Heston loomed over her limp body. Ashley’s hands and feet were bound to the titanium table with small unbreakable laser restraints. She had long stopped struggling to get free and now laid lethargically with every part of her body aching. The large intimidating man stooped closer to her, adjusting the collar he had just fastened to her neck. The small brunette couldn’t see him, her eyes had long since swollen shut, but she could feel his hot breath on her cheek. His clammy fingers brushed the burned skin of her neck and she could feel acid from her stomach splash up into the back of her throat.

“This would all go so much more smoothly Davies, if you would just deny her,” Heston whispered chillingly into her ear. The tears would not come; she would not let him get the best of her. “Just tell me that you don’t love her.”

“I don’t…” She started out hoarsely. Her tongue was thick with the pain of her body and she couldn’t quite get the rest of her sentence out. Ashley took a deep breath of clean crisp oxygen and it seemed to clear her mind. “I don’t think you brushed your teeth today.”

Heston roared with anger and Ashley felt the electricity surge through her body. She clamped her bottom teeth onto her top teeth and let the pain wash through her. It was like a never ending tsunami wave of throbbing excruciating hurt. Trying to catch her breath, she felt the blows begin to the top of her head. The representative backed off for a moment and the cool air flowed down on top of her body chilling the pounding bruises on her arms. He was rummaging for something; Ashley could hear him trying to find it.

“Dr. Davies, I wish you wouldn’t make this so hard on yourself. You see I didn’t want to do this. I always thought you were a capable young woman, smart and suave. This latest development saddens me deeply. Now I know you can’t see, but in my hand I have a very ancient form of torture. It was said by the Mayans, I believe, that only a handful of men ever survived this. Later, they died from insanity. It’s a long needle filled with a poison that will heat your body temperature. Remarkable really, how such a small thing can cause such a large problem. This coupled with the electroipter collar, will kill you within the hour. All you have to do is tell me. Four words, I don’t love her.” Ashley couldn’t speak and she felt his impatience growing. Funny how she couldn’t see with her eyes, but she could feel anything. She knew that there were two forcemen outside and she could smell that one of them was nervous. Heston’s rage was easy to feel, it emanated from him filling the entire room with the bitter taste of hatred. She wasn’t afraid and she knew that it was getting to the representative.