And Then You Die Read Online Free PDF Page B

Kaldak said. “I'll bandage you.”
    Esteban stared at Bess. “The whore hit me with that goddamn bedpan.”
    Fear knotted her stomach. She had never seen such hatred in anyone's face.
    “You can punish her later,” Kaldak said. “You're bleeding.”
    “I'm going to kill her.”
    “Not now. You've attracted too much attention already.” He was guiding Esteban toward the door. “I strapped her down. She's not going anywhere. We'll take care of her later.”
    Later.
    Esteban was going to kill her. Nothing could be more certain to Bess. She had humiliated him and she was going to die for it.
    Esteban jerked away from Kaldak and lurched across the room toward her.
    “
Puta
. Bitch.” He raised his hand and slapped her. “Did you think you could kill me? You know nothing about––”
    “I know you're a weakling and a coward who beats up helpless women.” Her head was ringing from the blow, but the words tumbled out. Why not? She had nothing to lose. “I know you're a stupid man. Emily is too smart for you. She'll get away and show them all what an asshole you––”
    He slapped her again, harder.
    She glared up at him.
    He leaned over the bed, so close she could feel his breath on her face and see the urine from the bedpan running down his cheeks. “You think so much of that sister of yours, don't you?”
    “I know she's more clever than you'll ever––”
    “Did you really think she got away from Tenajo?”
    Terror seized her.
    “We captured her shortly after Kaldak brought you in. She's been here at San Andreas all the time.”
    “You're lying. She got away.”
    “No.” His gaze was narrowed on her face, drinking in her fear and uncertainty. “She's here.”
    It couldn't be true. “Prove it. Let me see her.”
    He shook his head.
    “Then you
are
lying.”
    “It would only distress you to see her. It's such an unpleasant place.”
    “Where?”
    “Four floors down in the basement.” His lips curved in a malicious smile. “She's lying in a drawer in our morgue. Just as you will be soon. Your sister is dead.”
    He walked out of the room.
    Pain crashed through her.
    Emily dead.
    She didn't know it was true. The sadist enjoyed hurting her and she was sure he had lied about other things. Why should she accept what he said about Emily?
    But it could be the truth. Emily could be dead.
    She's lying in a drawer in our morgue.
    The hideous picture was like a knife twisting inside her.
    It wasn't the truth. He had just wanted to hurt her.
    Emily could be alive.
    Her fingernails dug painfully into her palms as her fists clenched.
    Four floors down in the basement. She's lying in a drawer in our morgue.
     
    “Is it the truth?” Kaldak asked as he bathed the cuts on Esteban's head. “Is the Corelli woman here?”
    Esteban ignored the question. “I want that Grady bitch dead. I'm through with her. To hell with Habin.”
    “As you like.”
    “Now.”
    Kaldak nodded. “But not here. It mustn't be connected directly with you. Some of the hospital personnel aren't in your pocket, and the orderly saw us leaving her room.”
    Esteban's head was pounding with pain and fury . . . and humiliation. He felt as helpless as when he was a boy, before he had discovered how easily he could change his life.
    “I want her to die slowly and I want to watch it. I want to do it myself.”
    “Then we'd better wait. Unless you can arrange to leave San Andreas?”
    “Not for at least another day. I expected to move much faster, but we're still running tests. Too many of the people died at different times. There may be something wrong.”
    Kaldak threw the cloth into the sink. “Then let's deal with the Grady woman now so that you can go on to more important matters. It probably doesn't matter if anyone's suspicious. I was being too careful.”
    It did matter, Esteban realized with frustration. He couldn't afford to have any investigation getting in his way.
    His hesitation disappeared at Kaldak's next words. “If you