Page 32 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

“It’s the girl plus two hostiles.”

Brandon looked across at Cole in the incident room and shook his head slightly. That fucking girl was beginning to give him a serious headache. “You think that’s the reason she didn’t show?”

“No. The girl’s stubborn, bloody minded and she doesn’t like not being in control. That’s why she didn’t show. She was making a point.” Cole stated.

“Sounds like someone else I know.” Brandon replied smirking and Cole shook his head narrowing his eyes. Sure there were similarities but deep down he wasn’t like her, he didn’t make mistakes, he didn’t make stupid decisions either and he sure as hell wouldn’t be pulling a fucking disappearing act if he was mixed up in a case as complex and dangerous as this one.

They looked back at the screens, seeing the live footage now coming up and waited for their agents to get there and sort whatever mess Maddie Fucking Cooper had dragged them into now.

Maddie groaned as her body slammed back onto the floor. She looked up forcing her eyes to focus and she realised where she was. She was back. Back at the warehouse. She rolled over, onto her back and they were both there, standing over her. She swallowed looking from one to the other.

The first one pulled a bag of something from his vest and the second got down beside her, wrenching her round and holding her so her body was against his and each of his arms were twisted around hers so she couldn’t move. She struggled, but he held her firm and she looked up at the other man, the one now walking towards her. He held the bag up now dangling it in her face.

“Open wide sweetheart.” He said and they both laughed.

“Fuck you.” She snarled trying to throw the man who held her off her, trying to get free.

“Ssssh.” The man in front of her said now kneeling and opening the bag up. “Take your medicine like a good girl and it’ll all be over.”

She cried out, still trying to fight, still trying to struggle and he gripped her face. She clenched her jaw shut, locked it shut. No fucking way was she swallowing anything she thought.

One man looked at the other and she felt the arms holding her release. They then slammed her onto the concrete. She gasped before clenching her jaw shut once more.

The first man leaned on her chest, putting all his weight on her, making her feel like she was suffocating, like she couldn’t breathe. The second pinched her nose, hard making it feel like her nostrils were stuck together and she jerked her head trying to fight him off but he put his knees either side, clamping her head in place so she couldn’t move.

She felt her air running out, she knew it would work. It was a Blackops trick. One they’d used for forcing water down prisoners who were on hunger strike. She kicked out, but even then she knew it was no good.

“Open up sweetheart.” He muttered and as he said it she knew her jaw was unclenching, that she was giving in. Her bodies instinct for survival overriding her conscious effort for control. She shook her head, shook it once more before he yanked her jaw open and poured the pills in.

She choked as they filled her mouth, choked as they stuck in her throat. They poured water on her, on her face, in her mouth washing it all down.

She choked again and this time they let her go, she curled up, spitting onto the concrete, spitting the water out but the pills were too far down to spit back up. She tried to wretch, to get herself to vomit it up but one of the men kicked her hard in the back. She tried again but nothing came up, nothing but her own spit.

They stood over her, watching, waiting for the pills to kick in and for her to pass out. She tried to crawl away but one of them grabbed her leg and yanked her back to them.

“Stop fucking moving.” He snarled and she spat at him.

She felt her eyes getting heavy, heavier. Whatever was in her was working and she screwed her face up before kicking out again but her legs were weak, weaker than before and her vision was back to blurry. She gasped knowing that it was happening, that she was falling into unconsciousness and when she did that would be it.

She blinked. Blinked again. And then her eyes shut completely.

“We’ve got her. In ambulance now being blue lighted to St. Mark’s as we speak.” The man said over the radio.

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