Ice Shock by M. G. Harris

Lying on the floor, I gasp uselessly, winded, trying to get my breathing going again.
    This time Madison speaks. “Get up.”
    It begins to dawn on me just how bad my predicament is. I stand up slowly, sucking in air. Still holding the gun, Ollie pats my pockets, removes both phones. She passes them to Madison. He switches off my normal cell phone and places it on the stove top, among the ashes of the pages from Thompson’s house. He doesn’t take his eyes off me until he opens the Ek Naab phone.
    â€œWho else knows about Ek Naab?” he asks, in a matter-of-fact way.
    I say nothing. Madison smashes the phone down against the sideboard, snaps it in two, then proceeds to bring his heel down on the two halves, until it’s reduced to fragments of metal and plastic, the internal chips exposed.
    â€œThis time, Josh, they won’t find you,” says Madison, with malice. “Now. Where’s the new entrance to the city?”
    I say nothing.
    He shouts right into my face, “Where’s the Ix Codex?”
    That one, I answer. “It’s in Ek Naab.”
    The answer earns me another hard kick, this time to my right shin. I double over, groaning.
    â€œI know that, jerk. You think we don’t know all about your little trip?
Where
in Ek Naab?”
    Another blow, this time to my ribs, which by now feel as though they’re on fire from the inside.
    â€œYou have any idea what you’ve cost me?”
    Then Ollie’s voice says calmly, “That’s enough for now, Simon. Save it.”
    My mind is working overtime. I don’t know exactly what they’ve got planned, but questions and more of Madison’s kicks seem pretty high on the list. Without weapons, I’ve got no chance against the two of them.
    I make a sudden lunge for Ollie’s gun. She yanks the pistol out of the way, but fires it anyway. The sound is deafening, and chunks of ceiling plaster crash down over us. Madison sweeps my legs from under me and I land on my stomach, sprawled over the threshold between the kitchen and the hall.
    The gunshot seems to have stunned them too. Madison recovers first. “Baby, you wanna give me the gun?”
    â€œI’m fine,” she snaps. “It’s just … I forgot how loud these things are.” Then she turns the gun on me. “Get up. Hands above your head.”
    I do as she says. Madison reaches into a kitchen drawer, grabs a fat roll of duct tape. He twists my arms behind my back, wraps tape tightly around my wrists, over my shirt. He takes the gun from Ollie, turns me roughly around, opens a door that I’d assumed led to a pantry.
    But it doesn’t. This is serious. Behind the door are stone steps that lead to a dark, damp-smelling cellar. No one outside would hear anything from down there. They could kill me and no one would ever know.

14
    The cellar is empty, except for a small side table against one wall. There is only a tiny window, right up against the ceiling, no more than two feet wide. Madison pulls a cord, turning on a single dim uncovered lightbulb. He pushes the nose of the pistol against my cheek, softly.
    â€œOn your knees.”
    I hesitate, then kneel on the concrete floor. He tapes my ankles together. I sit back on my haunches. Madison clicks his tongue.
    â€œNot like that. Kneel up. Straight.”
    It’s not easy to get up without my hands for leverage. I do it, slowly.
    â€œJosh,” he murmurs. “Look at me.”
    I stare at him in what I hope is defiance, but for all I know, my face shows every bit of the terror I’m starting to feel.
    â€œOne thing I do know about torture is, you gotta give a little sample. Now maybe you and I, being old friends, canleave that part out. So first we’ll talk a little. If I like your answers, maybe I’ll stop there. But if I don’t like your answers, Josh … I may need to persuade you.”
    Madison places the gun slowly on the side