Page 111 of A Breath of Life
“Please. Where’s Tallus?”
“That is a very good question.”
The Bishop circled behind me as I waded through the meaning behind the Consigliere’s words. His stern expression gave nothing away. A cold darkness lived behind his eyes and sent a chill up my spine.
“What do you mean?”
“Your friend has slipped through our fingers, I’m afraid.”
My heart skipped. Tallus had gotten free. They had lost him. I was too afraid to hope.
“Yes. I figured that might please you.” The Consigliere stood and paced with his arms crossed. “He’s slippery, that boyfriend of yours, but your stunt back at the courthouse has not done you any favors. Ifeel obligated to remind you of your situation, Mr. Krause. I’m afraid you haven’t taken Ace’s demands seriously.”
“I have. I’ve been searching for Clarence.”
The Consigliere tipped his head to the side in disbelief. “Have you? Because it seems to me that you have an ulterior motive. During our first meeting, we discussed the consequences of disobedience. You remember, I assume? You haven’t taken our threats seriously. In fact, it appears that you have gone out of your way to completely disregard our instructions.”
“No. I—”
“We will locate your friend, Mr. Krause, and when we do—”
“I’ll find Clarence. Christ. Let me go, and I’ll find him. No more fucking around. I swear.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“If I don’t do as you say, you can let this asshole behind me do whatever he wants. Ace can watch. Carve me to pieces. Tear my nails off. Break every bone in my body. I don’t care. You can put a bullet in my head if you want.”
“Ah, the sacrificial lamb. How noble. How sweet. No deal. As I explained. Ace gives one warning. Consider this it.”
He nodded to the Bishop.
I tensed, anticipating pain, but the Bishop leaned over my shoulder and presented a tablet.
On the screen, Nana rocked in her chair by the window. The warm late summer sun made her skin glow as it shimmered in her silver curls. A man in scrubs sat in front of her, shuffling a deck of cards. I knew all the day nurses at the nursing home, and he wasn’t one of them.
The two appeared to be chatting. At one point, the man reached inside a loose pocket on his scrubs and withdrew a phone, answering what must have been a call.
The Consigliere’s voice made me jerk my attention from the screen. “Wave at the camera. You have an audience.”
The man on the screen turned and glanced directly at the lens. A wicked grin filled his face as he fluttered his fingers. Nana, too lost in her mind to understand, waved too.
“Now is a good time,” the Consigliere told him.
The man hung up and repocketed his phone. He fanned the playing cards and displayed them to Nana. Even when I couldn’t hear him speak, I knew he asked her to select one. With shaking fingers, she pulled one from the pile, a girlish smile on her face like they were involved in a game.
The man said something and pointed at the camera, and Nana showed the camera her card. I knew what it would be before she turned it around, but still, I held my breath.
The ace of spades.
I shattered.
An unearthly roar left my throat, and I thrashed and tore at the bindings around my hands as the Bishop removed the tablet from reach. “You motherfucker.” The wire cut into my flesh, but I felt nothing as I spat and cursed and threw my body against the restraints. “Let me go. Untie me. If you fucking touch her, I will kill you. I will fucking kill you!”
“Control him,” the Consigliere shouted over my rage.
The Bishop snagged a handful of my hair and yanked my head back until my neck was fully exposed. Instead of the letter opener, he held the needle point of a dagger under my eye, pressing hard enough to indent the skin.
I stilled instantly, but the internal shake of rage wouldn’t cease. One wrong move, and I had no doubt, the Bishop would happily blind me. I wanted blood. I wanted to hit something.Someone. I wanted to breakbones and faces. Black spots appeared in my vision, and I gritted my teeth so hard it was a wonder they didn’t shatter.
