Page 31 of Dark Rebel’s Reckoning (The Children Of The Gods #93)

31

MAX

T he split interrogation room hadn't been used in years, and Max wondered what had prompted Kian to change plans and move the prisoner there. Toven's compulsion was going to force him to talk no matter who else was present, and since they weren't going to beat up the vermin, there wouldn't be any blood and gore, so that wasn't a reason to keep Kyra out of the room.

The only thing he could think of was that Kian wanted to shield Kyra at least partially from what was about to be revealed, and there was some logic to that. She would still hear it, she would still see the monster who had abused her, but there would be a wall between them, which should give her a sense of security.

As Alfie aimed his phone at the scanner on the door to the interrogation room proper, Max aimed his at the door to the observation room, and after a brief moment, both slid open with twin soft hydraulic hisses. Alfie entered the other room while Max motioned for Kyra to enter the observation room ahead of him.

Two chairs had been placed in front of the large mirror that looked like a window from their side and allowed a clear view of the interrogation room beyond.

Kyra froze in place, looking through the glass at her tormenter.

Strapped to a chair, his wrists and ankles secured with thick metal restraints, the Doomer sat blank-faced, his eyes half-lidded—partially sedated as per Kian's instructions.

"Please, take a seat," Max motioned toward one of the chairs.

Her head whipped toward him with a shocked expression as if she'd been startled by him being there with her.

He pulled the chair back a little, thinking that some distance from the glass would make her feel more comfortable.

"Can they hear us on the other side?" Kyra asked in a whisper.

"No. It's completely soundproof." He took a pair of headphones off a hook and handed them to her. "You can hear what's going on through these, and if you want to make a suggestion or ask a question, you can use the attached microphone. Keep it off until you want them to hear you."

She took the set from him but hesitated before placing it over her ears. "Do I put them over the compulsion-filtering earpieces or instead?"

"Over." He dipped his head to look into her eyes. "Are you okay? You don't have to be here."

"I need to." She waved a hand at the observation window. "Who are the three men with Kian?"

"The redhead and the blond are Anandur and Brundar, Kian's bodyguards. They are brothers. The dark-haired guy is Toven."

"The god," she murmured in awe. "How many gods are there on Earth?"

"Several," Max said. "But since you know now that they are just aliens with powerful mind-control abilities, you don't need to sound so worshipful. Besides, Toven is happily mated." He wasn't really jealous of her admiration of the god, well, maybe a little, but he hoped the teasing would lighten the mood.

Smiling, she rolled her eyes. "You're terrible."

"I know." He pulled out the other chair next to hers and sat down. "But you like me anyway."

She didn't pick up the banter like he'd hoped, her gaze focused on the monster who had stolen so much from her.

Max put his headphones on just as Kian turned to the god. "Toven, whenever you're ready."

"Open your eyes and look at me," Toven commanded the prisoner.

The effect was immediate. The Doomer's eyes snapped fully open, his back straightening as if pulled by invisible strings. His gaze fixed on Toven, and his expression shifted from confusion to alarm to resignation in rapid succession.

"Tell me your name," Toven commanded.

"Durhad," the Doomer answered without hesitation.

"What is your position within the Brotherhood?"

"I am a liaison to the Revolutionary Guard."

"Does that include thralling the Revolutionary Guard upper command to do whatever Navuh wants them to do?"

"Yes."

"Who do you report to?"

"Commander Hazok."

Hazok was one of Navuh's adopted sons, which meant that this Doomer was high up in the Brotherhood's chain of command if he reported directly to him, and Max wondered if Toven knew that.

"What were you doing in the facility we took you from?" Toven asked.

The Doomer tried to resist, holding his lips tightly pressed together, and for a moment, Max thought that he would be able to resist the compulsion, but then his mouth opened and he spat out, "Research."

"What kind of research?" Kyra whispered, but she hadn't activated the microphone, so Max was the only one who heard her.

"Let Toven do this his way, and in the end, if he didn't get all the answers you want, you can ask your questions."

She nodded.

"Was this research done for the Brotherhood?" Toven asked.

"No."

"Interesting." Toven turned to Kian and the two exchanged knowing looks.

"Were you conducting this research for your immediate commander?" Toven asked.

"No."

"Were you doing the research for yourself?"

"Yes."

Toven was asking questions that required just yes or no answers because it was impossible to answer them evasively or respond with partial answers that concealed more than they revealed.

It was a good way to prime the prisoner while getting the basics, so Toven would know what to ask when it was time to move to the type of questions that couldn't be answered with one or two words.