Watcher's Web

Watcher's Web Chapter 21

Jessica jolted awake when Daya woke with a gasp. Hazy flames danced before his eyes. The back of his arms puckered in gooseflesh, but shone with sweat.

He stood tied to a wall that was cold like a block of ice. Broad bands looped around his chest. Tight bands held his arms and legs in a spreadeagled position. A thin tube led from his left arm to a machine where a red light blinked; a thick bandage covered his right arm, the wires protruding from it and leading to a box attached to a glass-stone vessel filled with what looked like beads. Whatever they had stuck up that arm still hurt like burning acid.

Jessica called, Daya.

How long had he been out?

Men spoke in soft voices somewhere in the room.

"…and you got how much from the others?" Daya was sure he had seen this man before: an army commander of some kind, somewhere in a field shouting orders at soldiers. The sharp-faced man looked so familiar, even in the way he was much shorter and thinner than his subordinates, but the man’s name wouldn’t come to him.

"With all the attempts combined so far, we’ve only charged up half this jar."

"Only half?" The commander’s voice came like a bark.

"I know, there are all the other jars still to go. Priming these beads takes a lot of energy. Some of them just can’t do it." This was a medico, pulling on gloves.

Another soldier slipped a blindfold over Daya’s eyes. "Ready? This will be easiest if you don’t fight it. Relax, and do as we say."

Jessica felt Daya brace himself.

The next moment, a large quantity of water splashed over his head. Pieces of ice slithered down his neck, between his tunic and his skin. Water dripped from the fabric onto his legs.

Cold, cold, cold, damn it.

Jessica shivered and caught a brief glimpse of her dark guesthouse room where she sat on the couch. She needed to get into the bed. But Daya needed her.

Don’t give them what they want. Whatever it was.

He straightened his back, as if he heard her, determined not to show his shivering.

Small flares of heat leapt from within the core of his body, but barely reached the skin. His mind cast out for the warmth of the body behind him, but the water thrower had retreated behind the metal wall.

Footsteps came closer again.

An impossibly warm hand touched his cheek and thin fingers caressed his wet skin. "Relax. We won’t hurt you." The commander’s voice, so familiar.

When Daya breathed in to argue, he got a mouth full of iced water instead, as another bucket was upended over his head. He spat the water in a big a spray as he could. "I want you to let me go. This will be reported to the Hedron Mines board, and they’ll refuse to do business with you ever again. You hear me?" Patches of purple rose before his blindfolded eyes. Chest heaving, he yanked at the bonds, straining muscles Jessica was unused to having.

I am you. Tell me what you want and I’ll do it.

Still, her thoughts didn’t connect.

Another load of ice water crashed over Daya’s head, so cold it hurt.

A raw, uncontrolled howl escaped his throat. The ice burned like boiling water. Worse, he was now so cold that his bladder had contracted to the point where all he could think was the need to pee.

"I … don’t … care … about … your … foul experiments. I’m … freezing … to death."

"Not quite. We’ll stop before you get to that point."