'You're no friend of mine,' Jack said.
Sanguine shrugged. 'We may have had our differences over the years, but the way I see it, that's all behind us now. I'm here to help you. I'm here to get you out.'
He tapped the cracked wall. Loose chips crumbled and fell, trailing dust.
Jack frowned. 'What gives?'
'I just want you to do a little favor for me, is all.'
'Don't much like the idea of doin' you a favor.'
'You'd prefer to sit in a cell for the rest of your life?'
Jack didn't answer.
'Just a little favor. Somethin' you'd enjoy, actually. I want you to cause some trouble.'
'Why?'
'Never you mind. Think you'd be able to help me?'
'Depends. What kind of trouble?'
'Oh, nothin' much. Just want you to kill some folks.'
Jack couldn't help it. He smiled. 'Yeah?'
'Easy as pie, for someone of your talents. You agree to do this, I take you with me right now and we scoot on outta here.'
'Killin', eh?'
'An' lots of it.'
'And that's all? Once I do it, we're even? 'Cause I know who you've worked for in the past, Tex, an' I ain't gonna start workin' for the Faceless Ones or nothin'.'
'Did I mention the Faceless Ones? No I did not.'
'It's got nothin' to do with them?' 'Cross my heart and hope to die. So, you in?' Jack put on his coat and picked up his battered top hat. 'Let's go.'
Chapter Fifteen
POINT-BLANK
BRACING HIS LEFT HAND against the wall and gripping the chain with his right, Scapegrace heaved.
The pipe was begging to give. He could feel it. He could hear it. Every other pipe in the place would have broken by now — he should know, he'd had them installed. Just his luck that the skeleton would shackle him to the only secure pipe in the building.
He gritted his teeth. His face was red from exertion, and he really needed to start breathing again sometime soon.
And then the pipe broke and Scapegrace went flying backward, his whoop of triumph cut short when he hit his head on the floor. He lay there for a moment, free at last and trying not to cry, and then he got up, the shackle dangling from his wrist. There was nothing he could do about the shackles around his ankles, so he quickly shuffled to the door.
Making sure the skeleton and the girl weren't anywhere close, he stepped out. His steps were ridiculously short, and he probably looked like some sort of demented penguin as he made his way away from the pub. He'd find someone to help him, someone who could get these shackles off. After all, the entire population of Roarhaven couldn't want him dead, surely.
He came around a corner, near the Roarhaven Sanctuary, and froze. For a moment he was too stunned to even smile. But then the smile appeared, and it brightened his day. The Torment was pointing a gun at Pleasant and Cain.
Chuckling, Scapegrace shuffled over. The skeleton's skull was as blank as ever, but the girl was looking at the Torment like she couldn't believe what he had just said. Nobody paid any attention to Scapegrace.
'You can't be serious,' said Cain.
Scapegrace loved the way the Torment ignored her and spoke only to the skeleton. 'Kill the child,' he was saying. 'Shoot her, if you want. Set fire to her. Strangle her. I do not care.'
If Scapegrace had been able, he would have done a dance there and then.
'I'm not going to kill Valkyrie,' Pleasant said.
'Dead man, what is one life compared to billions? And if the Faceless Ones return, billions will die. You know this.'
'That may be so, but I'm not killing her.'
'Those are my terms.'
'There must be something else,' Skulduggery said. 'Something reasonable I can do.'
'I'll make this easy for you.'
The Torment tossed the skeleton's revolver back to him. The skeleton caught it and pointed it right between the Torment's eyes. Scapegrace lost his grin. Things had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.
'No one dies here,' Pleasant said, 'except maybe you. Where is the Grotesquery?'
'I am the Torment, dead man. Do you really think I fear death?'
For another few seconds, the gun didn't waver, but then Pleasant lowered his arm.
Scapegrace could breathe again, and the Torment nodded with satisfaction.
'You need my help,' he said. 'You have my terms. Kill the child.'
'You can't just — '
'Time is running out.'
'Listen to me, this is insane. She's done nothing — '
'Tick,' the Torment said. 'Tock.'
The skeleton looked at the girl, and Scapegrace saw the doubt in her eyes.
She pointed at the Torment. 'Beat him up. Beat him up or, or something. Shoot his foot.'
The skeleton shook his head. 'Threats won't work.'
'Empty threats won't work, but if you actually shoot his foot — '
'Valkyrie, no. I've met people like him before. Everyone has a breaking point, but we don't have time.' Pleasant turned back to the Torment. 'How do I know you have the information I need?'
'Because I'm telling you I do,' the Torment answered, 'and you don't have the luxury to doubt me. By now, Baron Vengeous will have retrieved Lord Vile's armor. The time you have left is like sand clasped in a fist. It's sifting through your fingers, dead man. Will you kill the child?'
'He will not!' Cain said defiantly. 'Tell him, Skulduggery!'
Scapegrace's heart almost burst with joy when Pleasant remained silent.
Cain stared at the skeleton, and took one step away. 'Don't tell me you're actually considering this.'
'Do you have your phone?'
'What?'
'You need to call your parents. You have to say good-bye.'
A moment passed, and Cain turned to run, but Pleasant was too fast. He grabbed her wrist and twisted, and she fell to her knees in pain.
'Be brave,' the skeleton said.
'Let go of me!' Cain shouted.
Pleasant looked at the Torment. 'Give us a minute.'
'A minute,' the Torment said. 'Nothing more.'
Scapegrace watched as the skeleton pulled Cain to her feet, his hand still gripping her arm, and led her away. The words he spoke were quiet, and the girl shook her head and tried to pull away again. They got to the corner of the Roarhaven Sanctuary, and finally the girl started nodding. She took out her phone.
'This is brilliant,' Scapegrace said to the Torment.
