Eleanore shoots him a stone-faced glare. “There is nothing you have that interests me. This…” She waves her hand around the room. “Is what I want. And as long as you play along with my game and follow my instructions carefully, I won’t kill her just yet.”
Allan kneels down on my free arm, effectively holding it in place as Eleanore hands him a giant metal tool that looks somewhat like a wrench. My stomach churns as I try to stay calm, taking in large gulps of air.
“Now.” Eleanore focuses on Alanna and Gabriel. “This is what we are going to do. I need you to listen carefully to my very simple instructions. I will ask you a yes or no question, and you will respond with yes or no only.”
Alanna glances nervously at Gabriel and then back to me, tears streaming down her face.
“If you say anything else, and I do mean anything else, even so much as one word,” Eleanore continues, “I will break one of Victoria’s fingers.”
Gabriel glares at her as Alanna sobs, trying to control her rising panic.
“Is that clear?” Eleanore asks.
Alanna nods meekly and Gabriel simply grunts before looking down at me with his most reassuring expression. I know he’s trying to tell me he won’t hurt me.
“Okay.” Eleanore smiles. “Let’s get started then, shall we?” She pulls a chair from over by the door and sits next to me.
“Alanna,” she hisses, “we’ll start with you. Victoria’s best friend. Someone she relies on and trusts with her every secret. Someone I’m sure she has come to think of as a sister.” She glances down at me with an icy smile. “What do you think Victoria here will think of you once she has learned of your betrayal?”
My face contorts in confusion as Alanna shakes her head violently.
“Let’s talk about Dallas, shall we?”
Alanna tries in vain to bury her face in her shoulder, blocking out everything around her as Eleanore’s voice rings through the room.
“I believe it was in Dallas four years ago, that you sold out your best friend for a little fix, wasn’t it?”
Alanna remains silent in response, and my whole face goes clammy. I don’t want to believe it, but she isn’t saying anything to defend herself.
“You were so desperate for your fix,” Eleanore continues, “that you willingly gave away Victoria’s information to the first bidder. But, by the time I had gotten there, like the true junkie you are, you had reneged on your side of the bargain. I wonder exactly what it was you told Victoria to get her to leave with you that night in such a panic.”
My entire body numbs as I recall the night in Dallas when Alanna came back to the hotel in a cold sweat. She told me that she had been recognized by her husband’s friend and we had to leave right away. How could Eleanore possibly know about that… if it isn’t true?
Eleanore grows tired of Alanna’s sobbing and claps to get her attention. “So junkie whore, tell her it’s true. She needs to hear it from you to understand what kind of friend you really are.”
I glance up at Alanna, tears brimming my own eyes.
“Yes, but… Victoria…” Alanna sputters.
“Tsk, tsk.” Eleanore wags her finger. “I told you, Alanna, very simple rules. What kind of friend are you exactly? Now I have to break one of her fingers.”
Alanna starts to blubber uncontrollably, but it’s no use. I turn my head away as Allan clamps the cold metal against my pinky. I’m sure nothing could hurt worse than the betrayal I feel right now, but I’m wrong. Faintly, deep in the haze of my own agonizing screams, I hear Gabriel swearing as he watches my finger being snapped in two.
After a few moments, the pain begins to numb courtesy of the adrenaline racing through my veins. I dare to hope that I can stay numb if this is going to be the kind of game Eleanore wants to play. Numb might be the only way I will survive.
“Now, Gabriel,” she says spritely, “I do believe it’s your turn. You seem much more intelligent than your female counterpart there, but we shall see.”
I don’t want to hear whatever it is she’s about to unleash on me. Not Gabriel. I try to block everything out as I tell myself he would never do anything to hurt me.