Interrogation Techniques by Charlie Richards

Chapter Ten

In the blink of an eye, Del transformed from Miggs’s kind, thoughtful lover to a cold-hearted interrogator. He watched as his mate injected some pale-yellow fluid into Beta Koin’s neck. Then he turned without a word and replaced the used items in the briefcase.

“Have him take a seat, Malone,” Del ordered as he grabbed a chair for himself. While Malone obeyed, Del settled in his own seat. “We’re going to ask you questions, Koin, and you’re going to tell us the truth.” Relaxing back, he placed his left ankle over his right knee and folded his hands behind his head. With a wide grin, Del claimed, “And if you don’t, we’re going to break something. We’ll start with fingers, since those heal quickly and with little complications.” Scoffing, Del stated, “Don’t want you to have to take up too much of our healers’ valuable time, now do we?”

“Y-You can’t do th-this to m-me.” Koin’s voice came out a little slurred, and his stutters betrayed how he was struggling to control his words.

“Sure we can,” Del replied, grinning. Except, no mirth or pleasure reached his hazel eyes. “After all, here we are.”

Koin’s eyes narrowed, and he turned his attention to Councilman Colearian. “When the r-rest of the council f-finds out about th-this—”

Councilman Colearian cut off the man’s struggling words. “With the information I have on Alpha Shaun”—he tapped the folder on the table before him—”there will be no one to file grievances.” The councilman looked beyond Koin to Del. “Interrogator Delanrue, shall we begin?”

“With pleasure, Councilman.” Del smirked coldly at Koin. “So, Koin, why did you and Alpha Shaun make Miggs a slave in the alpha’s house?”

Even as Koin’s features twisted in defiance, he replied, “He’s a faggot. Good only for labor.”

A muscle ticked in Del’s jaw, betraying his anger at Koin’s answer, even though Miggs knew it had to have been completely expected. “Are there any other members of your muddle being used as slave labor?”

Koin clenched his jaw, as if fighting against the urge to answer. Then he replied, “No. Now we trap them in their guinea pig form and sell them to pet stores.”

Enforcer Dane growled low in his throat, clearly expressing his ire even better than the anger darkening his brown eyes nearly to black.

To Miggs’s surprise, Koin actually laughed. His smile appeared a little drunken. “What?” With a smirk, he added, “Faggots are worthless to strengthening a muddle. At least this way, they can be put to some use.”

“Who came up with the idea?” Del asked.

“Me,” Koin replied, sounding proud.

Del finally lowered his arms and leaned forward, resting his left forearm on the table. He had his hand clenched in a fist, so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. His nostrils flared, but when he spoke again, his voice still held the same cutting chilliness.

“Where do you get the drugs?”

After a swallow so hard his Adam’s apple bobbed, Koin ground out, “Alpha Shaun gets them.”

“From whom?” Del pressed.

“I don’t know,” Koin responded.

Del and Malone exchanged a look that Miggs couldn’t hope to interpret. Malone moved swiftly from his position behind Koin. He grabbed the shifter’s left wrist, gripped his pinky, and yanked.

Koin’s scream filled the conference room.

Miggs cringed, wrapping his arms around his torso. When he felt a hand on his upper back, he nearly leaped out of his skin. Feeling the gentle touch rub up and down a little, Miggs turned and looked at Germaine, but the snake shifter wore an impassive expression and wasn’t looking at him.

“We warned you,” Del commented, looking at his nails with disinterest. “Wanna try again? Or should we break another finger?”

Miggs watched with bated breath as he took in his father’s expression. He knew that look—the shifter wanted to deny knowledge again. His brown eyes burned with the hatred he felt as he stared at Del.

“Alpha Shaun gets it from some guy he calls Fox Nose,” the beta finally said.

Malone lifted a hand and made a so-so gesture.

Del narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. “You know him by another name. What is it?”

Once more, Koin’s jaw ticked.

Frowning, Miggs realized he’d heard that name before.

But where? Think!

Miggs had worked at the alpha’s home, behind the scenes, for years. He should have known what was happening, have seen something amiss. It wasn’t just his own mother that had ended up disappearing.

Fox Nose.

Then it clicked. Just as Del arched one eyebrow, causing Malone to reach for Koin’s wrist again, Miggs cried out, “Professor Gilly!”

All eyes turned to him, including his father’s... which blazed with warnings of retribution if he didn’t shut his mouth damn fast.

