The Colt & The Cobra - THE SPECTER SERIES [book six]

Chapter THIRTY SEVEN

Colt Knox

.. e a r l i e r ..

I stand in the Specter viewing room, unable to take my eyes off Mikki sitting nervously on the other side of the two way glass, as the sounds of Ellerie and Harris arguing next to me fades in and out of my ears..

The poor girl is pale, frightened and trembling beneath the bright fluorescent lights in the interrogation room.. I can see the fear in her eyes as Paxton grills her, pressing her in all the ways I had been unwilling..

It makes me sick..

I make me sick..

How could I have done this?

Taking his role as acting Specter Spymaster very seriously, Harris turns his lashing on me, making me miss the days of Iris and her silent seething death stares.. Iris wouldn't have let this FUBAR occur.. "Well, ya made a damn dog's breakfast outta this one, didn't ya Knox!? You dumb fuck.. What the bloody hell were you thinking, bringing her here? There was nothing in that contract about Specter protecting her--"

"No.. But you will." I turn to Ellerie.. "It should have been you, El.. You could have just talked to her.. She trusted you, she was your friend.. She would have told you--"

Ellerie shakes her head.. "You're wrong, Colt.. We were friends before Charles died.. But after-- it wasn't the same-- Mikki wouldn't talk to me, she shut me out completely.. She couldn't forgive that I am the one who still breathing and Charlie isn't.. And I honestly don't blame her.. After what Pierce did.. After what the FBI did to her.. Her trust in the system, it was broken.." She sighs regretfully.. "Mikki doesn't trust me.. She went through so much before and after the hearings.. The FBI was determined to close the case.." Her gaze flicks to Harris, like she knows something I don't, but it doesn't take a genius to work it out..

Seeing red, I grind my back teeth..

"You've already interrogated her.. Haven't you?!" I bite at Harris.. "That's why you needed me.. You sneaky fucker--"

"She was non-compliant.." He folds his arms, clearly unaffected by my outrage..

"She wasn't non-compliatnt you fuckin' halfwit.. She just doesn't fuckin' know anything!.. Jesus Christ! What in the hell did ya'll do to her?!" I look between them, receiving a taste of that same bitter betrayal I had fed Mikki earlier..

"Relax mate, it was nothing you didn't put to use everyday in interrogations back at the CIA.." Jake shrugs..

I could puke I'm so fucking mad.. The things I did back then are unspeakable.. But every single one of the people I'd interrogated were hardened criminals.. Guys like Angelo.. Not innocent victims like his daughter..

To this day I do my best to forget my years under contract at the CIA.. Nothing of the like should ever have been used on Mikki.. There is nothing she has done to warrant that kind of treatment.. I don't believe it.. "You prick--"

Harris holds up a hand to shut me up.. "Yeah yeah, I'm a bastard-- A real S.O.B-- you hope my chooks all turn to emus and kick down me' dunny door.. I've heard it all before.. You need to quit thinking with your pecker, it's messing you up, mate.. You keep forgetting, this is a job Knox.. And Mikki isn't exactly some innocent little doe, she's got a wrap sheet of her own.. Conditions were given--"

Like always, half of what he says just sounds like nonsense and the other half only pisses me off.. "You keep her name outta your crooked fuckin' mouth, 'n unless you're fixin' to part with some of them teeth, I'd be real careful 'bout how you talk to me next, Harrision.. Cus all ya'll have given me is a load of bullshit.. Half the damn Agents at Specter have a fuckin' wrap-sheet.. That don't mean nothin'.. Admit it! You shit the bed on this one--"