“I’m going to strangle Jake the next time I see the low-life sack of shit,” Lance growls.
“So what do we do now?” I ask. “Give her the knock-out serum and leave? We know that serum works, we used it on that dude we interrogated in Sanctuary 28, the one who told us where to find Pocahontas. It obviously erased his memory because he didn’t give Pocahontas a heads up that we were on our way.”
Lance is silent for a moment or so, rolling his tongue around inside his mouth while he closes his eyes and thinks. The silence is interrupted only by Pocahontas’ quiet sobs and the sound of Krystal laughing in the other room.
Lance finally opens his eyes. “No. We’re not leaving until she gives us Blackbird’s location.”
I cock my head to the side. “Ooookaaay, and how do you propose we get her to talk?”
Lance holds up his gloved hand. I lean back when tiny sparks of blue electricity crackle along his fingertips.
In a deadly serious voice that sends chills cascading down my spine, Lance says, “We do it the old fashioned way.”
Before I can stop him, Lance jabs Pocahontas in the neck with his index finger. Blue electricity spirals across Pocahontas’ neck, causing her to moan and writhe around on the ground in agony.
“Lance, stop it!” I smack his hand away and lean over Pocahontas, cradling her head in my hands.
“Pocahontas, are you okay?”
Pocahontas looks up at me with tear-filled eyes, silently pleading for me to help her out of this mess.
Lance shoves me out of the way. “Let me handle this, Boom Boom. I don’t like it anymore than you do, but you know deep in your heart this is a necessary evil. Blackbird knows where Klaxton is, and Pocahontas knows where Blackbird is. In order to find the former, we must find the latter.”
Lance holds up his glowing index finger and starts to lower it back toward Pocahontas’ neck. I grab his wrist just before his crackling finger touches her skin.
“Goddamn it, Lance, stop it!” I shout so loud that even Krystal pokes her head around the doorway to see what’s going on. “We are not torturing anyone!”
“You’re right, we’re not. But I am.”
Lance rips his hand out of my grasp and touches Pocahontas again. This time the voltage is so intense that Pocahontas jumps into the air and crashes back to the ground, like a lobster thrown into a pot of boiling water.
Pocahontas starts to sob uncontrollably. I gasp at the sight of her bright red skin. I’m so sickened by what I’m witnessing that I actually start to cry as well.
Blinking back tears, I whisper, “Lance, for the love of God, what’s happened to you? This is not the way we operate.”
“It’s not?” Lance asks coldly. “How many people have we killed over the years, Boom Boom? How is torture any worse that shooting someone in the head?”
“But that… that’s different,” I say in between sobs. “That was in self-defense. We were killing bad people. But Pocahontas, she isn’t bad. She’s just… she’s just…”
“She’s what, Boom Boom?” Lance says curtly. “She’s just a pawn in this sick game of chess that Klaxton and the Chinese Empress have been playing all these years? Well I have news for you, Firecracker, we’re all pawns. Sometimes we have to do despicable things in order to win the game. And contrary to what you may believe, Pocahontas isn’t all that innocent. She’s covering up for her father, a billionaire tycoon who’s helped Klaxton cling to power all these years. All the people who helped keep Klaxton in the White House have just as much blood on their hands as she does. People like Pocahontas’ dad. People like Pocahontas. There are millions of innocent people out there, Boom Boom, but your little friend here sure as hell ain’t one of em.”
Before I can protest, Lance grabs Pocahontas by her neck and unleashes another wave of crackling electricity. Pocahontas writhes around in excruciating pain, moaning and groaning as her entire upper body is bathed in blue light. The light reflects back into Lance’s face, causing him to look like some sort of deformed, ghostly monster. I stare into his face… into his eyes… and am stunned when I do not see the slightest hint of remorse or mercy. Lance’s plummet into darkness has been more dramatic than I’d ever imagined.
I grab Lance’s wrist and shout, “Lance, stop it! You’re killing her! Stop it!! STOP IT!!”
But Lance doesn’t stop. He doesn’t even stop long enough to see if she wants to talk. He’s too focused on unleashing all the pent-up pain and rage in his heart onto others… onto Pocahontas. I have to stop this before he does something he’s going to regret.
I grab one of the stun guns hanging from Lance’s utility belt and whisper, “I’m sorry, Lance, but you’ve given me no choice.”
I then jam the stun gun into Lance’s neck and press the trigger. There’s a sickening crackle of electricity, followed by Lance falling backwards and spasming on the ground. I press the stun gun against his neck for a full three seconds, so he understands the pain he is causing Pocahontas. Finally, after I feel Lance has suffered enough, I pull the stun gun away.
Lance stops writhing around, but he continues to groan in agony.
I lean over Lance and rub the hair out of his eyes. In between sobs I say, “I’m sorry, Lance, but I had to stop you. You were about to kill her.”
Lance looks back up at me with teary eyes of his own and whispers, “I know. I… I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
Krystal rushes in and says, “What the hell are you all doing in here?!”
I help Lance to his feet and say, “What the fuck does it look like we’re doing? We’re trying to get information out of Pocahontas.”
