“My personal items…and a free transfer out of here.” Alexandra paused. Swallowed. “Give me those, and I’ll tell you everything I know.”
She spit saliva and blood onto the floor. Her breath came in harsh wheezes, and her chest heaved up and down, but her eyes remained hard. She was bruised, but nowhere near broken.
“Subject is…telling the truth,” said the interrogation computer.
Falko frowned. Frustration radiated off his body. He crossed his arms and turned to the orderly at the terminal. “Up the voltage.”
ZZZZzzzzzzzzccccchhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Electrical current surged through Alexandra’s flesh. She shut her eyes, grit her teeth, and stiffened. When it finally stopped, she attempted a sly smile. “So…we got a deal?”
The door opened. A soldier stepped inside and slipped something to Falko, who turned it over and tucked it into his coat. Falko turned back to Alexandra slowly.
“No. We don’t.” Falko rushed at the chair. Reached into his coat. He pulled out the pistol that the soldier had given him. He pressed it into Alexandra’s forehead. “It’s simpler than that. Tell me…or die.”
* * *
Jack ripped his eyes away from Falko and turned his livid gaze onto Taylor. “You’re just gonna stand there?” The colonel didn’t respond, so Jack continued, “Tell him to stop. I’ll go. I’ll find Hector. We’ll get the information we need.”
“You’re staying here until I say otherwise.”
“You mean until Falko says otherwise, right? We have to stop him! He’s going to kill her!”
The observation room door opened. A broad smile danced across Jessica’s lips until she caught a glimpse of Alexandra and Falko through the glass. “What–”
“She’s lying,” said Taylor. “She’s not his sister.”
“What? But–” started Jessica. Surprise gave way to realization. “No!”
She charged through the interrogation room’s door.
Falko’s head snapped back around. His eyes zeroed in on Jessica’s outstretched datapad as she strode across the room and shoved it in his face. Alexandra’s DNA pattern scrolled across the datapad’s screen beside Hector’s. Proof. They were both Salazars.
“She’s not lying,” said Jessica. “She just doesn’t know!”
One of the orderly’s jumped up. “We’re losing her!”
The computer terminal’s voice announced, “Subject losing consciousness. Cardiac arrest eminent.”
Falko swore. “I don’t care who she is–”
Alexandra’s heart rate flatlined.
