The Sacrifice Game

(97)

No Way knew that was a total lie, of course. It was too close to book procedure, trying to make the subject feel betrayed.

“I didn’t tell anybody anything.”

“So you signaled someone?”

“No. I didn’t signal anyone.”

“In that case, who do you think alerted the patrol to our location?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did you alert this patrol to our location?”

It was pretty clear to me that was the only real question in the bunch. If they made sure it wasn’t No Way who turned them in, then they’d have to look elsewhere. Probably among their so-called friends in the army.

“No,” No Way said.

“Why did you alert this patrol to our location?”

“I didn’t,” No Way said. The voltmeter slid slowly up, from a hundred-volt tickle to two thousand and then to eight thousand. After three seconds, at fifteen thousand, No Way couldn’t hold it in anymore. His back arched higher and bounced and there was a squeal of his vocal cords sawing into each other. His body bounced again and then relaxed as the voltage went back to zero.

“That was a one-second application of a level two shock,” Grgur said. “On your next false answer we’re going to wait five seconds and then administer a level four shock. Just so you know, a level eight might be fatal.”

“Let’s try it,” No Way squawked.

“I’m going to have to ask you again,” Grgur said. Pause. “It’s not a big deal, you know, we’re not out to get anyone. We just want to know where we went wrong. No Way? Who alerted the patrol to our location?”

“I don’t know.” No Way’s readings thrashed, anticipating the shock. His temperature was dipping and his galvanic skin resistance was down twenty percent. The EEG was showing sharp seven-hundred-microvolt eliptiform spikes and big asymmetries between the right and left hemispheres of his brain. The shock didn’t come, though.

“So you’re saying you know someone did.”

“No. Didn’t.” No Way’s voice sounded like a crushed bullfrog’s. The Estimated Voice Stress Level thingy reset itself to the new timbre. Eighty-five percent, it said.

“You didn’t what?”

“I didn’t. Alert. Anyone.”

“One of the patrol officers already told us the information came from you.”

“Not true.”

“Then who did?”

“I don’t know. If anyone did. Or not.”

“Who do you think may have alerted this patrol to our location?”

“?Quien sabe?”

“You’re sure? I’m going to have to give you a long charge in a minute.”

“Can you execute me now, please?” No Way asked, but the voltage was climbing again and his voice rose into a screech and then petered out in gooey sputtering. Grgur held it for three seconds. The EEG dropped down to what it said was an unconscious alpha level. Grgur cut the charge and Leonidas took the muff away from No Way’s neck. Passing out was one thing, but they didn’t want him to go into shock.