Comfort Zone (Connor x Reader)

Sixty

With Ressa's firearm secured in the trunk of the car, Hank attached a red flashing light to the roof, so he'd have a clear path back to the precinct. Gavin took the passenger seat again, groaning every so often. Once they were on the highway the lieutenant glanced at the shorter male. "Yeah, they don't tell you that in the instruction manual. It stops bullets, sure, but you're gonna have a nasty bruise for awhile, Gav."

"Augh, it's fine. I'll live. But I'm gonna bitch about it the entire time," Reed added, grinning with a clenched jaw.

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Hank replied, glancing at the backseat in his rearview mirror. "You all right back there, Connor?"

The android had a death glare locked onto Ressa, who was keen on not looking his way. "I will be better once we find her, Hank." Still, he remained immobile, which was easy for a machine to do, though still unnerving. "I do not care how long it takes, I will get the information I need out of you." The suspect, of course, did not respond, so the RK800 went back to glaring silently.

[My love, I am sorry... I will find you. I promise you I will find you. Please hold on.]

■□■□■

Cloud perked up over the monitor he'd been staring at when Connor stormed into the precinct, shoving the Italian gentleman towards the interrogation rooms with a hefty dose of anger. He got to his feet and immediately joined the line following the RK800, but walked into the connected room to observe, while the others locked Ressa to the metal table.

With a knowing gaze, Hank watched his partner trying to rein his anger back in. "Connor. Go and sit in the observation room."

Clearly offended, the android snapped his head up to glare back. "Hank, I'm not going to sit back and watch."

"Yes you are. You're about a second away from losing your goddamn head. You're not in any position to be questioning someone when you could retaliate. Go. Sit. Down," the lieutenant repeated, a firm authoritative tone nearly booming in the room.

When Gavin gripped the android's shoulder, it was enough to distract him from turning on Hank. "Go sit, man. I can do this. Save your energy for when we have what we need."

Not that an android really needed to save energy, but his words still made a good point. With a bit of a shove Connor was pushed out of the room, his human partner following so they could watch with Cloud. Before anyone could speak, the door opened again, and in walked Seán with a slight grin, adjusting his glasses before sitting down with the others. "Caught the bastard, huh?"

Mouth set in a firm frown, the RK800's eyes narrowed. "Yes. And he will not leave that room until I know where they've taken her."

A beat or two went by before Seán spoke up again. "... fell for her, didn't you?"

There wasn't much of a physical response, save for the tint of color across the android's cheeks. "I know I shouldn't have so please do not lecture me."

"You kiddin'? I'd be surprised if you hadn't. Working together so close with someone you're attracted to, shit's bound to happen. Besides," he added quietly, "I saw how she looks at'cha. Surprised it didn't come out sooner."

The words were a temporary distraction from what was going on beyond the glass. Gavin sat across the table from Ressa, who seemed placid all things considered. Despite the absolute agony in his chest, the detective sat back, eyeing the suspect for a long while. He himself hated being stared at openly, so maybe it would help unnerve the man across from him.

When Connor wasn't certain he could stand nothing happening, Reed finally spoke up. "So how you wanna do this, hmm? You wanna just tell me what I need to know? Or are you gonna be a sullen little asswipe and tell me I'm a disrespectful cocksucker? Cause if you pick Option Two, you won't enjoy my responses." When nothing was said in reply, the detective sat forward, hands laced together on the table and a grin slowly beginning to form. "I did warn you. I had backup. And here you are, cuffed to the table like a common petty thief." That seemed to cut deeper, as Ressa's face turned an angry shade of red. "What's the hold up? I just want a little information out of you, and then you're safe," he lied.

Muttering under his breath, the Italian gentleman shifted and avoided eye contact. When he finally spoke, he looked Gavin directly in the eye. "Our business is not for you to know. Do what you will, I am not a rat."

Nodding a bit, Reed slowly got onto his feet. "Well, that's your opinion on the matter, isn't it? But there are five others present that would much prefer the truth." Before anyone could react, the barrel of a gun was pointed upwards, beneath the suspect's chin. "I really hate doing this. But I also really need that information." With his free hand Reed pulled out a piece of paper, laying it down so it could be read. "See this list? This is your motive, isn't it? Aaaaaall these little jackasses had a little run-in with the law. One law, specifically; that woman you abducted. And we'd really like to know where she is. Or else I'm going down this here list and throwing every fucking one of you behind bars."

With a sharp exhale, the suspect tried to give off an air of indifference, but up close Reed could tell he was starting to get anxious. "What, no death penalty?"

"Death is too good for your kind. No, we wanna make sure we hit you where it hurts: your fuckin' uppity, first-class, grade A, top notch bullshit. I'll toss every one of you scumbags into the sort of prison where no amount of money or respect will protect you." Pressing the weapon harder into the man's face, Gavin's voice went low. "Where is she?"

In the other room, Cloud was recording and making notes of everything, yet kept shooting glances at his predecessor. The RK800 was extremely close to trying to jump through the bulletproof, one-way glass to get at Ressa. [Connor. We will find her. Please put trust in Gavin or I fear you may cause damage to yourself.]

Being spoken to made your Roomba actually flinch, frowning deep, but his indicator finally changed away from the awful red. [He is being stubborn and I do not have the patience.]

The abrupt shout made everyone flinch. "Where the fuck is she, Ressa?! You think I'm above roughing you up?!" There was a laugh from the shorter male. "Cause I'm not, but it won't be comin' from me. No, I'll let her boyfriend play Bad Cop."

"You're bluffing," the gentleman spat out, eyes squeezed shut.

"Am I?" Hazel eyes drifted towards the glass for a long moment. "I just gotta say the word and he'll be here. We humans are pretty clumsy and shit, but I'm pretty sure an advanced detective prototype gifted to us by CyberLife has some creative interrogation methods."

Before more could be said the door opened, and Connor stepped inside, hands behind his back. He'd been given severe warnings not to actually resort to violence, but the android knew better than to harm. The threat of it was often more effective. Standing on Ressa's other side he offered his crooked, vague smile, but the warmth in his eyes had been snuffed out. "There are approximately 206 bones in the average human male body." Leaning close, he added, "I am willing to gamble that I can shatter a dozen before you start talking."

Hands still cuffed, they clenched into fists, and the suspect was genuinely squirming. He was clearly more adverse to Connor. Swearing under his breath for a few seconds, he finally muttered something understandable: Ferndale.

Dark eyes narrowed, the RK800 pressed the matter. "Ferndale. Where precisely? She had better be unharmed..."

More muttering, hurried and in Italian: "Ferndale, shipping crates near the abandoned freighter. The one that exploded during the Revolution."

[Jericho]