Frank took a bus to the mall and sauntered inside. He strolled around asking different people if they had seen anyone resembling the two men.
Frank grew frustrated as each inquiry was met with a negative reply. If the two men came here frequently they must have been seen unless they went to a specific store that had it's own entrance. Obviously it wasn't the clothing store he had just left which meant it had to be either Mayer's Department store, Mulligan's or Jennings' Hardware.
He wished mall security had tapes of the stores but that was the responsibility of the individual establishments. With a sigh he headed to the nearest store with its own entrance: Mulligan's.
"Wakey, wakey," Hamby said entering the cellar with Stevens right behind him.
Joe blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light filtering in through the entrance. Hamby knelt down beside Joe and pulled the gag from his mouth.
"Thirsty?" he asked in pseudo concern. He held his hand out to Stevens who put the cup of water he had brought with him into Hamby's hand.
Hamby lifted Joe's head and placed the cup to his lips. He tilted it as Joe began to drink. Soon, it was all gone. "More?" Hamby inquired.
"No," Joe replied. He was still thirsty but there was something about the way Hamby was looking at him that sent rivulets of fear racing along his spine.
"Sure?" Hamby asked again. "You might not get another chance."
"No, thank you," Joe replied firmly.
"Sure you do," Hamby insisted. "Go get him some more," he added to his pal.
"Why?" Stevens grumbled. "He doesn't want it."
"Just get it," Hamby snarled. Still grumbling Stevens retreated. When he returned he handed Hamby a cup of water that was twice the size of the previous one.
"Drink up, Blondie," Hamby ordered, starting to put the cup to Joe's lips.
"No," Joe refused and clamped his lips together.
"We could do this the hard way," Hamby warned him. "But considering what's coming up, you might want to rethink that."
'I knew it!' Joe thought, paling as Hamby put the cup to his lips.
"There's a good boy," Hamby praised Joe once the cup was empty. He ruffled Joe's hair and stood up.
"Now?" Stevens demanded impatiently.
"Yes, now," Hamby agreed. "But be sure it's on the same side," he cautioned. "The boss doesn't want Hardy to find out we've been making the kid worse when he's been following orders."
"Gotcha," Stevens said, lifting Joe's shirt to check which side was bruised. "This is going to be fun," he added, smiling down into Joe's horrified eyes. He brought back his foot and then slammed it forward into Joe's already tender flesh.
"Aaieee!" Joe cried out in pain. Again and again Stevens' foot made contact with Joe's side.
"Enough," Hamby ordered a minute later. "My turn."
Joe let out a whimper as Stevens moved away and Hamby came to stand beside him. As Hamby's foot made its first contact, Joe blacked out.
Frank grew frustrated as each inquiry was met with a negative reply. If the two men came here frequently they must have been seen unless they went to a specific store that had it's own entrance. Obviously it wasn't the clothing store he had just left which meant it had to be either Mayer's Department store, Mulligan's or Jennings' Hardware.
He wished mall security had tapes of the stores but that was the responsibility of the individual establishments. With a sigh he headed to the nearest store with its own entrance: Mulligan's.
"Wakey, wakey," Hamby said entering the cellar with Stevens right behind him.
Joe blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light filtering in through the entrance. Hamby knelt down beside Joe and pulled the gag from his mouth.
"Thirsty?" he asked in pseudo concern. He held his hand out to Stevens who put the cup of water he had brought with him into Hamby's hand.
Hamby lifted Joe's head and placed the cup to his lips. He tilted it as Joe began to drink. Soon, it was all gone. "More?" Hamby inquired.
"No," Joe replied. He was still thirsty but there was something about the way Hamby was looking at him that sent rivulets of fear racing along his spine.
"Sure?" Hamby asked again. "You might not get another chance."
"No, thank you," Joe replied firmly.
"Sure you do," Hamby insisted. "Go get him some more," he added to his pal.
"Why?" Stevens grumbled. "He doesn't want it."
"Just get it," Hamby snarled. Still grumbling Stevens retreated. When he returned he handed Hamby a cup of water that was twice the size of the previous one.
"Drink up, Blondie," Hamby ordered, starting to put the cup to Joe's lips.
"No," Joe refused and clamped his lips together.
"We could do this the hard way," Hamby warned him. "But considering what's coming up, you might want to rethink that."
'I knew it!' Joe thought, paling as Hamby put the cup to his lips.
"There's a good boy," Hamby praised Joe once the cup was empty. He ruffled Joe's hair and stood up.
"Now?" Stevens demanded impatiently.
"Yes, now," Hamby agreed. "But be sure it's on the same side," he cautioned. "The boss doesn't want Hardy to find out we've been making the kid worse when he's been following orders."
"Gotcha," Stevens said, lifting Joe's shirt to check which side was bruised. "This is going to be fun," he added, smiling down into Joe's horrified eyes. He brought back his foot and then slammed it forward into Joe's already tender flesh.
"Aaieee!" Joe cried out in pain. Again and again Stevens' foot made contact with Joe's side.
"Enough," Hamby ordered a minute later. "My turn."
Joe let out a whimper as Stevens moved away and Hamby came to stand beside him. As Hamby's foot made its first contact, Joe blacked out.