Part 18 (1/2)

I turned away. They were so gory and b.l.o.o.d.y. I felt sick to my stomach.

”Op Wraith is gone,” said Silas. ”So is the serum.”

”What makes you think Operation Wraith is gone?” said Wolfman.

”I've been there,” said Silas.

”I helped destroy it,” I said.

Wolfman grinned. ”It moved.” He went back to the phone. ”I think this one. I'll text, 'How do you think Leigh will like this?' Okay?”

Moved? What? I gulped. ”Do you have the serum?”

”Wolfman is indestructible.” His eyes gleamed. He pressed b.u.t.tons on the phone and then tossed it on the bed. ”There. That's done. Griffin will like the picture. Now, what game do the little pigs want to play?”

There he was saying play again. I didn't think I wanted to find out what he meant by that.

The phone rang again.

Wolfman leapt up and answered it. ”h.e.l.lo, Griffin.”

Silas elbowed me.

What did he want?

”Oh, she's right here,” said Wolfman, ”all in one piece. At least currently.”

At the same time, Silas whispered, ”I've got something that can saw through the rope. Keep him distracted.”

Oh G.o.d. I had to distract Wolfman?

Wolfman knelt down in front of me. He stroked my cheek. ”Pretty piglet.”

I could hear Griffin's voice through the phone-angry. His words were too distorted to make out what he was saying, though.

Wolfman chuckled into the phone. ”Don't worry, Griffin. No matter how much I cut her, she'll heal right up.” He hung up.

My insides clenched. Jesus Christ. I didn't know if I could handle that. He was going to torture me. For fun.

I could feel Silas' hands moving next to mine, feel the cold of something metal brush my skin occasionally.

Wolfman leaned around me. ”You're awfully quiet, little pig.”

Oh! I had to keep him from seeing what Silas was doing. ”He's upset after what you did to the girl,” I blurted.

Wolfman looked past us at the girl.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

”She's so pretty, though,” said Wolfman.

”What did Griffin say?” I said. Maybe if I kept him talking, he'd only pay attention to me, not Silas.

Wolfman looked back at me. ”He's mad.”

”I bet he is. He doesn't like it when people hurt me.”

”That's what we're counting on, piglet. He'll want to protect you.” He giggled. ”He's going out of his mind right now.”

As if to prove his point, the phone rang again.

Wolfman turned it off. He popped the back off and took out the battery and the SIM card. ”We'll let him suffer a little bit, okay?”

”He'll kill you,” I said.

Wolfman laughed. ”I highly doubt that, piglet. He's Griffin. I know him too well. I know his insides. His weak, squiggly, frightened insides.”

There was a soft, snapping noise. One of my hands was suddenly free. Silas was making progress!

I wiggled it. It tingled as blood rushed back in.

”What was that?” Wolfman got up and walked around me to look down at Silas.

s.h.i.+t. We weren't out of the woods yet. ”Why'd you put a heart on her forehead?”

”Heart?” Wolfman was still looking down at Silas.

”Yes,” I said. ”Come tell me all about it. You said it was a special secret and that it was okay for me to know. You want to tell someone, don't you?”

Wolfman eased down next to me. ”The heart stands for inner beauty.”

”Oh,” I said. He was close to me. I could feel his hot breath on my neck.

He leaned close, his lips brus.h.i.+ng my ear. ”I brought out the beauty. Like an artist. She was my canvas.”

I fought down a grimace. I could barely breathe. ”You do that a lot?”

”Not a lot,” said Wolfman. ”It wouldn't be special if it happened all the time.”

”Is that what you're going to do to me?” My voice was threadbare.

I felt the hot slickness of his tongue against my temple. ”Is that what you want, piglet?”

I s.h.i.+vered in disgust and fear.

He let out a low chuckle.

And Silas snapped the other piece of rope, and both my hands were free.