Page 1 of Agony

Somewhere in San Bernardino County, Calif.

“Find Fisher.”

Mouse stared at Tanis and then shot a glance at Beck, who stood beside him without saying a word. He swung his gaze back to Tanis.

“Why?”

Their boss was a certifiable madman, but not once in the years he’d worked for the guy had Tanis asked him to bring back anybody.

Fisher was the exception.

“That’s for me to know,” Tanis said, the silky tone of the man’s voice sent a shiver up Mouse’s spine. He couldn’t get on Tanis’ bad side. His stomach roiled at the thought—memories crowded into his brain. Beck gently nudged his arm, drawing him back to the here and now.

“Yes, sir.” The word sir stuck in Mouse’s throat, but he managed to croak it out.

“And you…” Tanis snapped those cold, deadly eyes to the silent man who had entered earlier and leaned against the wall near the door.

Mouse glanced over at the man known only as Crow. The guy looked like he should be on a website for models and not the right hand of Satan.

Crow quirked one eyebrow.

“What about me?” Crow said, his voice deep and graveled, making the tone all the more deadly.

Mouse swung back to Tanis. A muscle ticked in his boss’s jaw.

“Where’s Blue?”

Crow shrugged. “He’s around.”

While Crow was the right hand of Tanis, Blue was the left.

“Both of you make sure Mouse does what he’s supposed to do. I want Fisher brought to me. You have forty-eight hours.”

Crow studied his nails. “I’m going to need a few months. He’s hard to find.”

The silence settled thickly in the room.

Mouse began to sweat and Beck pressed his arm fully against his in a silent offer of comfort. The pair, Tanis and Crow, were like villains straight from a murder crime novel. They were so sinister and diabolical that it seemed almost surreal.

Without a word, Crow turned on his heel and walked out.

Mouse took a stumbling step away from Tanis’ desk and grabbed at Beck’s hand.

“Oh no,” Tanis snapped before he could take a step toward the door. “He stays here.”

Tanis pressed a button and two big guards entered with guns drawn. Tanis jerked his head at Beck and the two men stepped up, one on each side of Beck.

Garrett, the biggest of the two big, burly men gripped Beck’s arm and the other pointed a gun at Beck’s head.

“Lock him up and bring me Boston,” Tanis ordered.

Mouse stood frozen, unable to get his body to stop shaking, and his stomach roiled with nausea when he thought about what Tanis had done to Boston.

“Mouse,” Tanis snarled and he jumped, gazing wild-eyed at his boss. “I’ll hold Beck for incentive.”

Mouse gave Beck a wobbling smile even though it was the hardest thing he’d ever done.

“I’ll be back,” he whispered the promise through numb lips.

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