Madox barked, "Shut up. Speak only when spoken to." He said to Luther, "Frisk him again."

Luther did a rough frisk, going so far as to stick his thumb in my testicles, then said, "Clean."

Madox moved to the bar and started going through our jackets, credentials, shoes, and belts, then he dumped the contents of Kate's handbag on the bar and rummaged through the items. He said to us, "I count six fully loaded magazines. Did you think you were going to have a firefight?"

The other three idiots laughed.

I couldn't resist saying, "Fuck you."

Madox informed me, "That's what your friend Harry kept saying. Fuck you. Fuck you. Do you have anything intelligent to say?"

"Yeah. You're still under arrest."

He thought that was funny and said, "So are you."

Madox was still going through our things on the bar, and I saw him take the batteries out of our cell phones, then examine my pen. He still hadn't found Kate's BearBanger, so I hoped she still had it.

Madox said, "Well, here's Detective Muller's credential case. John, why do you have that?"

"To give it to his family."

"I see. And who's going to give your badge to your family after you're dead?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

"You wish it was."

He had our notebooks now, and I knew he couldn't read my notes because no one, myself included, can read my handwriting. But he said to Kate, whose handwriting is very neat, "I see you have a logical mind. Rare for a woman."

She replied, of course, "Fuck you."

He ignored that as he flipped through her notebook. "Kate, does anyone know you're here?"

"Just the FBI and the state police, who are on their way."

"If there was anything like that happening at state police headquarters, I'd know about it."

That was not what we wanted to hear.

He asked me, "John, what do they know at 26 Fed?"

"Everything."

"I don't think so."

"Then don't ask."

"You were seen speaking to Harry, Friday afternoon as you both got on the elevator at 26 Fed. What did you speak about?"

I really didn't want to hear that Bain Madox had a source inside 26 Federal Plaza.

"John?"

"We didn't talk business."

"All right ... I'm a little pressed for time, John, so we can continue this later."

"Later is good."

"But I'm not going to be so nice later."

"You're not so nice now, Bain."

He laughed and said, "You ain't seen nothing yet, pal."

I advised him, "Go fuck yourself."

He was standing directly over me now, with those hawk eyes staring down at me like he was in flight and he'd spotted an injured animal on the ground.

He said to me, "There are two kinds of interrogations. I don't know about you, John, but I actually prefer the kind without blood and broken bones, and screams for mercy." He turned from me and said, "Kate? How about you?"

She didn't reply.

He continued on that subject. "Also, there are two ways to go through the wood chipper-dead or alive." He informed us, "Putyov went through dead because that was just a killing of convenience. But you two piss me off. However, if you cooperate, I'll give you my word of honor that you'll have a quick, merciful death by a gunshot to the head before you go through the wood chipper and become bear food. Okay? Deal? John? Kate?"

I couldn't quite see what was in that deal for me, but to buy a little time, I said, "Deal."

"Good." Madox said, "All right, you asked to see my ELF transmitter. So, I'll show it to you."

"Actually," I said, "I'll just take those lists of your houseguests and staff, and we'll be on our way."

"John, this is not funny."

It was Madox speaking, but it could just as well have been Kate.

I could see and hear all four men moving around the room, then Madox said, "Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Corey, you can stand now. Hands on your heads."

I began to sit up and grimaced from the pain in my ribs, which was not imaginary anymore. I put my hand behind my back to push up, palmed the BearBanger, and stuck it in the back of my tightie whities, then got to my feet. So far, so good.

I turned toward Kate, who was standing and looking at me. I said to her, "You're going to have to bear up later."

She nodded.

Madox reminded me, "Shut up." He glanced at his watch, then said to Carl, "Let's move out."

Carl ordered, "Follow me. Ten-foot intervals."

Carl headed toward the open doors of the card room, and Madox said to us, "Move. Hands on your heads."