The Debt Collectors War

Chapter 45

“Where is he?” Ellie said.

Mark looked at her. He had blood on his face, and blood in his mouth. Pushing gags into people’s mouth cut up their gums, and his had to be sore. He was dirty and muddy and his knee was injured, and probably starting to hurt.

“I don’t know,” he said, all the same.

Ellie couldn’t quite believe it. He seemed to suddenly be trying to negotiate. Now, after he’d already pretty much told her that he knew something useful.

“You’d better know,” she said, coldly.

“Maybe I do,” Mark said.

“For fuck’s sake,” Ellie said. “You asshole. Just answer me. Do you know anything?”

“Let me,” Sameh said.

“No,” Ellie said. “Not yet.”

Torturing people worked, but only if done the right way. Ellie didn’t want information just beaten out of Mark because it might not be the truth, or entirely the truth. She wanted Mark just scared enough, just unsure enough of the right answers, that he had no choice but to be honest.

“Have you seen this kid?” Ellie said to Mark again, trying to make herself stay calm. “Do you know where he is?”

Ellie’s voice was calm. Ellie was calm, and reasonable, and Mark’s friend. And Sameh terrified him. So he ought to be starting to realize that he was in trouble, and his best option was to do exactly what Ellie wanted him to do. Or so Ellie was hoping.

Mark didn’t seem to quite think so, though.

“Why do you care?” he said, still trying to bargain.

“Just answer,” Ellie said, getting irritated.

“Will you let me go?”

Ellie just stood there, and didn’t say a word, and suddenly Mark was scared again.

As Ellie had hoped he would be.

For some reason people were often more scared if you refused to say you wouldn’t harm them, rather than if you told them you would. Ellie had never completely understood why. It seemed to her that most people half-believed that kidnappers and interrogators never lied. Perhaps because the interrogators were demanding they not lie, or perhaps because the situation they were in was unthinkably worse if they couldn’t believe their captors. Whatever the reason, Ellie had always found that simply refusing to answer a question like that was one of the most terrifying things she could do. A drawn-out silence when such a question was asked, and a clear refusal to say someone wouldn’t be hurt or killed, that was more frightening than any number of threats.

It usually worked, Ellie had found, at least on people who weren’t desperately committed to a cause, and it worked now.

Mark gave up. He gave up right away, and suddenly looked scared.

“Oh fuck,” he said. “Please let me go.”

Ellie looked at him for a moment, making him feel worse on purpose. Then she said, “Maybe. We’ll see.”

“Please,” Mark said, desperate.

“Maybe,” Ellie said. “But answer me first. Have you seen this kid?”

“Yeah,” Mark said, suddenly cooperative again. “Yes, I’ve seen him.”

“When?” Ellie said.

“A week ago.”

“You’re sure? A week ago?”

Mark nodded, looking unsure. “Yeah.”

“Do you know where he is now?”

Mark shook his head.

“Where did you see him?” Ellie said.

Mark hesitated. “At a place I know…”

“Your militia’s compound?”

Mark seemed reluctant, but nodded.

“Is he still there?” Ellie said.

“I don’t know.”

“Is he probably still there?”

“I think so.”

Ellie pushed the cloth back into Mark’s mouth, and put the tape back. More tape, now, but taking care she didn’t cover his nose.

She was done. She was probably done with Mark. She didn’t need to talk any more, at least for now. She didn’t need to do anything else but finish this.

She had to decide whether to kill Mark. She didn’t dislike Mark especially, and part of her understood this wasn’t his fault. She didn’t wish him ill, like she didn’t wish the hajjis she hurt ill.

She just needed to work out whether leaving him alive was a risk, or a threat to her.

She stood there, looking at Mark, trying to decide.