Of The Sea : John Murphy

Little Red

_2_D A Y S_L A T E R_

"We should just release him..."

Sweat rolled down my reddened face and fire burned in my gut. "No!" I growled.

"Please, this isn't what we do..."

"It is now!" I barked, swinging the whip hard.

Its crack echoed through the room and silenced everyone within it, only a loud groan filled the gaps between our voices.

"It's been twelve hours since the attack! Unless you can tell me they're safe and unharmed, I WILL NOT STOP!" I bellowed.

"Thea, please, put it down." Edith begged with deep concern. "You're driving yourself mad."

I pointed the whip at Samuel who stood quietly in the corner of the room. "They took your wife, Corrie." I growled and tilted my head threateningly. "Do you think that the action I'm taking is unnecessary? Am I driving myself insane?"

He dipped his head and hid his exhausted features. "No." He muttered, then lifting his gaze to mine, the darkness under his eyes told me exactly what I wanted to know. "Not at all, chief."

I then turned the whip to others, "What about you lot? Have anything else to add?"

"No chief, not a word." They responded.

I then turned to Edith with a glare as dark as the night that surrounded us. "Those who think otherwise may leave now."

She growled between gritted teeth and spat at my feet. "This is not how we do things. This is how they do."

The door slammed shut and I turned my back on her, facing the way I had been before.

"I'm done playing your games!" I demanded, slamming the whip down on the table beside me. "Where are they?!"

There was no response, only a wild thrashing and howling.

I roared back in his face and threw a punch. "Tell me now!"

Frustration only rose with this stubborn prisoner we had captured and my patience was running thin. I grabbed my final device and held it to his head. "Do not test me."

His eyes started to flicker towards my gun and I finally received a reaction, one of desperation.

He growled and growled, shifting and shaking within his binds.

"Scared now?" I hissed.

He started to tilt his head, exposing his neck to me. "R-..."

"Speak!" I ordered.

"Red..." He croaked. "R-Re-ed..."

I observed the deep marks on his neck then slipped the gun into the back of my pants. "A moment." I mumbled, shoving past the observers and out the door.

Footsteps shuffled out behind me.

"Shrimp, the books?" I demanded.

He nodded and lead the way, his eyes clouded over and dazed. Perhaps I shouldn't have made him watch...

"You will sit out the next session." I told him.