Feeling safe with Germaine at his side, Del in the room, and knowing the others would have his back, Miggs told them, “Professor Gilly is a science professor at the community college near our muddle. A number of us have gone there for some classes.”

“Shut up,” Koin hissed. “Y-You don’t know what y-you’re talking about.”

Miggs ignored him, knowing if he’d been on the wrong track, his father wouldn’t be bothered by him sharing the information. “He really is a fox shifter, and his nose resembles his animal while in human form. Even humans have taken to calling him Fox Nose.” Cocking his head, Miggs searched his memory. “I... I think I saw him come to the alpha’s house maybe... six times in the five years I worked there.” Worked was a relative term, but it was easier to say it that way. “I always figured it was to pay tithe to continue living on the outskirts of our muddle lands, but considering how many different packs, prides, and such are in the area because the council is here...” Miggs trailed off with a wave of his hand.

“You’ve just signed your death warrant,” Koin screamed, jumping from his seat. Then he lunged across the table, reaching for Miggs.

As Miggs jerked backward, slamming against the wall behind him, Germaine stepped forward, clearly ready to meet the challenge—not that Beta Koin would be much of a challenge to the much larger enforcer.

Del reached Koin first. Grabbing him from behind, he had the beta in a full nelson in the next instant. He snarled low in his throat, and anger burned in his hazel eyes, making them glow an almost golden color.

“Easy, Del,” Dane rumbled, approaching slowly. “We still have a few questions. Remember?” His brother had his hands out in front of him, his palms out in placation. “You can’t kill him, yet.”

“He went after my fated mate.” Del’s voice came out low and angry, with a hissing quality that told everyone listening how close his dragon was to the surface. “That’s a death sentence.”

Miggs could see the desire, the need for retribution in Del’s eyes. As much as he didn’t want to see his mate kill his father, it wasn’t for blood tie reasons. He agreed with Dane.

“Del,” Miggs murmured, easing away from the wall. He stepped partially around Germaine, but the other shifter wouldn’t let him get too close. “Del, look at me.”

Slowly, Del’s gaze panned right to focus on Miggs. He saw the anguish buried deep within their depths, the hint of fear. His mate had feared for his life, and that knowledge made Miggs’s next words come easier.

“Del, my mate. I’m fine. Just fine.” Miggs smiled reassuringly at his big shifter. “You stopped him, my love. You saved me. Ease your grip, so you can finish your job.” Miggs saw Del’s nostrils flare as his arms slowly loosened their tight hold. “That’s the way. We need to know what they did with Kenny.”

“And your mother,” Del whispered.

Miggs nodded, although he feared she was long dead.

Before Del completely released his hold, he snarled into Koin’s ear, “But since we can’t have you thinking you can get away with that.” Then he grabbed the beta’s right arm in both hands and jerked.

The sound of bones snapping filled the room right before Koin screamed, “You bastard!” Since Del had let him go, the smaller shifter cradled his clearly broken arm to his chest. “I’ll get you for this. I’ll get you all—”

“Good grief,” Malone cut in, clamping a hand on his shoulder. “You really don’t get it, do you?” Using a foot, he turned around one of the chairs located on that side of the conference table. Then Malone shoved Koin into it before standing over him with his arms crossed. “You’re a walking dead man, Koin. Your one decision is whether you’re going to go out with dignity or not.”

“I’m a muddle beta,” Koin growled, although pain filled his voice. “You can’t threaten me.”

As soon as Del had released Miggs’s father, he’d wrapped his arms around Miggs.

Miggs was only too happy to snuggle into his side. That didn’t stop him from paying close attention to what was going on around him. Hearing his father’s claim, Miggs scoffed and shook his head.

“You’re so full of yourself that you can’t accept what’s happening to you even while it’s happening,” Miggs stated in wonder. “This is the Shifter Council. They don’t mess around with the safety of our secret, and you and Alpha Shaun threatened it. How many others in the muddle are in on this plan?”

Surely it couldn’t just be those two.

When Koin just glared back at Miggs, a hard sneer curving his lips, Malone stated, “Don’t you worry, Miggs. We’ll get that information out of him.” He cracked his knuckles, adding, “I have aaaaaall afternoon.” With a malicious smile that would have chilled Miggs to the bone had it been directed at him, Malone stared down at Koin. “You and me are gonna become really, really well acquainted.”

