Chapter 168 Getting Information
Caden's POV
We had our man take him directly to a cell. I changed my mind after I said it earlier. There was no reason to put him in an interrogation room just for us to have to move him later. Nope, he has just been taken to his suite instead.
He was already chained to the chair when I walked in. Silver cuffs at his wrists and ankles. A reinforced silver collar at his throat. Wolfsbane is dulling his senses. His head hung forward. His hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. He looked smaller than he had up on the grounds. They always did here.
Kevan leaned against the wall to my left. His arms were crossed over his chest. His expression bored, but his eyes were focused.
Mark stood to my right. He was rolling his shoulders like he was warming up for a workout. I pulled a chair and sat down in front of him. I was close enough that when he lifted his head, he'd have to look straight at me.
"Wake up sleeping beauty." I ordered as I stared at this piece of shit that thought it was all right to spy on me and my family.
Mark didn't hesitate at all. He went to the side and picked up a 5 gallon bucket of ice and water. He walked back in front of the man and threw it on him.
The man gasped. His head snapping up. His eyes unfocused for a second before panic slipped in.
"Good Morning. I see you're having a rough start to your day." I said calmly as my eyes didn't leave his.
He was shaking like a leaf. He swallowed hard. "I-I-I don't know what you think..." he stuttered in a very raspy voice.
"Oh damn! I love this part." Kevan snorted and clapped his hands a couple times. "Fuck man. I forgot my popcorn. Caden, can we pause until I get back?" He said with a shit eating grin on his face.
I shook my head at his antics. I reached out and flicked the switch on the chair. The current wasn't lethal. It wasn't even that strong. Yet. Just enough to remind every nerve in his body that they existed.
He screamed anyway. I fucking high-pitched, ear piercing screams. Damn! What a little bitch.
I watched him carefully as it hit. Not the paint itself, but how he reacted to it. Where his eyes went. How he breathed. How fast his heart tried to outrun reality. When I shut it off, the room felt louder than the sudden silence.
"Name" I said short and clipped.
He shook his head. His teeth was chattering. "You. You. You. D-d-don't u-u-understand." He finally got out.
Mark leaned in and drove his fist into the man's ribs. Not hard enough to break anything. Just hard enough to bruise and steal his breath.
"I promise you we understand just fine." Mark said as he shook off his hand.
The man gagged and coughed continuously while spit was streaming from his lips.
I waited for him to stop his damn fit.
"Name" I repeated a little angrier than before.
"K-K-Kyle" he croaked as tears were streaming down his face.
Kevan arched his brow. "See? That wasn't so hard now was it?"
Kyle's eyes flickered between us wildly. "Please. I just needed work. I didn't ..."
I reached forward and wrapped my fingers around the silver collar, twisting it just enough to bite into his skin.
"You made a call. You said a name." I said quietly as I stared into his eyes. His entire body went rigid.
"I can't " he shook his head violently.
I flipped the switch again. This time the current was stronger as I turned it up three notches. Kyle screamed into his voice cracked. And until his back arched against the restraints and his heels scraped uselessly against the floor. When I cut it off, he slumped forward, sobbing.
Kevan crouched in front of him. "Here's the thing. We're not in a hurry. And you? You're not leaving." he said conversationally.
Mark added. "So you can do this the easy way, or we can get creative."
Kyle laughed weakly and hysterically. "He'll kill me."
I leaned in until my mouth was right by his ear. "Clarence can can't reach you here."
That right there did it. The minute of realization hit. His eyes blown wide. He was shaking much more than he was. And he smells. Fuck!
"Oh My Fuck! Please tell me he just didn't!" Kevan curled up his nose and shook his head.
"He most certainly did! The little baby just had an accident." Mark said in his best baby voice.
Fuck! I guess he should have been put in a diaper first. I shook my head and looked back at him. His breathing hitched. His eyes filled with something worse than pain. It was fear.
"Who recruited you?" I asked. Silence was all I got.
Mark stepped back. He rolled his neck once then punched Kyle square in the face. Blood sprayed across the floor.
"Mark, we talked about pacing." Kevan sighed and shook his head once again.
"Sorry" Mark said, not sounding sorry at all.
I stood, circled behind Kyle, and rested my hands on his shoulders. I let just a hint of my strength through. Not enough to hurt, just enough to make him feel small.
"Listen to me. Every second you stay quiet, this gets worse. Every word you give me, slows it down." I said, as I was getting bored at this entire situation.
Kyle was shaking so hard that the chair rattled.
"He found me after the palace posted for staff. Said. Said. Said. Warriors took too long. Said this was f-f-f-faster." He whispered.
"Smart. I fucking hate that." Kevan straightened and ran his hand through his hair.
"Who else?" I asked through clenched teeth.
Kyle squeezed his eyes. "I don't know names."
I flipped the switch again. He screamed, even louder. Blood curling screams came from him.
This time I didn't stop it right away. When I finally did, he was sobbing openly. His shoulders collapsed inwards.
"Try again." I seethed.
"There are more. Different jobs. Different wings. He said redundancy." he gasped as tears were flowing freely from his eyes.
The word landed heavy. I exchanged a look with Kevan. Mark went very still.
"How many?" Kevan asked softly.
Kyle shook his head. "I-I-I don't know. He kept us separate. Said if one fell then the others wouldn't."
I stepped back. My heart was pounding. Not with anger, but with clarity.
This wasn't just one crack in the wall. This was was a network.
I bent down meeting Kyle's eyes. "You just bought yourself a few minutes without pain."
He sobbed in relief.
"But I understand this. We will find the rest. And when we do."
"You'll be wishing you talked faster." Kevan finished for me.
I straightened and turned towards the door. Behind me, Kyle whispered brokenly.
"Pease"
As the door shut, mark exhaled slowly. "More moles"
Kevan rubbed a hand over his face.
"Clarence didn't come to play."