man's knee. He felt it connect and Boris actually rocked slightly as the knee started to give.
But the angle was wrong and Jason didn't have enough momentum to break it or dislocate it. Before he could try another move, from his half-kneeling position, Boris sucker punched him in the solar plexus, and the air whooshed out of his lungs in a rush. Coming upright, the Russian followed up with an uppercut that took Jason directly under the chin, knocking him backward and half-senseless.
This time, the groan that escaped his lips was louder.
'Playtime is now over,' Boris said, lifting him once more. 'Now we do it slow, instead of nice and fast.'
Before Jason could respond, the Russian slammed him down hard onto a steel table. From far away, he heard Tina gasp in shared pain. Boris quickly used leather straps on his ankles, then cut the rope tying his hands and strapped them down tightly, too.
His air was finally coming back and Jason said, 'Normally, I prefer to do it slow, but are you sure we can't go back to the nice and fast way?' Even as the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake. He'd spoken in English.
Boris didn't bother with a reply, but simply reached out and snatched the pinky finger of his left hand and broke it like a winter-dry twig. Jason hissed in pain.
'That is the first time,' Boris said. 'You have lots of fingers left. So does she.'
Jason knew it was useless. The mission was toast and sooner or later, he'd break. 'Fuck you, Bear Boy,' he snarled, returning to Russian. 'You look more like a cub to me.'
That did the trick. The Russian roared in anger and drove his massive fist into Jason's rib cage. Bracing for the impact did little to make it better, and he felt at least one rib, maybe two, crack beneath the onslaught.
Wheezing, he said, 'Are you just going to beat me up? When are you going to start asking questions, maybe using all those tools you've got there?'
Boris took a deep breath. 'Those tools are for someone else,' he said, calm once more. 'First question. What agency do you work for?'
'Several,' Jason said, trying to make it sound like an admission.
'Which ones, then?'
'Let's see…there's P.E.T.A.,' he said. 'I just hate seeing animals mistreated or eaten. And mere's the V.H.F.T.S., that's the Vegetables Have Feelings, Too, Society, and then…'
He didn't manage to get the last one out as Boris once again punched him in the ribs. Nothing broke this time, but once more he was without air.
'Which agency do you work for?' Boris said again.
Trying to somehow swallow enough air, Jason tried to reply and found he couldn't.
From across the room, Tina said, 'I can tell you that.' Her Russian was flawless, he noticed.
She was trying to buy him time to rest, and get his wind back, he hoped, and she was also wrecking what little plan he had. If he made Boris angry enough to beat him unconscious, they might just toss them back in their cells and try again later.
'Tina, no,' he said. 'Don't.'
'Please continue,' Boris said, moving to stand before her. 'You do not like to see your man mistreated.'
'You're right, I don't,' she said. 'He told me who he works for. I don't work for them. Never have. Can't stand the government, you know?' Her voice tone and pitch had suddenly changed into full-on, idiot-blonde mode. 'I'd rather be shopping or going to the mall or…'
The slap sounded like a rifle shot in the small room and Tina's voice was immediately silent.
'I prefer not to hurt women,' Boris said, his voice low and deep. 'But for you, I make a special exception.' He slapped her again, and Jason almost felt it himself.
'You are Tina Kanut,' Boris said. 'At least, that is one of your identities. We do not think you work for anyone anymore. Who does your man work for?'
By craning his neck, Jason could see her hanging on the wall. Her head was lolling and blood trickled from where her lip had been split. Boris moved to the table and picked up a glass of water, then crossed back to Tina. 'Here, drink this,' he said. 'It will help clear your head.'
Tina gratefully took a long gulp of the water and her eyes regained some of their focus.
'I have been kind to you, see? Now, you be kind to me and tell me who he works for.'
'He told me he worked for the CIA,' she said, after a moment's hesitation. 'Black ops or something silly like that.'
'It is good work, if you can get it,' Boris rumbled.
Wondering how a woman with Tina's background would even think to say 'CIA black ops,' Jason watched as Boris returned to where he lay.
'I have met several of your comrades, Mr. Siku, under similar circumstances. They were weak.'
'I was pretty sure you had,' Jason said. 'You seem very practiced at this.'
'I will accept your words as a compliment,' Boris said. 'Second question. What interest does the CIA have in this region? Why did they send you?'
'That's two questions,' he said. 'You only get one at a time.'
Things got kind of hazy for a time after that. When Boris wasn't asking him questions or hitting him, he would move back to Tina and slap her around some. After a time, Jason had revealed that, yes, he worked for the CIA. Yes, he worked in the black ops division. Yes, they knew all about the submarine and he'd been sent here to confirm it. It was nothing they didn't already suspect or know.
Once, he asked for his phone call and a lawyer, which earned him another good pounding.
As he came to from that one, the first sound that registered was the very nearby whirling of helicopter blades. In fact, they sounded as if they were right on top of him. He opened his eyes and realized that the sound had stopped. The chopper was either shut down or gone.
'Ah, that is sad,' Boris said. 'Our time is at an end. Soon, you will meet the man I work for.'
'I thought you were the boss,' Jason said, his voice a croak. 'That's what all the boys kept saying.'
'No,' the Russian replied. 'I am his second-in-command, a lieutenant, if you will.'
'So, who's the big boss?' he asked. 'When can I meet him?'
'You will meet Feng Li soon enough,' Boris said. 'And you will not have as much fun with him as you have with me.'
'Oh? Why's that?' he asked.
'Because Feng Li is the man who owns the tools on the fray. He will peel back your skin one layer at a time until you tell him anything he wants to know, Mr. Siku. I have seen this many times before.'
'Everyone needs a hobby. Besides, what else can I tell him that I haven't told you?'
'The truth,' Boris said. 'You have not told me anything I did not already know and you have told me lies, as well.' He moved to the door and opened it, gesturing for the guards to step inside. 'Take them back to their cells. Mr. Li will want to see them soon, but not just yet.'
'Yes, sir,' they said.
Neither prisoner could walk back to the cells, so the guards dragged them instead. There was no point in resisting. Tina probably couldn't feel her legs and had been knocked around pretty good. And Jason had taken worse beatings, but not many that he could remember.
He glanced at Tina and saw that she was looking at him.
'Who are you?' he mouthed, but she shook her head.
The guards returned them to their cells and tossed them inside, locking the doors once more. Lying on the cold concrete floor actually felt soothing to Jason's battered body. He crawled closer to the slot in the door.
'Tina,' he said. 'Can you hear me?'
'Yes,' she replied, her voice barely a whisper.
'Who are you?' he asked. 'Really?'
'Tina Kanut,' she said. She sounded tired. 'I've told you that already.'
'Your Russian is flawless,' he said.
'Thanks,' she muttered. 'I practiced hard to learn it.'
They were both silent for a few minutes, the exhaustion setting in.
'I know that name,' Tina finally said. 'Feng Li. I know that name.'
'How?' he asked. 'From where?'
