Washington, D.C.
'Hit him again,' Fiscus said.
Rudy nodded. He threw a short uppercut that slammed into Jay's belly
like a steel brick.
Jay doubled over, the pain overwhelming. He couldn't breathe, couldn't
see for the tears clouding his vision, couldn't believe how much it
hurt! He would have fallen if Vie hadn't been standing behind him,
holding him up, his huge paws meaty clamps on Jay's upper arms.
Nothing in VR had ever come close to this, nothing.
'Catch your breath, Mr. Net Force Agent, and think about it a
second.'
Jay managed to breathe again after a few seconds. He felt like puking,
the urge was almost impossible to resist.
'You feel better? Good. Now tell me--why are you looking for KS.?'
How long had he been here? It felt like years, but it couldn't have
been more than a couple of minutes. He'd tried to stall them, but
Fiscus wasn't buying it, and after the second punch. Jay didn't know
how much longer he could hold out. One more, maybe.
'Fuck you.'
'You're not my type, but maybe Rudy will take you up on that later,
hey? Boys, girls, sheep, cows--doesn't matter to him. One more,
Rudy.'
Jay went out with the third punch, at least partially.
The intense flash of pain went from red to gray, and time seemed to
ooze lazily, like tar on a hot summer street.
'--got all day,' Fiscus was saying.
'And Rudy ain't even broke a sweat. I seen him work the heavy bag for
ten, fifteen minutes, four, five hundred punches. You ain't a bag full
of batting, son. How long you figure you'll last?'
Jay's blurry vision was enough to let him see that gap-toothed smile,
and he knew that Fiscus and his two apes could and might beat him to
death.
'Okay,' he said.
'Okay, I'll tell you.'
'Sheeit,' Rudy said.
'See, I told you he was just getting warmed up. Don't worry, Rudy, you
can throw a couple more if Mr. Net Force Agent gets too sluggish.
Okay, let me hear it.'
Jay took a raspy breath. The guy didn't know, so it didn't matter what
he said. Jay could create scenario, and writing the description and
background and dialog was part of that. He could spin it, and how
would this guy know different?
'Okay. We came across a computer break-in, in New York. A stock
trading company, and--' 'Rudy.'
The punch took Jay under the armpit on the right side, a left, hooking
move, and he felt, and thought he heard, one of his ribs crack under
the impact.
'Uuuhhh! Ow, ow, what did you do that for?! I'm telling you!'
'Nah, you ain't. You're lying. I might look stupid, but :
I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday, kid. Every lie buys you
