Ann Marie's Asylum (Master and Apprentice Book 1) by Christopher Rankin Page B

secure interrogation room. Ann Marie followed with the fanciful hope that she would be allowed to observe. When it became clear that she would be asked to wait outside, she attempted to make a plea to her boss.
    “Pretty please let me inside with you,” she said to Dade.
    “Did you really just say, pretty please ?”
    “I’m sorry. I did,” she said, realizing that she had sounded even younger than her actual age. “It’s just that I want to help.”
    “I don’t need your help. I don’t need anyone’s help. Besides, you don’t want to know what I’m going to do to him.” He left her standing in the hall.
    The Camel Spider sat shackled to a steel table surrounded by mirrors, even on the floor and ceiling. It made the disorienting room seem infinite. A strange hum, like white noise, filled Bander’s ears. When he concentrated on it, the sound started to seem deafening. There was something very strange about that room. He found himself wishing for the pillowcase to be put back over his head.
    An opening in one of the mirrored walls revealed itself and Dade Harkenrider strode through.
    “What is this place?” Asked the prisoner.
    “An experimental interrogation facility. I designed it.”
    “The room is making me dizzy.”
    “Do I call you Bander or Mr. Al Zahrani, or Mr. Spider?”
    “Bander is fine.”
    “Where’s the bomb, Bander?”
    “I’m really sorry you asked me that.”
    “Why?”
    “Because there is no damn bomb! Because I don’t know what you’re talking about! I was hoping you wouldn’t be like the others. I was hoping you would believe me.”
    “Why should I believe you? Humans are always drowning in their lies. What makes you any different?”
    “You say that like you’re not a human being yourself.”
    Harkenrider leaned in closer to the stainless steel table and glowered at him. “Let’s get something straight, Bander. I may resemble one of you apes, but looks can be deceiving.”
    “Are you honestly telling me you’re not human?”
    “Whatever I am, I’m the one that’s about to torture you. You’d think you’d want to be on my good side.”
    Bander was quite confused. The odd way Dade stared at him made his pulse quicken. “What are you going to do to me?” He asked.
    “Me? I’m not even gonna lay a hand on you. That other guy though, the guy they almost let in here.” Dade shook his head, saying, “He wasn’t going to be so nice. The rest of them, they just want to torture you and kill you. Most of them don’t even care if the bomb goes off. That old man, though, that would have been much worse than death. Don’t get me wrong. There is still a good chance they’ll kill you after I leave but no one should go through what Bernard was going to inflict on you.”
    “All I remember is sitting in the bar near campus and waking up in a mosque. I’ve never seen or heard of any bomb. I’m not a damned terrorist!”
    Harkenrider reached into his lab coat pocket and removed a large syringe filled with cherry red liquid. The needle looked big enough to poke through a femur.
    Bander recoiled from the sight of the syringe and flailed around in his chains. He pleaded, “Oh God! Not that! Not a damned needle!”
    “You’re not scared of blowing yourself up but the needle is too much?” Dade started laughing at the prisoner, who started hyperventilating and couldn’t take his eyes off the needle. “Don’t worry,” Dade told him. “This isn’t for you.” He rolled up the sleeve of his lab coat and plunged the needle into the vein on his own arm. Just before he pushed the plunger on the syringe down, he told the prisoner, “You’re gonna feel a lot different when this is over, but it’s not going to be easy.”
    Bander just sat there looking extremely confused.
    Dade finished injecting the cherry red syrup into his own bloodstream. His face took on a look of calm and he leaned forward in his chair. He looked like a student who was about to fall asleep in class.