shouted. "Damn you, look at me!"

  Sydney knew that as soon as she turned over he would shoot her and decided that if she was going to die she might as well die fighting. With desperation she reached for the gun. Her fingers just touched it when the door suddenly burst open.

  Blake rushed in. "Drop the gun!" He shouted as two other men ran in behind him.

  With the pearl-handled gun now in her hand, Sydney rolled over. Adrian looked at her then at Blake. His face hardened and his finger tightened on the trigger. "Go to hell."

  Two shots rang out at the same time. Sydney screamed as she saw Blake was thrown back against one of the other men. A red stain blossomed on the right shoulder of his shirt.

  Adrian stood wavering for one moment then fell face forward. The back of his head looked like it had been ripped off. Sydney gagged and dropped the smoking gun. Weasel was now inside, holding onto Blake while one of the other men spoke into a cell phone.

  "Syd," Blake's voice sounded weak as he called to her.

  She looked at him and tried to get to her feet, fell and tried again. After several attempts she managed to stand. Blake was leaning on Weasel, moving toward her. "Blake." She reached for him. She never made it. She was unconscious before she hit the floor.

  Saturday, June 24

  Washington National Airport

  Sydney sat with Blake and Weasel at a small table by the window in one of the airport bars. The waiter delivered their drinks and Weasel raised his glass. "Here's to being alive."

  Blake clinked his glass to Weasel's with a smile. His smile faded as he looked at Sydney. She was staring pensively out of the window.

  "Hey." Weasel tapped her on the arm. "This is supposed to be a celebration."