Wolfe opened the door and paused as the hot, stale air hit him in the face. It had been almost four hours since Frank had been left alone in the increasingly hot room and his throat was now parched to the point he couldn't speak even if he had wanted too. His hair which had quickly dried after being drenched was now dripping with sweat.
Frank's head was lolling back as Wolfe entered holding an empty glass and a pitcher of rapidly melting ice water. "Hello, again," Wolfe said, going to stand in front of Frank.
Frank wearily lifted his head and saw the pitcher of water. His glazed eyes focused briefly then he closed them and let his head fall back. He would not give away any secrets no matter how desperately he yearned for a drink. "Have you decided to tell me what I wish to know?" Wolfe inquired, his tone one a parent would use to explain something to a four year old.
Unable to speak, Frank shook his head. "Ah, well. I hadn't really expected for you to break quite so soon," Wolfe said, filling the glass with water. He held it to Frank's lips. "Drink," he ordered, tipping the glass so the liquid would could flow down Frank's throat.
Frank drank thirstily until the glass was empty and Wolfe refilled it. Again, Frank drank. "Why?" whispered Frank.
"Can't having you dying of dehydration, now, can we?" Wolfe asked, smiling thinly at him. "You would be of no use to us dead." With these words, Wolfe left Frank alone. He locked Frank inside and turned the temperature down to twenty two degrees Fahrenheit. "Perhaps you will change your mind when you get cold enough," he muttered.
Joe had spent the rest of his day checking his trap; digging the fire pit and locating a spot where he could observe the enemy without being seen. A little before sundown, he made his way to the tree he had chosen as his observation tower. He could tell the enemy had been awake for some time for the aroma of fresh coffee wafted through the trees as the men prepared for the night's hunt.
Using his binoculars, Joe watched as one of the men pulled out a map and they gathered around it. He couldn't see well enough to see what they were pointing at nor was he close enough to hear what was being said, but he didn't like the way one of the men kept making a circle on the map.
Eventually, the men put the map up; put on their night vision goggles and left camp, each headed in a different direction. Joe held his breath and remained still as one of the men passed beneath him. When the man looked up, Joe was grateful he had taken the time to camouflage himself.
With mud covering his hair, face, hands and sneakers and mud and leaves stuck to his shirt and pants, it was almost impossible for him to be seen in the dark but with the enemy's goggles the chances were greater and he knew he still must do his utmost to remain unseen.
He waited several minutes, watching the men disappear into the distance, before climbing down. He made his way into the men's camp and began taking what he needed. He had almost finished when a light flared on and he heard the ominous click of a firearm.
"I figured a city boy like you would need to raid our camp for food," the Assassin said, then took a closer look. "Well now, I must say, you surprised me. You have the rope and first aid kit but you haven't even gone near our rations." He gave a short laugh. "I guess you're smarter than I thought but you still aren't as bright as the boss gave you credit for. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been right to circle the camp and come back."
Joe never said a word. He just glared at the man. "You don't look like you need that first aid kit but maybe before I turn you over, we can fix that," the Assassin ended with a deviant grin.
Wolfe entered the room where Frank was being held dressed in jeans and a fur-lined coat. He walked up to Frank just as Frank let loose with a loud sneeze. Wolfe looked down at his coat where the fruit of Frank's sneeze had landed, then back to Frank who, in spite of his dire predicament, couldn't help but smirk.
"Where is Network headquarters located?" Wolfe demanded once more.
"I..I'll ne..nev..ver t..tell," Frank responded between shattering teeth.
"I think you will," Wolfe replied, turning on his heel and leaving. He closed the door and looked at Afton who had remained outside. "Take him to room 14."
"Caulfield is in there," Afton informed Wolfe.
"Move him in with Gray," Wolfe instructed.
"But Caulfield is close to breaking," Afton argued. "Shouldn't we keep him in isolation a little longer?'
Wolfe thought it over. "No. Only the Hardy kid doesn't know we have the other agents prisoner. It won't matter if Caulfield is in with Gray. Gray still hasn't regained consciousness so he can't do anything to him to keep him silent."
"Who do you want brought into this room?" Afton inquired.
"I believe Sorenson has a subject ready," Wolfe said. "Just move Caulfield and take care of Hardy."
Less than twenty minutes later, Afton released the leg shackles from Frank's ankles and hauled him to his feet. Frank tried to free himself from Afton's grip as he was hauled to his feet and led into the hall and to another room but Afton was too strong and Frank had grown too weak.
Afton opened a door and shoved Frank inside, closing the door quickly. Frank's legs sagged and he felt like falling down but there was a stone wall directly behind him.
