Avalanche by James Patterson & David Inglish

Author:James Patterson & David Inglish [Patterson, James & Inglish, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B071VJBN98
Publisher: BookShots
Published: 2017-12-04T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

Strapped to the table, helpless, Ali knows that if she wants to live, she’s got to use her only weapons—her wits, her charm, her looks.

She catches Pumpkin’s attention with nothing but a stare. She’s been acclimating herself to his face so that she won’t look at him with horror or even hesitation.

“What?” he asks as he puffs on his pipe.

She nods and rolls her eyes down at the gag in her mouth.

He removes it. “Yes?” he asks her.

“Don’t you want to hear me scream?” Ali asks.

“So like a woman,” he says, and starts to put the gag back. “They like to hear themselves think, and they like to hear themselves scream.”

“No. For you. C’mon. You enjoy it. The sound of my pain.”

“So sweet of you to think of little old me, with your hands tied above your head and your lovely white breasts on display.”

“Someone should think of you.”

“Oh, they think of me—I’m the worst-case scenario.” Pumpkin chuckles. “You know—I broke my leg, but it could be worse. This is worse.”

“I’m sure it’s not easy. People can be cruel.”

Pumpkin puts his gloved hand on the spot where his cheek should be and asks, “Oh, dear, are you referring to my ruddy complexion?”

“How did that happen?”

“Listen, lovely, you’re missing the point. This isn’t about me. It’s about you. Confession time. You’re going to tell me all about your husband’s job at the CIA.”

“You’re a very intelligent, articulate man…”

“The things that made me a man were stripped away with a wire brush. This is what’s left.” He points to his scars. “Ready to tell me who sent him to Gstaad?”

“I can only tell you what I know. Which is nothing.”

He holds out a squeeze tube. “This is gasoline.” He holds out his pipe. “This is man’s first invention—fire.”

“I was going to leave my husband.”

“Are you telling me in some cryptic female way that you are emotionally available?”

“That depends who’s asking.”

He grins, leans down, and whispers in her ear, “Mmm. Yes. Want to be the bride of Frankenstein?”

“I’ll be anything you want,” she whispers back.

Pumpkin wipes at the corners of his eyes with his black gloves. He puffs on his pipe and shakes his head. Then he squeezes out some gasoline on Ali’s stomach.

“Is that how you want me?” Ali says, trying to stay calm. “Scarred?”

Pumpkin flips the gag back over her mouth.

Pumpkin holds his pipe sideways over Ali’s stomach, over the small pool of gasoline. She trembles but never looks away. Pumpkin sets down the pipe on the stone table next to her, thrums his gloved fingers on her thigh. Then he nods, picks his pipe back up, and leans in to whisper in Ali’s ear. “Change of plans, but hey, this has been fun.” He flings the tarp back over her body.

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