Under the Floorboards (and In the Walls)

Just Call DEPRAC-George

"They say that a mother's love conquers all but you probably put that to the test, didntcha? Oh I'm sorry, your mothers probably dead. Either that, or 2000 years old. Actually, I think I met your mum the other day. She was wandering the banks of the Thames. Her source was a whiskey bottle. Explains why you turned out so charming. I would bring her to say "hi" but you'd probably steal her source to murder people, yeah?"

I hung my head in what I hoped looked like defeat. In reality, I was trying to think of a way to escape. Flo had been on a tirade against our captors for the last five minutes. So far, they hadn't said anything. We were tied with our hands behind chairs, back-to-back, in the middle of a stone room. The basement. They drug us down here after finding us at the phone. Not our finest moment. In our defense, they tazed us. Didn't give much chance for a proper fight. Now they stood, five of them, in a row, watching us from under their gray cloaks. I recognized the uniforms that we had gotten really familiar with in the crate.

"And that's another thing!" Flo was still at it. "I've met relic men with more charm than you lot! And that's saying something. Although, if you think about it, you are relic men. Or worse than relic men! At least they have the decency to sell their sources. Cold capitalism and all that rot. You straight out target old ladies like a pack of smelly Communists."

Insults were Flo's armor. She used it to protect herself. And that's what she was doing now. Although I knew she wasn't really scared. Not much scared Flo Bones. What she didn't like was how they wouldn't respond. You cant fight someone who won't engage.

My bound hands were growing numb but I managed to stretch out a finger and found her hand behind my back. She jerked when she felt my touch but then she hooked a finger on mine. Now we were connected. There wasn't much chance that we could escape while these bozos were in the room, if they would just leave for two minutes, I was certain we could get out. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards for us.

There wasn't much in the room at all. Two hooks in the ceiling behind us, probably to hang punching bags or fencing dummies. A dozen or so crates, stacked and spread out by the door. And two chairs. With two teenagers tied to them.

"Do you wear those robes because you think they slim you down? Because they don't. You look horrid. Like a bloated, rotting slime. A little bit like the greyhound I dredged from the river yesterday. Only the greyhound smelled better." She sniffed daintily. "I wouldn't be caught dead in something like that. And you wear it everyday? Not a wonder to why you hide your face. Bleh. The fabric isn't breathable either. I can tell. Don't pretend. This place is steaming up like a bath house. I can see the sweat spots on your underarms. That's disgusting." She made another rude sound with her throat.

Another hooded figure entered the room and our interrogation began. They acted like they were the boss and the other minions seemed to have just been waiting for them to arrive.

They stood in front of me and I glared up at them. IT was a man, I realized. Pudgy, features hidden behind a mask under the hood. Cloth covered every inch of them. Still, I spat at him. He promptly struck me across the face. It stung, but I had gotten a reaction.

He circled me to stand in front of Flo. I could sense rather and see that he had grabbed her face, shoving her head back, knocking into mine.

"What were you looking for?" the man asked quietly. His voice was without emotion. A dangerous voice.

I heard Flo spit. Normally I would be so proud of her. Right now, I was just scared.

I heard the blow and Flo grunt.

Twisting in my seat I could see him pulling back for a second punch to her stomach. "She doesn't know anything!" I lied. Flo knew more than me. But I needed to divert his attention. Not on her. Anyone but her. So it was me. He relaxed and stepped back over to me.

"Get them up!" He barked. Four of his robed minions stepped forward.

"What were you looking for?" he repeated.

My thoughts went wild. What did we have to lose by telling them anything? But if he knew we were trying to take them down he would just kill us. Like Sophie. But what was something believable? "We work for relic men. We heard you have sources here. We were looking for them. That's it. You can call DEPRAC now. I'm sure they'll be thrilled. You might even get an award."

The man simply stared. It unnerved me. "You were on the phone with someone. Who was it?"

My hesitation made him angry.

"Who knows you're here?"

"Our boss. Jerry Rogers." I spat out. He was a relic man of medium standing. Not a Julius Winkman by any means, but he would be known by anyone in the relic business.

"Liar." Was all he said. And my heart sank. How was Lockwood so good at lying?

He nodded at the group that lined the walls. Like a sadistic hive mind, they must have known exactly what he wanted.

Two of them grabbed me on either side, yanking me up out of the chair. They started to untie my hands, twisting, I broke out of one hand. A knee to my gut had me gasping for breath. My vision blurred and I was on the verge of throwing up. They retied my hands in the front. Tighter. My fingers were already going numb. Then they pulled my arms up. My hands were now caught on one of the hooks jutting from the ceiling. I could barely reach. But now I was standing. With my hands up as far as they would go. Like when I did yoga.

If I did yoga tied up. And in basement of robed strangers. And fully clothed.

One look at Flo told me she had received the same treatment. She glanced over at me, eyes wild. I knew the hands tied thing was getting to her. Claustrophobia. She used the verbal barrage earlier to distract but now that was over. She was on the brink.

Now there was the robed leader in my face. I coughed. He had been eating something with garlic.

"I'll ask again. What were you looking for?"

"Sources." I gasped.

A figure behind the leader pulled a stick of rubber out. I flinched but tried to keep my voice steady. "Do whatever you want to me, and you'll still get the same answer."

His laugh chilled me. "Oh, we're not going to touch you."

I know it was cowardly. But I closed my eyes. I couldn't watch. Some agents had envied me in the past. While I was no prodigy in any category, I was blessed with all three talents. But right now, I wished I was more like Lockwood.

I wish I couldn't hear a thing.

Just got home from vacation. First thing on the list was updating. Don't miss out on the postcard campaign to bring back our show! #SaveLockwoodandCo #TheHollowBoy