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“Yes,” he replied. “I had all of us put vests on today when you—”
Bam-bam-bam-bam.She shot him in the chest. “You talk too much,” she said.
Mick stumbled against the wall, gasping for air.
“Did that break some ribs? I certainly hope so. It helps your story,” Nicole said.
Mick slid down to the ground on his ass, still wheezing for breath.
“I suggest you just collapse,” Nicole said brightly. “Take a nap. Wait for your people to get back. I want a report, as soon as they’re here, got it?”
He didn’t answer, still fighting for air, so she kicked him in the side, making him yelp. “Understand?” she repeated.
“Y-y-yes,” he forced out, coughing.
“Don’t go into shock and die,” she directed sternly. “That would be weak and stupid. If we don’t have you working here, there’s no reason not to put Jay into the incinerator.” Her arm flashed out. A hollowthunk, as she whacked him on the side of the head, and Mick toppled to the side, unconscious. Blood matted his hair. “That’s better,” she said. “That looks good.”
Nicole turned, her gaze flicking over us. “Get those two strapped in,” she said.
I wished for the whole hellish ride that I could reach out and grab Holly’s hand, but they had kept my cuffs on. I tried to do it with my eyes, but poor Holly was staring blankly into space.
I couldn’t gauge how long the trip lasted. Not a lot more than an hour, maybe. Cloth bags were jerked down over our heads before we landed, so there was no way to check out the environment there, either.
When we were dragged off the helicopter, we were bundled into the back of a van. Holly was tossed on top of me, which made it possible to curl one of my hands around her fingers. Hers tightened on mine, holding on for dear life.
After some other unmeasurable unit of time driving, the van stopped and we were hauled out. I struggled to keep my balance. I kept staggering and swaying.
I could hear Nicole’s crisp, click-click footsteps, and the squeak and scuffle of Holly’s athletic shoes, stumbling next to her.
“You turned Mick by hurting his uncle?” I said. “You’re a real piece of work.”
“Oh, but I am,” Nicole replied. “Smelly old geezer doesn’t give much satisfaction, though. He’s a stoic, and he’s too used to pain. I like them nice and fresh and juicy, with so much more to lose. Like you two, for instance. You two will be fun.”
That shut me up. I didn’t want her to spout any more of her shit to terrify Holly.
Another set of footsteps approached. “You have them here? Wait, don’t take them downstairs yet. I want a look at them.” A man’s voice, youngish.
Nicole ripped the bags off our heads. “Be my guest,” she said. “If you must.”
We stood there, hair tousled over our faces, blinking and swaying as a slim, well-dressed man with short hair and glasses approached, and looked us over.
“So this is your Payback Bitch, eh?” he said, lifting up a lock of hair that had fallen over my face. “I feel a little let down. She doesn’t look as feral and ferocious as I expected.”
“Watch out, Vin,” Nicole said. “She’ll bite off your hand.”
“Who the hell are you?” I demanded.
His eyes widened, as if taken aback that I possessed the faculty of speech, and then laughed at me. “I am Vincent Egan, the head of this operation.”
“You?” I looked over at Nicole, startled. “This guy is the boss? Then what are the hell are you? His errand girl? His nasty little bitch? His rabid dog?”
“Watch your mouth, Kat,” Nicole said, through her teeth. “Or Holly pays.”
Vincent laughed delightedly. “Oh, yes. Feisty, bloodthirsty. This is going to be fun, Nicole. You’ve done well. You’re an excellent nasty little bitch. Good girl.”
Nicole’s smile was frozen stiff. “You’re pushing it, Vin. Get out of my way and let me put them to bed. I’ve got things to do.”
We were dragged down a few flights of stairs, into an area that smelled of moisture, mold, cement dust, and worse things that I did not try to identify. A door opened, and a square-built, muscular guy wheeled a gurney out of a small, dark room that looked like a broom closet.
