do the thinking. Fine. Go stand over there.”
Mia slowly became aware of the pain in her head. She tried to move but her hands and feet were tied to something. A chair?
A wave of freezing cold washed over her and she gasped in shock.
“Wake up, bitch.”
She forced her eyes open.
“About time. Jesus.” He set down the dirty pail.
She was soaked through, and started shivering. He must have used the coldest water he could find.
“What… where…”
“Shut up. I’m the one asking the questions.”
Mia looked around the room and saw Justine standing in the corner. She looked away quickly, trying not to let any spark of recognition cross her face.
My God. This must be Danny… and if he has any idea that Justine tipped me off… oh, my God. We are in big trouble.
“So.” His black eyes glared down at her, furious. “Who gave you this address?”
“Nobody.”
He shook his head. “Liar.”
“Nobody. Really.”
Justine watched from across the room, shaking. She had been shaking for hours now, ever since she and Danny had sat outside Mia’s building, waiting for her to come out. They had followed her to that club and Justine had watched in speechless horror as Danny hit Mia and threw her in to the back seat. Justine had prayed for a cop to see her erratic driving and pull her over, but no luck.
Danny knew a lot about Mia, but Justine had no idea how. What Justine did know, for sure, was that sooner or later, Mia would have to crack under Danny’s questions; there was no way once Danny started hitting her that she’d be able to hold out. Justine was sure that tonight was the last night of both of their lives. She wanted to run, but if she did, Danny would kill her before she got to the parking lot.
Danny moved closer to Mia, his large body tense with anger. “I’m going to ask one last time: how did you know this address?”
Mia’s eyes met Justine’s and Mia saw the sheer, all-consuming terror in them.
I’m not going to tell, Justine. I promised you that.
“I figured it out… I put all the pieces together.”
“You’re fucking lying, you bitch.”
She swallowed her fear, fought to stay calm. Nick and Adam will have seen what happened to me outside the club; they’ll have raised the alarm by now. All I have to do is hang on until the cops talk to Tom and he gives them this address. Just keep him talking. Keep Justine safe.
“No, I’m not lying. I’m not new to this game, you know.” She tried to look believable. “I’ve done this kind of work before in Asia… lots of it. I know how to ask questions and connect the dots. I have my sources on the street. This was me. All me.”
Justine closed her eyes in relief.
The man regarded her calmly for a few seconds and nodded.
“OK, so you’re going to keep lying to me. I don’t like that very much.”
“I’m not –”
He punched her in the face and the force of it snapped her head back. She cried out in pain.
“You are. You are lying.”
“I don’t –”
Another punch, this one to her mouth. Mia tasted blood and the fear became real and huge now. She struggled against the ropes and the man stuck his face right in hers.
“You know how I know you’re lying, you fucking bitch? Because I have my sources, too. And my favorite source told me quite clearly that you told him about how you got the address.” His eyes bored in to hers. “That you have someone on the inside.”
What the fuck? I have told exactly two people on this planet about Justine: Nick and Tom. Tom… no. No way. He works to save these kids! Why would he? So, Nick? No. Impossible. It’s Tom.
He saw the shock on her face and he grinned. “Yeah. Always helpful to have someone on the inside myself.”
Mia found her voice. “But – why would he? Tom cares about getting kids out …”
“He also cares about large amounts of cash. He provides information that keeps me ahead of the cops; I provide him with a nice lifestyle. It’s win-win,
Mia slowly became aware of the pain in her head. She tried to move but her hands and feet were tied to something. A chair?
A wave of freezing cold washed over her and she gasped in shock.
“Wake up, bitch.”
She forced her eyes open.
“About time. Jesus.” He set down the dirty pail.
She was soaked through, and started shivering. He must have used the coldest water he could find.
“What… where…”
“Shut up. I’m the one asking the questions.”
Mia looked around the room and saw Justine standing in the corner. She looked away quickly, trying not to let any spark of recognition cross her face.
My God. This must be Danny… and if he has any idea that Justine tipped me off… oh, my God. We are in big trouble.
“So.” His black eyes glared down at her, furious. “Who gave you this address?”
“Nobody.”
He shook his head. “Liar.”
“Nobody. Really.”
Justine watched from across the room, shaking. She had been shaking for hours now, ever since she and Danny had sat outside Mia’s building, waiting for her to come out. They had followed her to that club and Justine had watched in speechless horror as Danny hit Mia and threw her in to the back seat. Justine had prayed for a cop to see her erratic driving and pull her over, but no luck.
Danny knew a lot about Mia, but Justine had no idea how. What Justine did know, for sure, was that sooner or later, Mia would have to crack under Danny’s questions; there was no way once Danny started hitting her that she’d be able to hold out. Justine was sure that tonight was the last night of both of their lives. She wanted to run, but if she did, Danny would kill her before she got to the parking lot.
Danny moved closer to Mia, his large body tense with anger. “I’m going to ask one last time: how did you know this address?”
Mia’s eyes met Justine’s and Mia saw the sheer, all-consuming terror in them.
I’m not going to tell, Justine. I promised you that.
“I figured it out… I put all the pieces together.”
“You’re fucking lying, you bitch.”
She swallowed her fear, fought to stay calm. Nick and Adam will have seen what happened to me outside the club; they’ll have raised the alarm by now. All I have to do is hang on until the cops talk to Tom and he gives them this address. Just keep him talking. Keep Justine safe.
“No, I’m not lying. I’m not new to this game, you know.” She tried to look believable. “I’ve done this kind of work before in Asia… lots of it. I know how to ask questions and connect the dots. I have my sources on the street. This was me. All me.”
Justine closed her eyes in relief.
The man regarded her calmly for a few seconds and nodded.
“OK, so you’re going to keep lying to me. I don’t like that very much.”
“I’m not –”
He punched her in the face and the force of it snapped her head back. She cried out in pain.
“You are. You are lying.”
“I don’t –”
Another punch, this one to her mouth. Mia tasted blood and the fear became real and huge now. She struggled against the ropes and the man stuck his face right in hers.
“You know how I know you’re lying, you fucking bitch? Because I have my sources, too. And my favorite source told me quite clearly that you told him about how you got the address.” His eyes bored in to hers. “That you have someone on the inside.”
What the fuck? I have told exactly two people on this planet about Justine: Nick and Tom. Tom… no. No way. He works to save these kids! Why would he? So, Nick? No. Impossible. It’s Tom.
He saw the shock on her face and he grinned. “Yeah. Always helpful to have someone on the inside myself.”
Mia found her voice. “But – why would he? Tom cares about getting kids out …”
“He also cares about large amounts of cash. He provides information that keeps me ahead of the cops; I provide him with a nice lifestyle. It’s win-win,
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