KIA: Keri In Action

Chapter Six

Cold water was being poured carefully on my face. My eyes fluttered open and saw Mr. Martoni hovering close to my face. Behind him was the ceiling. I am out of the chair. Now to stay out of the chair. Every inch of me hurt. I carefully attempted to sit up, and discovered a pile of my hair next to me. Oh my God! What did I get myself into?! Aaron, please come for me…

            “It fell out from the electricity. We didn’t want you to get so seriously hurt. You will have scars, Keri. I don’t know how well they will heal,” he was almost kind.

            “Mr. Martoni, what is going on here? What the hell is with the chair? Is Uncle John still angry with me? Can I go to my room? I want my old room, please,” I was sincere. I did want my old room, only to start thinking of how to get the answers I needed and get out of town.

            “Please, call me Gray. Jonathon believes it will get the truth easier and faster than torture. He was surprised that you stayed conscious as long as you did. I was instructed to escort you to your room once you were awake. I know you are lying about my son, Keri. Please, I need to tell his mother it isn’t true. I need to know it isn’t true,” his eyes watered at the possibility I was telling the truth.

            Should I tell him or do I keep it from him until I can trust him more? Would Aaron trust him anymore after knowing he hurt me? “Okay, Gray, I will make you a deal. Tell me why you were a part of the team that tortured me, why you scarred Aaron’s back for practice and I will give you the honest answer of where Aaron is. Deal?” Somewhat honest is still honest, right?

            “Fine. I was threatened, well my family was threatened. If I didn’t follow my instructions, I would receive a body part from both my wife and son every hour until I did what I was told. As for his back, I was trying to help him, Keri. I knew if ACDC caught him or Hansen had to get information from him, he had to be prepared. He doesn’t know that every night, I cried knowing I was scarring my perfect son. I hated, and to this day, still do hate myself for having brought him into this life. Do you think you can understand?” He was being true and I knew he was being honest with me.

Everyone has a ‘tell’ when they lie. Aaron’s was cracking his fingers. Mine, well it wouldn’t be ‘tell’ if I knew what it was, would it? From the few psychology classes I attended in one of the many high schools in the area, I learned that the majority of people look to the right when they lie. The government sold a story saying scientists debunked the claim but it is only used in intelligence agencies like FBI, CIA, NSA, and Assassins of Creed. ACDC was supposedly into getting the truth by torture.

Rather than continue our conversation, I gave a curt nod and stood to go to my old room. Gray, this is so werid being on a first name basis with one of the guy’s that gave me nightmares, began a slow pace to escort me. “So, where is he?”

“Aaron won’t be coming back. I made sure that before I got rid of him that, should he miraculously survive the beating I gave him, he would hate your guts for what you did to me. He told me he wished you weren’t his father and that he was so ashamed,” looking straight down the hallway, I kept my tone even and prayed that whatever my ‘tell’ was, he hadn’t picked up on it.

When Gray collapsed against the wall, I knew my lie was believed and he had no doubt Aaron was dead, gone for good. There was nothing I could do; I was the one who just tore his world to shreds. To him, I ended his world when I ended Aaron’s life. “Let me tell you this now, Gray Martoni. Stay out of my way, stay in line and maybe, just maybe, I will tell you where I put his body. But until I trust you, I suggest you stay on my good side. Don’t betray this to Jonathon, don’t act like my friend. Be as you were but understand what is at stake now. Let’s go, you were told to escort me to my room.”