“What's the code?”
“It's not a code. It can only be opened with my thumbprint.”
Malik grinned and stepped forward.
I pulled him back. “Let Veritas finish before you cut off Bishop's thumb, darling.”
Malik sighed and leaned heavily against the wall—the Bleiten version of pouting.
Bishop paled. “I'll open it for you! You don't have to cut off my thumb!”
“Calm down, Mr. Bishop,” Alex said crisply. “We are agents of the United States Government. We're not going to cut off your thumb.”
Bishop settled but kept a wary eye on Malik.
“All right, now about the machine you used to steal magic,” Jason started again. “Who built it?”
“I don't know.”
“Ask him what race built it?” Kyrian suggested.
“What was the race of the people who built it?” Jason repeated the question.
“I can't be certain.” Bishop's lips twitched nearly into a smirk.
“Think you're smart, do you?” Jason chuckled. “All right, fucker, let's try this one: who are you working with?”
“The Chinese.” Bishop grinned.
Jason cursed.
“Ask him who gave him the machine,” I suggested softly.
Bishop's smile faded.
“Who gave you the machine?” Jason asked gleefully.
Sometimes, it took a while to find the right questions to ask but in the end, Jason always got the truth.
“Cinneod Natalonus,” Bishop said the name hollowly.
“Why did he give you the machine?” Jason demanded.
“I had a prototype designed but it didn't work. Natalonus found me, I don't know how, and he offered to fix what was wrong with the prototype if I would come here and work with the Chinese.”
“Why did he want you here?” Jason asked.
“He had already convinced the warden to work with him. He knew we'd have unlimited access to test subjects.”
“Did he want the magic for himself?” Alex asked.
Jason repeated the question.
“I don't know what his goals are.”
“But he wanted you to figure out how to safely administer magic to supes,” I concluded.
Jason didn't have to repeat it, Bishop nodded.
