Page 3 of Hidden Depths

“It’s Harrison. You want better conditions? Tell me who you are and who you work for, and I’ll see about getting you an upgrade.”

“I already told you. My name is Thomas Bennett. I’m a federal agent. The helicopters are on their way.”

In the dim light that filtered through the dusty, cracked windows, it was hard to see if Harrison’s expression was bored or irritated. Tom bet irritated.

“Tell me the truth.”

“You sure you can handle it?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. The truth is…my existence is deeper than anyone’s understanding. It is my own lived experience coupled with others’ view of—”

Harrison charged forward, grabbed Tom’s face, and squeezed. “I am not known for my patience. You think stalling will save your life, but it will only prolong your suffering. Now, tell me who you are!”

Tom had a smart retort prepared about Harrison getting his feet wet, but his mouth was too crushed, so instead, he said, “Chubby bunny,” and got a punch in the stomach for it.

“You think I’m joking?” Harrison howled. “You think this is a game?”

Tom coughed, sending shivers of pain through his body. “No. Nope. Not even a little. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m enjoying this a tiny bit. And yet, I know you’ll spoil everything in the end. In fact, I’m counting on it.”

“So, you’re a masochist, then?”

Tom was about to banter again but considered that Harrison might not be too far from the truth. He’d known what he was getting into coming in here. He’d known what would happen and had almost welcomed it.

“Maybe a little,” he said. “In my own way.”

“If it would help, I could promise a slow death if you tell me what you know.”

“Hmm. That puts me in a bit of a conundrum.”

What Harrison didn’t know was that Tomwastelling him the truth. He may have misled his captor by making it look like he wasn’t what he seemed. But his name was indeed Thomas Bennett, and he was an agent with the FBI. And while Tom couldn’t say he was enjoying the pain, somewhere in the recesses of his mind, in a place he’d tucked safely away, he did believe he deserved it, even if he wouldn’t admit it. But the main objective in this scheme, despite how things appeared, was going according to the plans Tom had made before stepping into the building hours earlier.

He would have preferred more time to prepare, but time was short. He’d only recently been assigned to the case because he had a reputation for closing them, and the feds were desperate to get Harrison behind bars. They’d already taken him into custody twice over the last year. Both times, he’d laughed his way out of incarceration with an entourage in tow. But not this time. This time, it would stick. He was seeing to that now.

Harrison shoved Tom’s head back and moved away, then pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his hand.

“I want you to know that I am a man of my word,” Harrison said as he tossed the handkerchief on the floor. “If you tell me the truth about who you work for and why you’re here, I promise I’ll make sure no one knows it was you who told me. Otherwise, I’ll give Jimmy here a longer leash.”

“A longer leash? Did you hear that, Jimmy?” Jimmy hadn’t spoken the whole time, and Tom suspected he’d had his tongue cut out. It almost made him feel bad for the guy. “Maybe you should electrocute Harry instead of me. I would never treat you that way.”

Jimmy just smirked.

“He’s on a leash for your safety. But my patience is wearing thin. You are inspiring me to let him have his way with you.”

“Oh, I see. You’re holding him back to protect me. That’s very kind of you. Thanks for looking out for me.” Tom pushed the tip of his toe into the floor, lifting himself half an inch to relieve the strain in his shoulders and to take a deeper breath. “Am I allowed to ask a question?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“You are intent on provoking me.”

“It’s not intentional.”

“Be aware that I have my limits.”

“Noted. But see, the thing is—” Tom had to pause. The casual act was a hard one to keep up, and if his team didn’t show up soon, he’d run out of the endurance to maintain it much longer. “I’m more than happy to oblige you. I’ll tell you whatever it is you want to hear. If there’s a rival group you want a reason to go after, I will happily tell you they sent me. So who is it? Who do you want me to frame?”

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