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Lila peeked into each window as they passed. Each room had been painted in bright colors and contained a bed, a toilet, a sink, and a shelf with a row of books. The people inside hunched over their breakfast trays, eating waffles and dipping them into syrup. They’d also been given bananas and a boiled egg. Everything could be eaten without utensils.
The Italian mercs were still alive, all right, but she couldn’t say much more than that. They’d all lost weight. “Do they get exercise?”
“The room is big enough for running in place and push-ups. They have a pamphlet in their room, explaining different exercises they can do without equipment. We give them a different one every week, and we take each prisoner out every few days to see the sun.”
Lila opened her mouth, unsure what to say.
“Don’t act like we’re cruel when we’re not. They drugged our children and put them in dog cages. This is far more humane than that, and it’s far better than how their government treats its prisoners.”
“You don’t like it.”
“If it were up to me, they’d have been tried, shot, and buried already. Mòr wishes to keep them around, though. She claims they’ll be useful. I guess she’s already proven me right.”
A female purplecoat approached, her dark hair swept back into a ponytail. “Chief, I took the prisoner in cell eight to the interrogation room. He’s been under the serum for approximately half an hour.”
“Did he tell you anything interesting?”
“He’s fond of my breasts, sir. My ass too, but he’s mostly a breast man. He also hasn’t gotten laid in a year. His last time sucked. He couldn’t keep it up.”
“You do ask the important questions, don’t you, captain?”
The rest of his people averted their eyes, stifling chuckles.
“He also told me that he’s been planning to make a noose out of his bedsheets. After you question him, Dr. Patterson should take a turn.”
“Send a volunteer to fetch her.”
The woman nodded.
Lila noticed a sudden interest in most of the people around them. They all wanted a break from the drudgery of the basement. Even brightly painted concrete was still concrete.
Lila and Dixon followed Connell toward a door at the end of the hall. “We have room for thirty prisoners, not that we thought we’d get close to using every cell. These Italians have taxed our capacity. It’s a good thing you killed so many.”
Lila bit the sides of her cheeks. That was the last thing she wanted to think about.
They entered a room, trudging past two purplecoats who guarded the door. In the center, a lanky man had been restrained to a metal chair, bound by chains. He wore no shirt, and a deep scar ran from his right shoulder to his left hip. Bright tattoos covered his arms and his chest, mostly sprites and naked women.
Dr. McCrae sat before him in purple scrubs and a purple medical coat. She pressed her fingers into the prisoner’s wrist and typed a number into her palm. “Today is a good day,” she said to Connell. “Your lover has not called for me.”
“Let’s hope the trend continues. I’d like for you to take a look at our guest when we’re done.”
The doctor’s eyes strayed to Lila’s face. “She looks like she needs it. So does the prisoner. Did Fiona tell you to fetch Dr. Patterson?”
“They’re fetching her. She’ll see him when we’re done.”
“She should probably schedule a chat with the others too, just to be safe.” Dr. McCrae jutted her chin toward the prisoner. “His vitals are okay. He’s lost twelve pounds since his arrival. Mostly muscle.”
“That’s a lot,” Lila said.
“That’s on purpose,” the doctor explained. “We feed them enough so they won’t starve, but keep the protein low. We don’t want to fight against bears if they try to escape.”
“Badgers can be pretty nasty too. Especially if they’re hungry.”
“True. I suggest we up their calories a touch, chief. We want them to burn through muscle, not commit suicide. Some of them are too low, like this one here. I’d like to do some blood work as well.”
“As you wish,” Connell said. “I’ll leave it to your professional discretion. In the meantime, take a break. You’ve earned it.”
“I’d feel better if I monitored the prisoner.”
