Not terribly hard, he didn’t want her to think this was the worst it could possibly be, not yet.
The whip whistled through the air and landed against her back. She jerked, her breath heaved out, and she grit her teeth.
He did it again.
“Your father told the Order he’d found the sub. I’ve been waiting for this to happen, you see. I’d been watching him, watching the communications between your father and your brother. I’ve been waiting for so long, so many years, so much planning.”
He struck her, but she made no sound.
“Yes, I had to identify exactly who would help me, how I could get into the Order.”
He struck again, harder, and then again. She was crying behind the gag, low, retching sobs.
“Your father wasn’t supposed to die. It was incompetent bungling and I regret it. He had so much knowledge, and it was a true waste, losing him.” He hit her twice more, once from
each direction. “Ah, Elise, the stripes are rising, a lovely red, and there is bruising beginning over the ribs.” He leaned forward and jerked the gag from her mouth and struck her again.
She yelled. It was delicious, too delicious. He had to keep himself focused, couldn’t allow himself to enjoy this the way he’d prefer. Pay attention, pay attention. “Perhaps you’re an exceptional liar, sweetheart, perhaps you don’t know the coordinates after all?”
He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. “Tell me, come on now, tell me.”
“I don’t know the damned coordinates!”
He paused. “Yes, I believe you. So now you must tell your brother to give März the coordinates, or we’re going to move on to the real show. You believe I’ve already hurt you? You have no idea what I can do.”
He held the phone to her lips. “Tell him.”
She was breathing hard, pain choking her. Her back was on fire. She met his eyes and slowly she nodded. He put the cell phone to her mouth and Sophie yelled, “Don’t tell him anything, Adam!”
Havelock shook his head at her like a mournful parent. “That was a mistake, my dear.”
He set the phone next to her head, selected the smaller of the three whips he had with him, the leather one studded with small iron rivets. He knew from personal experience the pain was extraordinary, when applied correctly.
The first blow brought round welts out on her skin. The second drew blood. And she screamed and screamed for him. He paused, breathing hard, and picked up the cell phone.
“Do you hear that, Adam? She’s bleeding now. I’ll move on to other, more persuasive methods if you do not tell me the coordinates immediately.”
He heard sounds of a struggle, März’s curses, then Adam Pearce’s furious voice spoke in his ear. “I’ll tell you, you sadistic bastard. Don’t touch her again, swear to me you’ll let her go.”
Havelock slowly slid the whip down Sophie’s spine, smiled. “Of course I swear. Where is the sub? I want to hear the coordinates myself.”
Adam choked out a series of numbers, latitude and longitude.
A moment later März got on the phone.
“We’ve confirmed the coordinates. Right where you believed it was, northern Scotland, in Loch Eriboll.”
“Excellent,” Havelock replied. “Send the coordinates to my cell phone, and move the Gravitania into position. I will be there shortly.”
Havelock slipped his cell into his pocket as he looked dispassionately at Sophie Pearce’s back, spun the chair around to see the tears streaming down her face. He’d done a nice job, he doubted Elise could do any better. He struck palm open across her face for good measure, then kissed her softly on the forehead and untied her wrists. “Come along. We have a quick trip to make.”
He grabbed her hair and dragged her out of the study and into the hallway, Elise behind him, no expression on her face.
Alex Shepherd came running toward him, saw Sophie, and stopped cold. “You’re not taking her anywhere. You and Weston promised she would be okay, that she would be safe here.”
“Move out of my way, Shepherd.”
But Alex didn’t move. He drew a gun, but Havelock was quicker. He already had a gun in his hand and shot him in the chest. He dragged Sophie over his body, and half dragged her down the stairs.