Page 101 of The Mech Who Loved Me
"We're looking for something you might have imported," she said, withdrawing her notebook from her pocket so she could show him a sketch of the mushroom they wereafter.
"No! No! I won't say anything." The man cowered. "I can't! He'llkillme."
He?
"Who will kill you?" Kincaid demanded, shaking him alittle.
Leicester kicked and scraped at the floor, trying to escape. Kincaid picked him up and slammed him back on the desk, both of his fists curled in Leicester's cardigan. "I won't askagain."
"You, unfortunately, have a choice to make," she told Mr. Leicester, trying to restrain Kincaid with a gentle touch. "You clearly have information we require, and we're running out of time togetit."
"Fucking craver," Leicester said, and spat inherface.
Ava didn't see what happened next. Kincaid's fist blurred past her in a savage blow, and blood spattered across the desk. Ava wiped her face clean with her handkerchief as he punched the man again and again, driving him onto the floor. "Kincaid!" she yelled, grabbing hisraisedarm.
Those blue Celtic eyes were wild with rage as he looked at her. "Are you allright?"
"I'm fine." She eased his arm down. "We need him to talk tous,Liam."
Kincaid let the man go with muttered curse, raking his hands through his hair as he turned away from her. The man curled into a ball on the floor, sniveling and clutching at his broken nose. Blood streamed from it, and for a second she felt like she wanted to cast up heraccounts.
"If you even look at her less than politely," Kincaid snarled, "then next time Iwon'tstop."
"As you can see, you're facing quite the predicament," she said, shaking a little. She'd never been spat upon before. "My friend here is not quite as civilized as I am. And if you don't answer myquestions—"
"You're not going to kill me," the man blustered. "You can't. You're aNighthawk."
"No, we're not going to hurt you." At least some people in this city still knew what the Nighthawks stood for. "But I think we're going to take you to see a friend. He's not quite as nice as we are, and unfortunately, he's willing to do whatever it takes for thegreatergood."
"Malloryn?" Kincaidasked.
"Malloryn," she confirmed. "Pick him up and I'll go through the shippingstatements."
"There's no need for that," a child's voicecalled.
Both she and Kincaid spunaround.
A young man, barely a lad, stepped hesitantly toward them, his hands raised in front of him, and a cap on his head. "Please don't hurt him," he called, his nervous eyes flickering to the man on the ground. "I can show you what you'relookingfor."
"What we're looking for?" Ava questioned, standing a little straighter. Neither she nor Kincaid had mentioned anything inparticular.
"Edward! No!" the man on the groundbellowed.
"You're going to get us all killed," the boy shouted back. "You're going to get yourself killed. They're Nighthawks! They canhelpus."
"You have my word," Ava told him. "If you tell us what we want to know, I'll use any influence I have to see you and your familyaresafe."
"You're here for the serum, aren't you?" the boypiped.
Ava shot Kincaid a look. The serum? "You have the serum here?" They'd been looking for the mushroom, and insteadstruckgold.
The boy nodded. "Just promise you won't hurt my father, and I'll show you whereitis."
* * *
Edward Leicester was mosthelpful.
"All of what we have on hand is in that crate," he said, gesturing to a small picnic-basket-shapedbox.
