a man to stick his dick into and pay your pimp, who might give you just enough to survive until the next day. I have been there and I have done that. When the opportunity came for me to make a better life for myself, I took it, even though there were aspects of it that—displeased me. That still displease me. However, that same opportunity is before you right now, Ms. Yi. If I were in your shoes, I would strongly consider taking it before it is withdrawn.”
“But I do not know anything about that box! Please, you have to believe me!”
Katya stared at her for a long minute, then blew out a breath.
“I believe that you believe what you are saying—but I am not sure that the Kildar will. Let me go talk to him, see if I can get you some more time. I’ll come back and talk to you again in a couple of hours. In the meantime, let us get you some food, all right?”
Yi didn’t reply, only nodded. Katya rose and walked to the door. She opened it, then turned back.
“Please, think about what I said. We will talk again in a little while.” Then she left.
Soon Yi stayed where she was, evaluating the conversation. “Katya” had said all the right words, made all the right overtures to try to draw her into her confidence. A run-of-the-mill prostitute would probably been convinced, but an operative with Soon’s training wasn’t.
Despite everything she had said, despite probably telling the truth about her past, very little of her emotional appeal had ever reached the blond woman’s eyes. She was a stone-cold killer, through and through.
She may even be deadlier than this Kildar , Soon Yi realized, and began thinking about how she could give them enough information to keep herself alive a while longer.
* * *
“Nice outfit,” Mike said when he saw Katya in the command room. “How’d it go?”
“So-so. Greznya is running the conversation through Vanner’s voice stress scanner for analysis, and I want to review the interview at least once before I go back in.”
Katya tapped a white tooth with a nail, pondering something before continuing.
“She cleaned herself up. Most data on waterboarding victims indicates a high percentage have a deep aversion to any kind of running water immediately afterward.” She removed the glasses and handed them to Daria. “I am interested in seeing how the recording from these compares to my implant. It seems they can be used for everyday surveillance without detection. Would be good in sunglasses, too.”
“We will get on that,” Vanner said.
“Cottontail,” Mike said, making her turn toward him. “What is your take on her?”
“She is definitely more than she seems. I am just not sure exactly what that is yet. I said we would feed her, and that I would talk to you to buy her some more time. Put the Oxystim in her drink. I suggest fruit juice to mask the taste. I will give it about ninety minutes to digest, then go in to let her know that you have graciously allowed her to live until morning, but that you expect results tomorrow, otherwise she will be shark bait. That should do it, no?”
“It’s a good start. I’m just really curious what the hell this bitch is hiding. Vanner, make sure someone’s watching her room twenty-four/seven. I don’t want to miss anything.”
“Yes, Kildar.”
CHAPTER SIX
Jace Morgan had been just about everywhere in this man’s world, from above the Arctic Circle in Siberia to the deep jungles of Africa, and on every continent in between. He thought he’d seen just about everything too, but the situation he was currently heading into was one of the strangest ones he’d ever encountered.
It had started with a call out of the blue from Patrick Vanner, asking if he was available for ten to fourteen days’ work around Southeast Asia. Figuring the intel specialist needed security or bodyguard work, Jace had checked his schedule and said sure, where and when.
“‘When’ is right now, and at the moment ‘where’ is a yacht
“But I do not know anything about that box! Please, you have to believe me!”
Katya stared at her for a long minute, then blew out a breath.
“I believe that you believe what you are saying—but I am not sure that the Kildar will. Let me go talk to him, see if I can get you some more time. I’ll come back and talk to you again in a couple of hours. In the meantime, let us get you some food, all right?”
Yi didn’t reply, only nodded. Katya rose and walked to the door. She opened it, then turned back.
“Please, think about what I said. We will talk again in a little while.” Then she left.
Soon Yi stayed where she was, evaluating the conversation. “Katya” had said all the right words, made all the right overtures to try to draw her into her confidence. A run-of-the-mill prostitute would probably been convinced, but an operative with Soon’s training wasn’t.
Despite everything she had said, despite probably telling the truth about her past, very little of her emotional appeal had ever reached the blond woman’s eyes. She was a stone-cold killer, through and through.
She may even be deadlier than this Kildar , Soon Yi realized, and began thinking about how she could give them enough information to keep herself alive a while longer.
* * *
“Nice outfit,” Mike said when he saw Katya in the command room. “How’d it go?”
“So-so. Greznya is running the conversation through Vanner’s voice stress scanner for analysis, and I want to review the interview at least once before I go back in.”
Katya tapped a white tooth with a nail, pondering something before continuing.
“She cleaned herself up. Most data on waterboarding victims indicates a high percentage have a deep aversion to any kind of running water immediately afterward.” She removed the glasses and handed them to Daria. “I am interested in seeing how the recording from these compares to my implant. It seems they can be used for everyday surveillance without detection. Would be good in sunglasses, too.”
“We will get on that,” Vanner said.
“Cottontail,” Mike said, making her turn toward him. “What is your take on her?”
“She is definitely more than she seems. I am just not sure exactly what that is yet. I said we would feed her, and that I would talk to you to buy her some more time. Put the Oxystim in her drink. I suggest fruit juice to mask the taste. I will give it about ninety minutes to digest, then go in to let her know that you have graciously allowed her to live until morning, but that you expect results tomorrow, otherwise she will be shark bait. That should do it, no?”
“It’s a good start. I’m just really curious what the hell this bitch is hiding. Vanner, make sure someone’s watching her room twenty-four/seven. I don’t want to miss anything.”
“Yes, Kildar.”
CHAPTER SIX
Jace Morgan had been just about everywhere in this man’s world, from above the Arctic Circle in Siberia to the deep jungles of Africa, and on every continent in between. He thought he’d seen just about everything too, but the situation he was currently heading into was one of the strangest ones he’d ever encountered.
It had started with a call out of the blue from Patrick Vanner, asking if he was available for ten to fourteen days’ work around Southeast Asia. Figuring the intel specialist needed security or bodyguard work, Jace had checked his schedule and said sure, where and when.
“‘When’ is right now, and at the moment ‘where’ is a yacht
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