Afton hadn't turned on a light so Frank tried to lift his arm to reach for a switch but he couldn't because the door prevented him from raising it. With growing fear, Frank tried to move any way he could but he was blocked at all turns. He was locked in a room less than an inch wider than he was!
Frank's head was lolling back as Wolfe entered holding an empty glass and a pitcher of rapidly melting ice water. "Hello, again," Wolfe said, going to stand in front of Frank.
Frank wearily lifted his head and saw the pitcher of water. His glazed eyes focused briefly then he closed them and let his head fall back. He would not give away any secrets no matter how desperately he yearned for a drink. "Have you decided to tell me what I wish to know?" Wolfe inquired, his tone one a parent would use to explain something to a four year old.
Unable to speak, Frank shook his head. "Ah, well. I hadn't really expected for you to break quite so soon," Wolfe said, filling the glass with water. He held it to Frank's lips. "Drink," he ordered, tipping the glass so the liquid would could flow down Frank's throat.
Frank drank thirstily until the glass was empty and Wolfe refilled it. Again, Frank drank. "Why?" whispered Frank.
"Can't having you dying of dehydration, now, can we?" Wolfe asked, smiling thinly at him. "You would be of no use to us dead." With these words, Wolfe left Frank alone. He locked Frank inside and turned the temperature down to twenty two degrees Fahrenheit. "Perhaps you will change your mind when you get cold enough," he muttered.
Joe had spent the rest of his day checking his trap; digging the fire pit and locating a spot where he could observe the enemy without being seen. A little before sundown, he made his way to the tree he had chosen as his observation tower. He could tell the enemy had been awake for some time for the aroma of fresh coffee wafted through the trees as the men prepared for the night's hunt.
Using his binoculars, Joe watched as one of the men pulled out a map and they gathered around it. He couldn't see well enough to see what they were pointing at nor was he close enough to hear what was being said, but he didn't like the way one of the men kept making a circle on the map.
Eventually, the men put the map up; put on their night vision goggles and left camp, each headed in a different direction. Joe held his breath and remained still as one of the men passed beneath him. When the man looked up, Joe was grateful he had taken the time to camouflage himself.
With mud covering his hair, face, hands and sneakers and mud and leaves stuck to his shirt and pants, it was almost impossible for him to be seen in the dark but with the enemy's goggles the chances were greater and he knew he still must do his utmost to remain unseen.
He waited several minutes, watching the men disappear into the distance, before climbing down. He made his way into the men's camp and began taking what he needed. He had almost finished when a light flared on and he heard the ominous click of a firearm.
"I figured a city boy like you would need to raid our camp for food," the Assassin said, then took a closer look. "Well now, I must say, you surprised me. You have the rope and first aid kit but you haven't even gone near our rations." He gave a short laugh. "I guess you're smarter than I thought but you still aren't as bright as the boss gave you credit for. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been right to circle the camp and come back."
Joe never said a word. He just glared at the man. "You don't look like you need that first aid kit but maybe before I turn you over, we can fix that," the Assassin ended with a deviant grin.
Wolfe entered the room where Frank was being held dressed in jeans and a fur-lined coat. He walked up to Frank just as Frank let loose with a loud sneeze. Wolfe looked down at his coat where the fruit of Frank's sneeze had landed, then back to Frank who, in spite of his dire predicament, couldn't help but smirk.
"Where is Network headquarters located?" Wolfe demanded once more.
"I..I'll ne..nev..ver t..tell," Frank responded between shattering teeth.
"I think you will," Wolfe replied, turning on his heel and leaving. He closed the door and looked at Afton who had remained outside. "Take him to room 14."
"Caulfield is in there," Afton informed Wolfe.
"Move him in with Gray," Wolfe instructed.
"But Caulfield is close to breaking," Afton argued. "Shouldn't we keep him in isolation a little longer?'
Wolfe thought it over. "No. Only the Hardy kid doesn't know we have the other agents prisoner. It won't matter if Caulfield is in with Gray. Gray still hasn't regained consciousness so he can't do anything to him to keep him silent."
"Who do you want brought into this room?" Afton inquired.
"I believe Sorenson has a subject ready," Wolfe said. "Just move Caulfield and take care of Hardy."
Less than twenty minutes later, Afton released the leg shackles from Frank's ankles and hauled him to his feet. Frank tried to free himself from Afton's grip as he was hauled to his feet and led into the hall and to another room but Afton was too strong and Frank had grown too weak.
Afton opened a door and shoved Frank inside, closing the door quickly. Frank's legs sagged and he felt like falling down but there was a stone wall directly behind him.
Afton hadn't turned on a light so Frank tried to lift his arm to reach for a switch but he couldn't because the door prevented him from raising it. With growing fear, Frank tried to move any way he could but he was blocked at all turns. He was locked in a room less than an inch wider than he was!