Part 44 (2/2)

Gage crouched down slow, setting the gun on the ground at his feet.

”Get him.”

The other two men were hesitant as they closed in on him, until one pulled out a bright gun, firing at Gages back. The p.r.o.ngs of the Taser attached to him, sending him flat on the ground as he convulsed.

The glock was removed from my head, and Rusnak gripped me in both arms. I was fighting against his hold, unaware of myself, only of Gage on the ground swiping at the cords but not able to reach them on his back. Every new round of shocks, killing me to watch.

Rusnak turned us away from the sight, but I could still hear it. Gages body jerking on the ground. The sudden groans as a new wave hit his muscles. The two men laughing.

”Sh-Sh-Shh, Sweetheart. Stop fighting. Itll be better if you stop fighting.”

I couldnt stop the tears that started, but I tried to strangled down my instinct to struggle against Rusnaks hold, wanting to do nothing more than help Gage.

”Blyad,” Rusnaks voice changed and his body went rigid. ”You should have left when you had the chance. Dont say anything.”

”Whats happened?” Alessandra asked, walking in with Cherry and another man.

Rusnak flung me away from him, on to the hard ground. ”Get her. Ill handle him from here.”

He had my gun in his hand as he walked towards Gage.

44: Madness.

I SCRAMBLED TO MY FEET, JUST AS the men reached me.

”Come on, lets not make this hard,” the bald one ordered, stepping close to me.

As much as I wanted to fight back, to attack, looking around the room was enough to still me. Rusnak crouched by Gage and lifted up his head, gun pointing under his chin. Blood streaked Gages face, pouring from his eyebrow, and his hands were bound behind his back.

”He wasnt going to stay and talk,” Rusnak answered Alessandra. ”And when we tried to make them stay, things got out of hand.”

Alessandra came to Rusnaks side, bending down in her fitted knee length dress to look into Gages face. ”You killed two of our men to avoid questions?” Her voice was a smooth, slow poison. ”What are you scared of?”

Cherry walked over to where I was, just to the side of the men flanking me, but her eyes were fixed on Gage.

The man they entered with stood between the two groups.

”I defended myself. They attacked me,” Gage rasped, and turned his head slightly before Rusnak gripped his hair tighter, stilling him. But Gage looked directly at him. ”Why?”

”You lied to me. We know you talked to those agents the day they died. We have their phone records.”

”I didnt. They never called me-”

Rusnak cracked the gun across Gages face, dropping his grip on his head at the same time. Gage rolled to the side and spit out of his b.l.o.o.d.y lips onto the cement floor.

”It was a burner phone, but we traced the location to your home.”

I was ready to throw up, everything burning, about to jump out of my skin.

Gage spit again and lifted his head as high as he could from his side position with his hands strapped behind him. ”Bulls.h.i.+t.”

Rusnak lifted his hand high and brought the gun down on Gages face, only to raise it again and repeat the process.

”It wasnt him. Stop.” I tried to dart forward, but the men grabbed me, one at each side.

Cherry lifted her gun towards me.

Rusnak paused, his arm suspended in mid air as he twisted my way.

”It wasnt him. He didnt have anything to do with it.”

”Regan, stop,” Gage yelled, ”Dont f.u.c.king listen to her.”

”It was my phone. Anthony gave it to me. Gage didnt know.”

Rusnak walked towards me, a strange look in his eyes, a murderous look barely contained. ”Youre lying for him. Stop it. Stop talking.”

He had warned me not to talk earlier, but I didnt care. I wasnt going to let them abuse Gage for my plan. We were probably going to die for it anyways, but I wanted to spare him pain.

”Maybe shes not. Let her talk,” Alessandra spoke, but I couldnt see her.

Only Rusnak filled my vision as he got closer, gun pressed to my chest.

”I told you it was probably her,” Cherry added. ”I knew that b.i.t.c.h was a snake.”

Rusnak held my gaze for a moment, teeth grinding. My heart pounded against my ribcage, against the gun pressed to my chest.

”Its f.u.c.king impossible to tell exactly where a phone call took place at,” Gages voice echoed in the open s.p.a.ce.

A darkness dropped over Rusnaks face. ”Shut him up,” he commanded the man at my side.

He dropped my arm and took a few long strides to reach Gage, kicking him in the head.

”We still need to question him,” Alessandra stated, making the man move the direction of his boot to Gages side.

”Get him strapped to the chair,” Rusnak ordered.

The other man dropped my arm and went to help. So did the man that came in with Alessandra and Cherry. But all three men kicked him before lifting him.

Gage continued to speak through it, in grunts as air was kicked from his lungs. ”She never told him anything. Its like we said.”

”Whats the truth?” Rusnak hissed.

I couldnt pull my eyes away from Gage to look at Rusnak. ”Please, make them stop. Ill tell you.”

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