“Since the serum wore off, are you going to give him another dose?” Dane asked curiously as he moved back to Councilman Colearian’s side. “Because it’d be nice to know where to start looking for Kenny.”

“A second dose so soon won’t do much,” Malone revealed as he pulled a cable out of his back pocket. “So we’ll do this the hard way.”

As Malone began to reach for Koin’s hand—the one with the broken finger—Koin must have finally come to his senses. “No, wait.” He tried to rear back in his seat, but he didn’t really have anywhere to go. “I’ll talk. No need for that.”

Malone paused, slapping the cable against his thigh.

“What did you do with Kenny?” Del asked bluntly.

“Alpha Shaun sold him to a pet store,” Koin replied quickly. “I don’t know which one. I’m not part of that.”

Miggs could hardly believe that. “Then what’s your part it in?” he asked, unable to help his curiosity.

Curling his lip, Koin pinned a hate-filled stare at Miggs. “Keeping an eye on those in our muddle so the alpha can take care of our connections.” Disgust once more coloring his features as he glanced between Del and Miggs, Koin added, “I let the alpha know about the degenerates and those useless to keeping our muddle strong.”

“And my mom?” Miggs hated how tentative he sounded, but he couldn’t help it. He’d wondered for so long, and now he would get his answer.

Del probably scented his unease, for he began rubbing his hand up and down Miggs’s back, soothing him.

Koin began to shrug, but then he stopped and winced. “She met her fated mate, so she left the muddle.”

Miggs felt his heart tighten in his chest.

She really did leave? Without saying anything to me?

Growling, Del rumbled, “Did you give her the opportunity to say goodbye?”

“She chose her mate over her duty,” Koin stated with a sneer. “She was lucky we let her leave with the clothes on her back.”

“Who is her mate?” Councilman Colearian asked, pen in hand. “Was he part of another muddle?”

Koin’s face darkened, clearly displeased to have to be answering the question, but he did it. “Her mate was some woman named Glenda. I didn’t ask for specifics.” Sniffing derisively, Koin claimed, “I wasn’t going to allow a degenerate anywhere near my child a moment longer.” Then he scowled at Miggs. “So you being just as deviant didn’t come as a surprise.”

That also explained why Koin had kept such a close eye on him and why he’d urged Miggs to pick a girl and settle down, even though he was considered young in shifter terms.

“I think we’ve had enough of your asshole beta’s presence,” Del declared, tightening his hold on Miggs. “Do you need us any longer, Councilman Colearian?”

The councilman shook his head. “No, I think we have it covered. Thank you, Enforcer Delanrue.” The aging grizzly shifter’s smile turned kind as he focused on Miggs. “Now that we have testimony that you did not, in fact, kill Kenny, we will have all charges dropped in regards to you being rogue. Congratulations.”

Relief flooded Miggs, and he nodded. “Thank you, Councilman.”

After Councilman Colearian nodded and waved his hand, Del guided them out of the room.

Before the door closed, Miggs heard Koin holler, “Don’t get comfortable here, Midget. Alpha Shaun will have his way!”

Miggs grimaced. Unable to help himself, he stopped and pressed his face against Del’s chest. He held on tight to his mate and inhaled deeply. With Del’s arms around him, returning the embrace, Miggs soaked up the soothing comfort of his lover.

“I should have saved you from that,” Del murmured, nuzzling his cheek over Miggs’s head. “I should have—”

“Stop,” Miggs whispered, lifting his head. Bringing a hand around, he touched his fingertips to Del’s lips, stopping him from voicing even more doubts. “I think I actually needed that,” Miggs admitted, lowering his hand. “More than I realized. It gave me... closure.”

“Did you want to track down your mother?” Del asked as he turned them and started walking them down the hall. “I bet she’d love to hear from you.”

Miggs shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”

As Del nodded, he growled, “Damn it. I can’t wait.”

To Miggs’s surprise, Del yanked open a door on the right and hurried them both inside. He found them in a closet full of cleaning supplies.

Even as Miggs opened his mouth to question Del, his lover grabbed the button on his jeans. “Seeing you in danger, even for a second,” Del grumbled, shaking his head. “Never want to see that again.” Revealing his huge, swollen rod, Del reached for Miggs’s jeans next. “Have to have you. Have to assure myself you’re okay. Safe with me.”

Seeing the feral need in Del’s eyes, coupled with the heavy scent of arousal that quickly flooded the small space, Miggs moaned. “Yessss!” he hissed, happy to shimmy out of his pants.