Krystal crosses her arms and smugly says, “And it’s obvious you two are doing a shitty-ass job.”
Lance rubs the back of his head and says, “Oh yeah? You think you can do better?”
“Uh, yeah. Watch.”
Krystal grabs Pocahontas by her hair and pulls her kicking and screaming into the living room. Lance and I stumble after her. We both gasp as Krystal tosses Pocahontas into the pond behind the couch.
“Krystal, she’s going to drown!” I shout.
“Are you kidding me?” Krystal says incredulously, climbing into the pond. “The water is barely a foot deep.”
Krystal proceeds to drag Pocahontas over to the waterfall in the back and shoves her head under the gushing water.
I lunge toward Krystal and shout, “What are you doing?!”
Krystal shoves me away and says, “What’s it look like I’m doing? I’m waterboarding this stupid bitch.”
Krystal yanks Pocahontas’ head out of the waterfall. Pocahontas starts coughing and gasping for air, made all the more difficult from the tape covering her mouth.
Krystal shakes Pocahontas like a rag doll. “You ready to talk yet, you dumb bimbo?”
Pocahontas nods her head like crazy. Krystal tears the tape off her mouth and says, “Well don’t just sit there, start talking! Where’s your low-life father?”
Pocahontas takes a deep breath of air, then screams, “Help!! Somebody help!! I’m being attacked!! Hel---GLUBBBB!!!”
Krystal shoves Pocahontas back under the waterfall. Pocahontas thrashes around like crazy, kicking her feet and shaking her head.
“Krystal, stop!” I shout, lunging toward her again.
Lance holds me back. “Calm down, Firecracker. Let Krystal do her thing.”
I watch in horror as Krystal keeps Pocahontas’ head submerged under the gushing torrent of water.
Krystal yawns as if she’s bored. “You gonna scream again if I pull you out? Because I ain’t got no qualms drowning your ass. We’re trying to stop a nuclear war here. Don’t think your life ain’t expendable.”
I’m just about to elbow Lance in the groin and rush over to intervene when Krystal finally pulls Pocahontas out of the waterfall. Pocahontas gags and spits up an almost unfathomable amount of water. I’m not an expert on waterboarding, but I’m almost positive Krystal isn’t doing it right.
/>
Krystal pulls Pocahontas up to her face and barks, “Well you dumb bitch? Where is he?”
In between sobs, Pocahontas sputters, “My… my father is in Africa!”
Krystal narrows her beady little eyes, almost as if she’s trying to read her mind.
“Are you sure?” Krystal growls. “Are you telling the truth? Because if we go to Africa and your pappy ain’t there, I’m coming back here and drowning you personally.”
Pocahontas hesitates, then says, “I mean… I… he’s… maybe he’s not in Africa. Maybe…”
Krystal shoves Pocahontas back under the waterfall before she can finish her incoherent statement. Pocahontas goes back to kicking her feet. Krystal turns her head to watch her show.
“What the hell, Krystal?!” I shout, still squirming around in Lance’s arms. (I’m somewhat alarmed by how bony he feels, but that’s a problem for another time.)
Krystal turns toward me and says, “What do you mean what the hell?”
“She just told us where he’s at!”
Krystal scoffs. “Please, you actually believed that shit? I’m not as naïve and gullible as you, Boom Boom. You like to believe everyone’s telling the truth. I, on the other hand, live in the real world. I can tell a lie a mile away. And that bullshit she just said about her dad being in Africa would have made Pinnochio’s nose shoot out halfway around the world. For starters, no one lives in Africa! The entire continent is a massive desert. Secondly, your buddy here didn’t make eye contact with me, and then she started squirming and sounding doubtful. I’ll bet you my left ball sac that
Blackbird ain’t nowhere near Africa.”
Lance sticks out his tongue and gags. “Nice visual, Krystal.”
Krystal eventually pulls Pocahontas back out of the waterfall. After she vomits all the water she ingested, she blubbers, “He’s in China!”
“Wrong answer, bitch.”
Before Pocahontas can say another word, she goes back under the waterfall.
“What, did she not make eye contact again?” I ask.
“Nope, wasn’t that,” Krystal says all matter-of-factly as she turns her head to once again check up on the progress of her trashy TV show. “It was her stupid-ass answer. Like Blackbird would ever go within a thousand miles of China. If he got caught by the Empress’ goons, he would be strung up from a light post in Tiananmen Square. I know Blackbird didn’t become a billionaire being stupid!”
As much as I despise Krystal’s tactics, I have to admit she’s making some good points. I just wish Pocahontas would cut the crap and tell us what we need to know. I absolutely abhor torture, but since we’re already this deep into it, we might as well get what we came for.
Krystal pulls Pocahontas back out, and after she throws up even more water, she blurts out, “Okay, he’s in Antarctica!”
“Mmmhmm, keep this up and you’re gonna start growing gills,” Krystal says imperturbably as she thrusts Pocahontas back under the waterfall.
I notice Lance tensing up. I turn my head and quietly ask, “What?”
