SECOND DRAFT: Hard Bank Left

11

Graham sat in the chair as instructed, waited as instructed, contemplated his situation as instructed. They didn't tell him to seeth, or plot what he was going to do to Anandi when she walked in that door. They hadn't instructed him to think of all the ways he was going to get out of here, though they had told him how futile it was to attempt any escapes.

The hardest part of an escape would be to get past Anandi herself. Whatever she was, Graham had become convinced that she wasn't human. No human had the ability to incapacitate someone just by touching them: at least not anything fully human. Her presence was the most likely reason why he was no longer restrained. They knew whatever she had worked on him. So long as Anandi was around he wouldn't be able to leave.

The room was void of decoration, just stark walls, a table, two chairs, and a pendant light. This was an interrogation room. It suddenly struck him why they had captured him.

His arm was no longer bound, but they had given him some sort of serum that had taken the pain away. They allowed him to wear his clothes rather than the hospital gown. These considerations only made him uneasy. They were trying to make him comfortable, so what were they preparing him for.

He clenched and unclenched his fists, waiting for something to happen, something unexpected, something that would be his golden opportunity. That opportunity never came. The door opened, a woman in a black and gold sari entered the room: Anandi. Graham's jaw set. He was ready. She wasn't getting him this time. He'd be prepared for her.

She sat in the chair opposite him, rested her hands on the table just inches from his. Her dark, heavily ornamented fingers reached suddenly for his clenched fists. He withdrew them, placing his hands on his lap. Anandi smiled, an insincere, smile that he couldn't help but feel was intentionally unnerving. Her hands withdrew to their mantis-like posture.

"Do you know why you are here?" Her thick accent rolled over him like a soothing balm.

"No," he found himself answering.

"Might you venture a guess?"

The words came unbidden. Why was he speaking to this woman? "You need information regarding the Shadow Caste and I'm an easy, unprotected mark."

"Close. Your companion was an easy unprotected mark. You were far more difficult to track down. Try again."

Was? "You have Krys here too?"

"Oh heavens no. No, we got to her a long time ago."

Graham's mind raced. When had they gotten Krys?

"Are you really that concerned for your companion, Master Cern?"

"When did you take her?"

"You know when we took her. After all, she managed to escape from us two years ago, nearly to the day."

"Dustan? Dustan was with you?"

Anandi nodded.

"The fuck is wrong with you people? I thought you were supposed to be for the betterment of humanity or some shit. Do you know what he did to her?"

"Yes, that was unfortunate. Some of our units can be a bit unpredictable. However, that is the price we pay when hiring monsters. His methods did prove useful in the end. I'm sure you've seen the results of her... interrogation."

"What do you mean?"

"Miss Constantine is aboard your vessel, isn't she?"

"Ve? She gave up Ve?"

Anandi nodded.

Bile started to rise in Graham's throat. Ve lost her mind because of these people, because of what Dustan did to Krys. "That's why you're here, isn't it? To torture me too? Do you really think you're gonna break me? I mean, come on. If you guys know anything about me you know I've been tortured before. I'm not going to break very easily."