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Then the three of them walk to me, blocking out the bright light. One of them is a huge motherfucker, easily head and shoulders taller than me and twice as wide. He’s holding something in his hand. Something metallic that glows copper in the light from the reflector. It’s a knife. A huge hunting knife. Shit.
The smaller guy next to him is just grinning at me stupidly.
“What we want is what you promised us,” Snake says. “The Devils. Served on a silver platter.”
“You let Harper go and you have it,” I say, my voice still not as clear and normal as I want it to be.
Snake laughs so loud the pain in my head intensifies. The other two just chuckle.
“Yeah, we’re not gonna fall for your lies again,” he says. “No, no. What you’re gonna do now is answer some questions.”
“Not gonna happen,” I say. “Not until you let Harper go.”
“That’s what’s not gonna happen,” the smaller guy says, sounding as dumb as he looks.
“Then no deal,” I say.
I never did know how to keep my mouth shut. But these are probably the last words I’ll get to speak. And I like talking about Harper.
The small guy punches me in the stomach, his fist firmer and the punch harder than I expected it to be given his build. The sharp burning pain in my side is back in all its unconsciousness-granting glory. But before it happens, I get hit with the ice cold water again. It’s not from a bucket, they have a goddam hose set up in here.
“How many members do the Devils have?” Snake asks.
“Legion, man,” I answer. “Too many for you to handle.”
The second punch is immediately followed by a third. I should be unconscious, but I’m not.
“How do you reach them?”
“The usual way,” I respond, since it’s an easy question.
I get karate chopped this time, in the neck right where it meets my shoulder. The pain is incredible.
“The inside line, the one straight to Cross?” Snake spits. “I want it.”
“Once they know you got Harper, they’ll come to you, don’t you worry,” I slur. It’s getting harder to speak. “I wouldn’t hurt her too bad if I were you. I wouldn’t hurt her at all. Or they’ll kill your mothers and wives and daughters too after they’re done with you.”
“The Devils don’t kill women and children,” the small guy hackles. “Everyone knows that.”
“Yeah, but you crossed the line taking Harper,” I say. “Now all bets are off.”
I hope this is giving them some kind of pause and making them rethink their plans regarding Harper. But they’re dumb enough that I doubt it.
I get punched again.
“What the fuck?” I slur. “I’m giving you good information here. Take it. Let her go and fight like men.”
That pisses the little guy off and in the frenzy of punches I lose count of how many there were.
The thing is, I’m not afraid of pain. The trick with pain is not to fight it. That just makes it worse. What you gotta do is let it take you like you must let water take you when you fall in. Then it will bring you where you need to go.
“You will call them and you will tell them where to come,” Snake says pulling the little guy off me. “And we’ll be waiting.”
“No,” I say and leave it at that.
The huge guy waves the large copper colored knife under my nose.
“I call this knife The Bone Cruncher,” he informs me. “And you’ll find out why if you don’t stop acting stupid.”
