Page 168 of The Thief
"Probably," Trace agrees, blood making his words wet and slurred. "Or maybe she's got other things on her mind. Like the men surrounding the house right now."
"You're lying."
"Am I? How many security guards did Henry have posted? Six? Eight? You think that's enough to stop a determined assault?"
My blood runs cold. He's playing mind games.
But what if he's not? What if this whole interrogation was just a distraction while other teams moved into position?
"Call Denis," I tell Maverick.
He's already dialing. The phone rings for what feels like an eternity before Denis picks up.
"Everything okay there?" Maverick asks.
I can't hear Denis' response, but I see Maverick's eyes flick to mine as he gives me a subtle nod.
"We won't be much longer," Maverick says, hanging up.
"He's full of shit," I summarize.
"He's full of shit. The fucker's spouting nonsense to try and save his ass."
The madness in Trace's eyes flickers with something that might be satisfaction. "Tick tock, Freddie. Are you going to go to her, to try to save her?"
The gun in my hand is pressed against Trace's bloody forehead, safety off, my finger on the trigger.
"You're full of shit. Do you think we're stupid?"
His laughter is maniacal. "Smart man. I thought you'd run to her."
"So you can escape? Never. You're going to die here, Trace, and there's no one left to help you."
His laughter turns desperate, unhinged. "You think you've won? You think killing me ends anything?"
"I think it ends you. And that's enough."
But I don't pull the trigger. Not yet. This bastard has taken too much from us, caused too much pain. A bullet is too quick, too clean for what he deserves.
"Maverick," I say quietly.
"Yeah?"
"How long can we keep him conscious?"
"As long as you want."
Trace's eyes widen as understanding dawns. The bravado, the madness, all of it cracking as genuine fear seeps in.
"You can't," he whispers. "I'm a United States citizen. I have rights?—"
"You lost your rights when you murdered Jerry and Henry," I cut him off. "When you terrorized an innocent woman. When you started a war that got good men killed."
"Please—"
"Did you show mercy to any of your victims? Did you hesitate when you put a knife in Henry's chest?"
Maverick's already moving, selecting tools from the workbench. Pliers, wire cutters, things that will cause maximum pain without killing quickly.
