Cassy was hungry, but worse than that, she was incredibly thirsty, and she had to use the toilet. She never wanted to see anyone more than she wanted to see Ben. Yet she was frightened even of that because of the number of armed men in this place. She’d counted at least nine, and maybe more. Impossible odds even for a man like Ben.
She rolled over on her side, her knees up to her chest, and began to cry softly.
The door latch rattled as it was pushed back.
Cassy turned around and sat up as the door opened and the man who had searched her walked in. He did not look happy, and she was terrified that the rapes were going to begin now. She didn’t know how she would be able to take it.
“This is not going to happen, you son of a bitch,” she shouted. “If you want to fuck me you’ll have to kill me first and get your jollies off with a dead body.”
“If need be, then that’s the way it’ll happen,” Anosov said. “But that’s not why I’m here. The people at your bank want the flash drive you stole.”
“You know I don’t have it!”
“Yes, but I think you gave it to the man who was with you. The one who got run over by the truck.”
Cassy fought back the urge to burst out in tears. Donni had been so outrageously young and sweet, and his death was her fault.
“I only made the one copy, which I turned over to my boss.”
“Ms. O’Connell, yes, I know. But I am told that one of your coworkers said you made two copies. So where is the second one?”
“There isn’t a second one.”
“Causing you pain would make no more difference to me than stepping on an ant. It’s up to you, but in the end you will tell me what I want to know. Why not save us both the trouble?”
Cassy held her silence, but she felt as if she was going to throw up.
“All I want is the name of the man who was killed on Broadway.”
Still Cassy remained silent.
Anosov took a bottle of water out of his jacket pocket. “I think you must be thirsty,” he said.
Cassy looked at him.
He opened the bottle and began to pour the water on the floor.
“Donni,” Cassy said, hating herself. But he was dead, so it didn’t matter. “Donni Imani.”