I stared through battered eyes, blood already draining at her lip, before drying as other wounds were reopened with another stiff punch to the face.

  These men...they’re enjoying in it. Taking pleasure in striking a woman. We’ll see how they feel when I string them up by their—

  WHAM!

  Another blow to the face. The thick mucusy taste of iron coats my gums, and swirls around in my mouth, before I hock it at the feet of the burly guard before me.

  He smirks, his mangy beard shaking with slight bemusement, as laughter arises from his heaving chest. He licks his lips, shaking his hand free, allowing the feeling to come back into after a barrage of pummeling, and unanswered questions...at least from his perspective.

  “You like beating up on women?” I spoke up, a guttural growl welling up and rising through my larynx. “Untie me and I’ll show you how little a man you are.”

  “You don’t make demands here, girl,” the guard chuckled darkly. “You just answer questions. If you can do that, like a good little girl, we let you go...back to the grimy streets you live on.”

  “I already told you.” I smirked, egging him on even further. “Besides, you aren’t letting me go anyway.”

  “Tell us who your friend is,” the guard groaned. “It’s as simple as that.” He swung around a chair that was sitting inside the pristine white cube that functioned as a holding and questioning containment cell.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “Not my friend,” I snapped. “I want him dead just as much as you.”

  “Who said we want him dead?”

  “I read between the lines,” I snorted, and spit again, this time splashing on the toe of his boot.

  His lip quivered with fury, as he rose again and levied a backhand across my face. Blood spurted across the pristine tiling off to my side.

  “Sure you wanna go redecorating without your boss’s consent?” I smiled, a bloody grin, while darting my eyes to the crimson stained wall. “Not sure he’ll like the finish, seems like more of a simple color scheme type o’ guy.”

  “You shut your mouth,” he commanded.

  I laughed idly, while he worked out his frustrations, raising a tight gloved hand around my throat. “I’m gonna make you talk, and then—“

  “And then what?” The door behind him slid open and revealed the white coated man, with several other guards behind him.

  The guard released my throat, as I coughed up , air cracking in my lungs with much favored relief. He stiffened up as he heard the voice of his boss and instantly turned to address him. “Mr. Chau, sir.” He stuttered, as he hid his blood caked gloves behind his back in a tight stance.

  “Did I not instruct you to just 'discuss' with her?” Chau said. There was no call for needless violence.”

  "I’m aware sir, I just thought—“

  “You thought you knew better...is that it?” Chau cut him off, his voice firm and resolute.

  “No...I just tried to get the information out of her.” The guard started sweating and stumbling over his words. “She knows--”

  “You were aware of the methods, while I attended to other matters, yet you disregarded them.” Chau said, marching past the guard and standing over me. “Allow me to apologize for the actions of my subordinate. The actions of this individual do not represent the ideals of Raife Chau.”

  I rolled my head back to look up at him. “And what do you stand for?”

  He continued to look at me, without acknowledging my words. “We will tend to your health, mend your wounds.”

  “And then what?”

  “And then...” he said, after a brief moment of silence. “We talk.”