"I don't want to stay here!" Sara cried, her eyes moving around the room as if an escape route would magically form itself anytime. Poor thing.
Why had they sent such a pitiful girl to come after me? Had they run out of ideas, or did they think I'd fall for her innocent act?

Once again, Zack touched her hair, stroking it gently. "We'll leave this place...soon."

I heard myself scoff at his words. He sounded as if this was a stupid game I was playing with him. And that, made my rage boil to dangerous levels. So much that I wanted to burst into that room and smack his head against the wall till his brain was reset to its original path.
That damned surgery was blocking the marvelous road of evil torture till I was starting to feel hopeless and helpless.

"Jack?"

"Hm?"

"Where are we? I remember us going out for a walk in the garden. How did we end up-" She moved her eyes around the room, "-here?"

Zack hesitated to answer. Either because he didn't want her to know, or he was indeed clueless about how they made it to California.
"We...I don't know," he answered, his voice almost a mere whisper.

Sara sighed out loud, disappointment painting her sigh at every side, before she laid her head on Zack's left thigh. "I miss home... I have a bad feeling about this place."

Zack's hand in her hair continued stroking and patting it as if to soothe her worries.
It reminded me of what I used to do to Jack whenever he was stressed.
That memory was enough to have me smack the cup on the desk and dart off of the chair.
Without putting too much thought into my next decision, I just left the room.

Matt and Gina were waiting for me in the hallway, their expressions formal and unapproachable. If I were an outsider, my soul would have been scared out of my body just by looking at them. Pretty and handsome, yet wore a long face most of the time they were around me.

"Send him to room five!" I left an order as I strode past them to head down the hallway.

I was angry. Beyond angry.
Seeing him so loving towards that stranger while he had robbed me of my happiness made me feel all sorts of negative emotions swirling inside me.
I knew such blind rage was bad for my condition, yet I couldn't avoid or escape it.
The only way I could have some peace of mind was by confronting him as much as possible till he gave me some clue.

I was okay with even a single lead. Any name, place, car, country. Wherever they had imprisoned him, I was willing to go there myself and retrieve him.

*****************

Room five...

It was different from other interrogation rooms. Here, the victim was usually crucified to a wall by chains. Stripped of most or all of their clothing, poured on a bucket of stinking water, and then whipped till they wailed like babies.
I liked this part.
A little less blood, but horrendous pain on their poor bodies.

And if one was too weak, they'd die in the process.

I had used the room only twice and never enjoyed the process. But I had a feeling I'd thoroughly derive pleasure from whipping Zack.

When I showed up in that torture room, I had changed my clothes to more comfortable and flexible ones. The shoes were amazing as well, would be good enough to aid my movement as I hit and tore his flesh using the whip.

"You again!"
He sounded a little disappointed when our gazes met.

"Yes darling. You'll see me a lot for the next few days unless..."
I took bold steps towards his crucified naked body. At least they had left a pair of boxers on him to shield my eyes from the tool that had been used on me weeks ago.
It'd be gone soon to make sure he repaid his debt, and that no other woman would suffer from it.

Under the golden light pouring from the ceiling, I saw every scar, curve, and muscle on his body that was visible.
The V above his loin captured my attention for a split second, reminding me of Jack, but I quickly reminded myself that this was Zack, the evil version of my partner.

"Don't waste your time. I have nothing to say to you." He looked away, emitting a beam of arrogance that only irritated me further.

"Good. Cause I don't want you to say anything right now. Just need you-" I got rid of the little distance between us and pulled his chin to make him face me, "-to scream and beg for my mercy."

"Dream on," Zack whispered, adding a wicked grin.
For half a second, my heart felt different.
It felt as if it was Jack giving me that evil sexy grin.

'Stop daydreaming Annie. Whip him! Make him bleed and cry.'

Yes.
That, that was the sole reason I was there...no distraction was allowed.

A steel table stood a few centimeters from the crucified Zack, holding on it a leather whip, and other gruesome torture weapons, including a pair of pliers which could be used to squeeze the future generation out of his damned balls.

My hand reached out for the whip, before creating a little distance between myself and Zack.

"You think torturing me will ma-" *crack*
The first strike hit him across his abdomen.
Zack immediately froze and his arms tensed, yanking at the chains yet nothing could help him.
"You fucking sl-" *crack*

"Phew! This feels damn good!" I laughed and delivered the third whip, then the fourth, and the fifth.

I watched Zack's face turn red, veins popped from his temples and forehead, yet not a cry came from his lips.
His jaw was firmly clenched, while his lips were sealed tight.
His eyes turned bloodshot, indicating the intense pain inflicted by the whip.

"Go to-" *crack* "-hell!" I screamed snapping the whip at his chest.

All over his abdomen, whip marks decorated his pale skin, satisfaction to my soul. The anger was starting to dissipate with every Zack received.

It must have been in the tenth round that my arm gave up. My muscles cried no more even though my heart screamed for more.

The sweat on my face.
Breaths quickened and short.
Heart pounding.
And Zack...half conscious.