Authorial_10_Miami_FINAL_Watermark

come here? We know everything about
you and the Krenth.”
“Then why are you asking me
questions?” Nathan asked.
Again he was slapped, this time a
bit harder.
“There are many things that can be
done to a man’s body before he dies,”
the man behind the desk said. “Now,
I will not ask you again!”
So they aren’t Krenth? They look like
Krenth. I suppose they’re the same race
but different nationalities…
It seemed a logical theory, and there
were differences in the accent when
this man spoke. But before Nathan
could think about it for long, strong
arms wrapped around his neck and
chest, while others grabbed his arms.
The man behind the desk got up and
opened a cabinet. He removed a vial,
and something that looked like a
syringe for dispensing tiny amounts
of liquid. He dipped the syringe into
the liquid and filled it up, then he
approached Nathan.
“It is convenient that you already have
your shirt removed,” the Martian said.
He held the syringe in front of
Nathan, and squeezed out one drop
which fell onto the table where it
immediately fizzled and sent up a
thin stream of vapor.
“Yes, this is the right concentration.
Now, I am going to count to three…”
Nathan considered waiting him out.
How and why he followed them should
be obvious, and was certainly not a
sensitive topic. But if he could be
coerced into revealing that information,
they might continue to press him for
other information.
But once the vial approached his skin
Nathan the words tumbled out of
his mouth.
“Alright!” he said. “I followed Kor
Neev out of the restaurant because
I saw your people following her, and
it looked suspicious. When I saw
them grab her I tried to stop them
but they hit me with some kind of
electrical weapon.”
“And you did not think to call the
police or tell the authorities?” the
Martian asked.
“No. I wanted to save Kor Neev, and I
thought I could handle two Martians.”
“I do not believe you.”
The Martian touched the tip of the
syringe to his shoulder, and a second
later Nathan hissed in pain.
“That is just the moisture from the
syringe, next time I will squeeze out
a drop!” the Martian said.
“It’s the truth!” Nathan said. “Are you
interested in the truth or do you just
want me to say something to make
you stop?”
“I believe him,” one of the men next to
Nathan said, also in a strange accent.
“Then he serves no more purpose,”
the interrogator said to the man who
held Nathan’s arm.
They jerked Nathan to his feet and
dragged him out. He attempted to
struggle against them once they got
into the corridor, but he was already
hurt, and the men were unusually
strong for Martians. The one who
gripped his right arm was at least as
strong as he was. He wondered how
it was possible, but he did not have to
wait long for his answer.
Once they reached the deck of the ship
they sealed the door behind them. It
was raining profusely, so no one else
was on deck but Nathan, the men
who gripped his arms, and one other
masked guard who followed. There was
lightening overhead, and sometimes
Nathan noticed what looked like small
bursts of lightening beneath the waves
of the ocean.
The men took Nathan toward the
back of the ship and threw him down
roughly. He narrowly avoided falling
over the back of the ship, but he
recovered quickly and rose back to
his feet. The men who held his arms
stepped back, and one of them took
out something that appeared to be a
sidearm. Nathan said a quick prayer
but kept his face firm.
AUTHORIAL
“And now American, before you die,
I want you to know who it is that has
beaten you,” the man with the gun said.
With his free hand he reached up and
removed his mask. It was a Japanese
man. The area around his eyes had
been painted gray, but Nathan clearly
recognized him.
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