She swings down the prod and gets me in the ribs. Holds it there for a while. This time when she stops I can hear the shooters behind me laughing.
“Forgive me,” she says. “It’s a real problem in this line of work. Broad goals always sound a bit like hollow threats. It isn’t until you get to the specifics that you find the true vision.”
“But you’re not going to share that with me.”
“Do you want to die right here, right now?”
“Goody. I get a choice?”
“Yes, but the window is closing. Do you want to die?”
“Not particularly.”
She rests the cattle prod on my shoulder while she goes on.
“If I let you live, will you deliver a message to Eva for me?”
“That depends on what it is.”
“It’s a warning. The last she or any of her people will receive. Will you deliver it for me?”
“Like I said, it depends. If I think it’s going to get me killed, no.”
“Fair enough,” she says. “Here’s the message: Dies Irae.”
I look up at her.
“Day of Judgment?”
She smiles broadly and steps back.
“Look at you, Miles. An old altar boy, I bet.”
I shake my head.
“Mom worshiped vodka and dad worshiped not being around either one of us, so not really.”
She nods.
“Then I’ll tell you: ‘Dies Irae’ is also ‘Day of Wrath.’ And that’s the message I want you to give to Eva. Judgment day is coming soon. Wrath will fall like fire from Heaven,” she says. “Eva and her people can join us or quit altogether. Just walk away. By this time next week, the Wormwood you know will be gone. There will be only us.”
“And judgment and wrath.”
“Exactly.”
“I think I can remember that.”
She gives me a quick zap in the gut.
“I’m positive I can remember.”
“Good for you, Miles. You get to live for now. But just to make sure you don’t forget, the boys are going to help you remember.”
She kicks me in the chest, knocking me to the floor. The shooters rush over and put the boot in hard. I curl up in a ball, taking their kicks when what I really want to do is peel off their skin and drag them down the Hollywood Freeway behind the van they brought me in.
The things we do just to be alive again.
After a few minutes, the interrogator says, “That’s enough.” A couple of the laughing boys pick me up and toss me back into the van. She sticks her head in after me.