Chirron made a face that said he agreed. "That would be my conclusion as well."
"Will they hold up to questioning?" Caden asked.
As long as he got the information he wanted, he didn't care about anything else.
Chirron hesitated. "If you go easy on them. Otherwise, I can't vouch for whether they'll last long enough to give you the information you need."
Gawain's snort was sarcastic. "That's unlikely. Caden's methods are well known."
Van pulled his lips into a pouting frown. "What's the matter? Does this bring back bad memories?"
Caden stirred. "I never touched him."
Gawain's smile was wry. "You didn't have to. Your reputation was more than enough."
Van's laugh was an explosion of sound as he slapped Gawain on the shoulder. "I'm beginning to like this version of you. Much more palatable."
"I'm honored," Gawain drawled.
Caden ignored the two, stalking toward the tent and ducking inside.
Fiona looked up from the man she was crouched in front of to give Caden a respectful nod. Both men were bruised and battered, their faces a kaleidoscope of color Caden attributed to the Tenrin.
Jane and Drake stood on opposite sides of the tent, flanking the prisoners.
Ghost shifted, announcing his presence in the corner. "They're playing possum. They don't know that's our favorite game."
Fiona reached out, digging her fingers into an open wound. The man came awake with a scream.
Caden's smile was a terrifying thing. A level of peace and tranquility in it that should have conflicted with what he had planned.
Maybe that was why the man couldn't hide his flinch or the small broken sound he made.
A sound that only made Caden's smile widen.
It was an expression that told the prisoners exactly what sort of person Caden was.
He had no misconceptions about himself, as comfortable at the prospect of torture as he was at sharing a meal with Eva.
Some might claim him a monster for the ease with which he adapted to each situation, but Caden preferred to think of it as being flexible.
"Hello." Caden wasn't bothered by the terror on the other's face. He squatted beside the man. "I really must thank you for delivering yourself into our custody."
A soft laugh came from Ghost's corner, making the other man flinch again.
"We thought we'd have to scour the hills for a chance like this," Caden continued. "Didn't we?"
Fiona nodded. "We did."
The man's breathing accelerated, the promise of pain twisting his mind far more effectively than if Caden had just started in on the torture.
"We won't tell you anything," the man managed to grit out.
Caden lifted an eyebrow, a little impressed the stranger had managed a retort.
"We'll see," Caden said, rising.
He gestured to his Anateri. They nodded, understanding his order without him ever having to say a word. It was one of the benefits of working with those you'd rigorously trained and knew almost as well as you did yourself.
