Page 114 of Retribution

I touch the box. It's smooth with no seams, and I wonder how I can get into it.

'Water doesn't damage it?' I ask.

She shakes her head. ‘And the metal straps–I think they help conduct the current,' she says in a small voice.

Those fuckers. I have to put my hands on my thighs and grip tightly, fury coursing through my veins.

'How many times Daisy?' I ask through gritted teeth. 'How many times did they shock you with this thing?'

Her eyes are dry, but I instinctively know she’s close to tears. She doesn't look at me.

'I didn't…' She shuts her eyes tightly. 'I lost count. The nurse had the remote. Joe had one too. She did it more though. She did it whenever she felt like it. She enjoyed it.’

Her words are beginning to flow a little more now, and I stay quiet while she talks, each syllable making me angrier.

‘I wasn't allowed to make a sound when she did it, or she'd just do it again.'

'Did they charge it?' I ask, trying very hard to keep my voice emotionless, logical, because I know that will help her to deal with this.

She won’t want to get too emotional and feel out of control right now.

'There was a battery pack.’

‘A remote charger?’

‘It was kind of like a magnet that the nurse would put on it for a couple of hours a day.'

'So, it should just run out of batteries,' I mutter.

She shrugs. 'I'm not sure how many zaps it would take. It still feels just as strong, even though it's been used about three or four times since the last charge.’

‘I'm gonna get this off of you.' I say, makingsure that none of my anger is in my tone and my fingers are soft as I squeeze her knee gently. 'I just need… I have some tools that might work, okay?’

‘Do you really think you can?' she asks. 'I tried myself in the lab, but I couldn't get into it. I was afraid that I'd need the key. It’s not as if Joe is going to give it to me, you know?’

‘We're gonna get it off,' I promise her again quietly.

She doesn't speak, only nods, and I notice her teeth are clenched.

She’s not as okay as she’s pretending. Who would be after all the shit they’ve put her through?

'Come into the bedroom and lay down. I'll get my stuff.'

She does what I ask, going to lie on the bed, facing away from me with that thing on display.

I go into my duffel bag, and I grab the small case that I use whenever I need to get into a locked house, which, considering the work I do for Kormak, happens more than I'd like.

I unzip it and I see her watching me curiously as I pick out some of the smallest metal picks I have.

'Will those work?' she asks. 'It's not a real lock.'

I nod. ‘I’m hoping if I can get a couple of these in the right places, I can trick it into thinking they’re the keycard.’

She stays absolutely still as I shine a light into the slot, trying to work out if I can unlock it and release the metal strap.

I get to work using my very tiny tools in the tiny space.

I glance up at her after a few seconds.