'I'm too tired, Jason,' she said. 'I can't think right now. I can't place it, but I know it.'
'You need to tell me who you really are, why Boris said you have two identities,' he said.
'Ask me again,' she replied, 'but after I've rested.'
Then she went silent and while he was waiting for her to say something more, he fell into sleep himself.
The dreams were not good.
16
Consciousness returned slowly. The first thing Jason was aware of was the icy cold of the concrete floor, but the idea of getting to his feet seemed out of reach. A frustrated groan passed his lips and he struggled to his knees, trying to ignore the various pains the pounding Boris had given him.
He wondered how long he could hold out, how long Tina could hold out, but the answer was moot. The truth was that he'd hold out as long as
'Tina,' he called. 'You awake?'
'Jason!' she said. 'I've been calling your name for a half hour. I thought…I thought maybe you were dead.'
'Not yet,' he said. 'But I've felt better.'
'I was thinking maybe they came for you while I was asleep, and they'd killed you.'
'Ha!' he managed to say. 'Like they could.'
'You still have the strength to be a smart-ass?' she said. 'That sure helped you with Boris.'
'Well, if you can't laugh when you're being tortured, when can you laugh?'
He could hear her pained giggle, followed by a few groans.
'How are you holding up?' he asked.
'I've been better myself,' she said, 'but it's nothing that I can't handle so far. I think they are playing with me for fun. Boris and Chris both know I don't have the information they're looking for, and the Russian found me a dull playmate.' She paused, then laughed again. 'You know, I think Chris is just pissed that I turned him down for a date. I knew that some people didn't take rejection well, but this does seem a little extreme.'
Jason laughed and felt some of his tension ease away. If she could hold up just a little longer — he knew he could — then perhaps they'd figure a way out of this mess yet.
A slow scraping sound was followed by a loud crash in the hallway, and Jason dragged himself to his feet.
'Sounds like our boys are getting a bit rowdy out there,' Tina said. 'Is that a good sign or a bad one?'
'I don't know,' he said. 'Stay on your toes.'
Heavy footsteps sounded outside their cell doors, and Jason knew it was a sound that he wasn't likely to forget in this lifetime. He stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest. Boris had already had his go at him, which meant they were probably coming to get him for Feng Li.
Boris didn't seem like the kind of man to lie. Feng Li would undoubtedly be worse. It was likely he wouldn't survive an interrogation with whoever the mystery man was. He was going to have to make his move now, before it was too late. Strapped down to a table, he wouldn't accomplish anything.
Jason stretched his arms and legs, trying to ease the cramped muscles. Despite his injuries, he could still fight and he felt a tight grin pass his lips.
Outside his door, he heard a familiar voice say, 'How do we get them out of those?'
'I don't know,' a second voice replied. 'I thought you would know. Don't you work for these guys?'
Jason cocked his head. That last blow from Boris must have done more damage than he thought, because it sounded like Jesse.
'Grandfather?' Tina whispered.
Jason heard steps scurry to her cell.
'Grandfather, what are you doing here?' she demanded.
'Getting you out,' he said, his voice gruff. 'We just have to figure out how to get these doors open.'
'Hey, guys,' Jason called.
'Maybe if we smash the keypad the door will unlock,' Jesse said.
'No,' her grandfather argued, 'that will keep them in there forever.'
Jason couldn't believe that they were ignoring him. 'Jesse!' he yelled.
'What?'
'The door code for Tina's cell is 1142658.'
'How do you know that?' Tanuk asked.
'Trust me,' he said, sighing. 'I just know.'
Jason heard the tones of the keys and her door springing open from its lock.
'What's the code for your door?' Tina asked as she ran to open it.
He gave it to her.
She punched in the code and the door swung free.
'So was that you guys making the ruckus in the hallway?' he asked.
'Yeah, but it should be clear for a little bit,' Jesse said.
'Let's not count on that,' Jason replied. 'If it weren't for bad luck lately, I'd have no luck at all.'
They moved to the long hallway, but had only taken a few steps when the first guard stepped into their path. Jason wasn't about to get stuck in that cell again, but as he tensed for action, Jesse reached forward, placed a firm hand on his shoulder and stepped in front of him.
'Hey, Paul,' he said.
'Christ, Jesse! You scared the hell out of me. I thought those guys were loose for a minute,' he said.
'I've got it under control,' Jesse replied. He stepped forward and placed a hand on the Mini MAC-10 the guard had pointed at them. Paul started to lower the weapon and Jesse yanked the gun out of his hand and in one quick move, smashed it against the side of Paul's head.
The man dropped, hitting the floor with a thud.
'Will that do?' Jesse asked.
'Not all that subtle, but I like it,' Jason said.
They made it to the front door and Jesse stuck his head out, then signaled for the others to follow. A small group of guards was approaching the building. Jesse raised his hand to wave, but they opened fire.
'I don't think they believe that you are taking us to see Boris again,' Jason said. 'Find cover!'
They ran for the other side of the building as Jesse laid down a burst of covering fire while they moved. A moment later, he was crouched next to them.
In his shoulder holster, Jason saw that Jesse had his Glock.
'Hey, that's mine!' he said.
'I thought brothers were supposed to share,' Jesse said.
Jason reached forward and pulled the pistol from the holster. 'Mine!'
He leaped forward, moving into view and drawing the fire of the guards. Adrenaline and anger surged through his veins, and four well-placed shots later, the rain of gunfire dissipated. He took cover on the other side of a truck and waved for the others to join him. Jason and Jesse covered their movements, using any guard foolish enough to pop his head up as target practice.
He felt a tugging on the back of his shirt and glanced to see Tina behind him. 'Time to go,' she said. 'Better to run and live to fight another day and all that.'
He nodded. 'All right.' He fired one last burst, then turned to run and almost tripped over Tina, who he'd expected to already be moving. She was staring wide-eyed at the new group of men running at them from the Quonset building.
'Holy shit! That's it!' she exclaimed. 'We've got to move.'
'That's kind of what I'm trying to do,' Jason said, promising himself that if they got out of this, Tina was going to be answering a lot of questions. 'Get going!'
Startled into action, she ran for the SUV where everyone else was already seated. It started moving and they ran alongside and jumped in. The engines revved and the whine and ping of bullets could be heard as the guards opened up completely.