Lance whispers back, “I think that’s it.”
I raise my eyebrows and say, “Really? Antarctica?”
Lance nods and calls over to Krystal, “Bring her back up for air.”
Krystal turns back from her TV show and snarkily replies, “She ain’t been under there for more than ten seconds. What, you starting to get all soft like Boom Boom?”
“No, I think she’s telling the truth,” Lance says, finally releasing his hold on me as he marches over to our sadistic partner.
Krystal scoffs. “Are you kidding me, Lance? Why would Blackbird be in Antarctica? Yeah, I know all the ice is melting, but it’s still colder than a witch’s tit down there. He’s probably hiding out in some Mexican oasis or something.”
Lance ignores Krystal’s blabbering and jumps into the pond. He then grabs Pocahontas and yanks her head out from under the water.
Pocahontas spits water all over Lance and cries, “I… I’m telling the truth! He’s in Antarctica! Just… please, don’t put me back under the water! I can’t take it anymore! Please!”
My heart cleaves in two at the sight of Pocahontas begging for mercy. I can tell her desperate words have pierced Lance’s heart as well.
In a somewhat shaky voice (probably because he’s starting to realize what a barbaric act this is), Lance says, “Okay, we won’t hurt you anymore… under one condition: you tell us where your father is, right now. No games, no lies, tell us where he is… or else.”
Lance gestures toward Krystal, who is cracking her knuckles and scowling.
“Okay, I promise, I’ll tell you everything, just don’t hurt me anymore,” Pocahontas sobs.
Lance gently pushes Pocahontas toward me. I grab her by her shoulders and lead her back into the bedroom, where she collapses onto her bed, crying softly. Lance comes in after us and tosses me a towel, which I use to gently mop up the water on Pocahontas’ wet face.
In as kind and soothing a voice I can muster, I say, “Please Pocahontas, tell us what we want to know and I promise you this will all be over. You won’t remember a thing by tomorrow morning.”
Pocahontas chokes back a sob and says, in a quivering voice, “I told you, my father is in… he’s in…”
Pocahontas looks up at me fearfully and bites her lip, as if she’s seriously considering defying us again. But she promptly changes her mind when Krystal hovers over my shoulder and holds up her fist.
“He’s off the coast of Antarctica, on some sort of boat,” Pocahontas blurts out, cowering at the sight of Krystal.
“What kind of ship? And what part of Antarctica?” Lance asks, kneeling down beside Pocahontas.
Pocahontas scoots away from Lance, almost as afraid of him as she is of Krystal. “I… I don’t know….”
“Wrong answer, girlie,” Krystal growls, reaching for her. “I guess you want to go back into the pond.”
Pocahontas scoots all the way back to the headboard and pulls her knees up to her naked chest. “No, please, leave me alone! I’ve told you everything I know!”
“Are you sure about that,” Lance says, stepping aside so Krystal has a clear path to Pocahontas. “Because my partner here seems to think you’re withholding some vital information.”
“I think he’s near the western ice shelf,” Pocahontas says nervously, tears streaming down her already moist cheeks. “He’s on some cruise ship, with a bunch of pirates and mobsters.”
Lance clearly seems taken aback by this new information. “Pirates? Mobsters?”
Pocahontas glances at Lance for a brief second before locking eyes with me. I can’t help but look away.
“Yes, my father has been known to work with unsavory individuals,” Pocahontas says coldly. “After all, he is good friends with the president.”
“The former president,” Krystal says. “Thanks to us.”
Pocahontas glances at Krystal and gasps. “Wait, I thought you and the blond boy looked familiar. You’re… you’re Lance and Krystal!”
Pocahontas almost seems excited that she recognizes them. After all, the three of us are quasi-celebrities, especially after we unraveled Klaxton’s grand conspiracy to initiate a new Cold War. But Pocahontas’ excitement rapidly fades away when she realizes that those so-called ‘celebrities’ are the same ones who have been torturing her.
In an icy voice, Pocahontas says, “I used to look up to you guys. Not anymore… not if this is how you’re doing business nowadays.”
“Bitch, we don’t give a rat’s ass if you don’t like us,” Krystal says all belligerently. “All we care about at the moment is finding your scumbag daddy.”
Pocahontas gazes at me and her face turns ghostly pale.
“My god, that means you… you’re…. you’re Boom Boom!! I didn’t notice you without your fiery red hair!”
I grimace and reluctantly say, “Er, yes… yes I am.”
This time the tears pour from Pocahontas’ eyes like water from a
faucet.
“But… I looked up to you most of all,” Pocahontas cries, as if her entire world has been shattered. “You’re so badass. Every young girl looks up to you… or I should say looked up to you. We could all relate to you. You were rescued from a life on the streets and grew up to be the world’s most famous teenage bounty hunter. You were an inspiration… you were my hero. But now… after learning this is how you do things, toying with people’s emotions and torturing them for information… now I know you’re no hero. You’re a monster, just like everyone else in this cold, dark world.”
World War Forever (Highway To Armageddon Book 2) Page 4