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His quip didn’t amuse the man, who spun him around, flattened him against the fender, and pulled his hands together behind his back, securing them with a plastic cable tie as he Mirandized him.

“What are you arresting me for? I haven’t done anything. Unless inflatable dolls have become illegal. What do you want with me?”

“We want to talk to you about your houseguests.”

“What houseguests?”

“I bet he’ll cooperate if you yank that tube out of his nose,” one of the others suggested to the leader.

Daily fought off panic. If they disconnected him from his oxygen tank, he’d be dead in no time.

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” the leader said. “Not yet.” Daily’s knees went weak with relief, but his next words indicated that Daily’s reprieve was only short term. “Our boss is real pissed off at you and your cronies.”

“As if I give a damn. Isn’t Spencer Martin man enough to come pick me up himself? Or is he scared of Bondurant?”

“Spencer Martin?” the man repeated, playing dumb. “Don’t you watch the news? Mr. Martin is taking a brief leave of absence from his duties at the White House.”

“Yeah, yeah. He’s really scraping the bottom of the barrel if you’re the best he can recruit for his nasty little army.”

The three men shared a look among them.

Daily guffawed. “What? Surprised that I know? You thought it was a secret? Guess again.”

The leader said, “Old man, you’re way out of your league. You’d be wise to cooperate with us. Where are Barrie Travis and Gray Bondurant tonight, and what are they up to?”

“Suck my dick, asshole.”

The man took an angry step forward, but one of the others held him back. “Where are they, Welsh?” he shouted.

Daily knew that he was up shit creek. Even if he told them what they wanted to know, he wasn’t going to see another sunrise. These guys weren’t just his interrogators, but his executioners.

His assignment had been to keep the bad guys busy, providing Gray and Barrie time to liberate Vanessa Merritt from Tabor House. As long as he had breath, that’s what he would do. It wasn’t exactly like going out in a blaze of glory, but it was a spark, anyway.

Belligerence wasn’t working very well, so he took another tack and faked a swoon. “I don’t feel so good.”

“Tell us where they are, and we’ll see that you get some rest.”

Yeah, permanent rest. “Some motel,” he mumbled.

“What motel? Where?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where?”

“Something with Washington in the name.”

“Do you know how many motels there are around here with Washington in the name?”

“No,” Daily replied innocently. “How many?”

The man grabbed him by his lapels and lifted him until the tips of his toes were barely touching the pavement. “If you want to see Miss Travis and Mr. Bondurant alive, you’d better get your memory back real quick.”

“It… it’s out toward Andrews,” Daily stammered. “I went there with them once. I can’t remember exactly where it is, but I’ll know it when I see it.”

“Okay, let’s go.” The man shoved Daily forward with such impetus, the cannula was jerked out of his nostrils.

“My oxygen!” he cried. “I’ve gotta have it.” He frantically and futilely struggled against the hand restraints.