[Quinn 04] - The Silenced

“Mikhail,” Petra said, nodding at the open doorway.

Mikhail leaned forward so he could see inside. “What …?” The question was barely audible, meant for himself, but it concerned Petra. Something was not right.

She watched as he stepped into the bathroom, his gun falling to his side.

“Careful,” Petra snapped.

“It’s okay,” he said without turning around.

Mikhail flipped the bathroom light on, but his body blocked Petra’s view. He leaned forward for several seconds, then with a grunt stood back up. Now Petra could see the woman’s head.

What in God’s name?

The woman was wearing a gag. As Mikhail pulled her into the main room, Petra saw that, in addition, her hands were tied behind her back.

“You want me to take the gag off?” Mikhail asked Petra.

Petra looked at the Asian woman. “Who is she?”

“Like you’d believe me if I told you,” the woman said.

“Take it off,” Petra told Mikhail.

As soon as the gag was off, the woman coughed, then drew in a deep breath. “Thank you,” she croaked.

“Who are you?” Petra asked.

There was another fit of coughing.

“Your name.”

“Can you untie my hands?” the woman asked. “I think I’ve lost feeling in them.”

The Asian woman rolled her eyes.

“What is your name?” Petra said, growing annoyed.

“Annabel,” she said.

“Annabel what?”

“Why do you need to know that?”

“Put the gag back on,” Petra ordered.

Mikhail raised the cloth back to Annabel’s face.

“No. Wait,” Annabel said. “Taplin. My last name’s Taplin.”

Mikhail paused, glancing at Petra.

“I didn’t say stop.”

Annabel’s eyes widened as Mikhail tied the gag back over her mouth.

“Perhaps you’d like to tell us your name,” Petra said to the Asian woman.

Instead of answering, the woman stared at Petra, a knowing smile on her face. “You’re the one who was in Maine, aren’t you?” she said.

Petra tensed.

“And in Los Angeles, too. Right?”

Los Angeles? Except for the watcher on the street, Petra didn’t think she’d been seen in Los Angeles.

“Who are you?” Petra asked.

“I might ask you the same question.”

Petra paused for a moment. There was something about this woman she liked. She got a serious no-bullshit vibe from her. “We are looking for someone we think you might work with.”

“And who would that be?”

“A man named Jonathan Quinn.”

“And I’m supposed to know him?”

“I know you do. You wouldn’t have known where I’ve been, otherwise.” Petra hesitated. “We need to talk to him.”

The woman smirked. “That’s all? Just a little chat?”

“Just talk.”

“Not kill him like you killed David Wills yesterday?”

“We didn’t kill Wills,” Petra said.

“You were there.”

“If I could have talked to him, I wouldn’t be looking for your friend now. But he was dead before I had a