Understood, Bai Xue said, and he motioned for them to come back in. This time, though, they took him into another room, something in the back of the warehouse that Xiaokai hadn’t noticed before. It was darker back there—colder too. Where before Xiaokai could get brief moments of warmth and light from the sunshine, now there was only a small lightbulb dangling from the ceiling that flickered intermittently. Xiaokai, stumbling behind the captors on either side of him, saw in the dim light a tub in the corner. His stomach turned over.

“Bai—Bai Xue—”

“We’ll try again,” Bai Xue said. He stopped just in front of the tub and gestured for the people holding Xiaokai to stop too. “You may leave. I’ll handle it from here.”

The first thing Xiaokai felt was relief. Bai Xue hadn’t hurt him—had never hurt him. It would only be more questions. As long as those people didn’t come back in. As long as Bai Xue didn’t call those people back in.

Bai Xue kneeled by Xiaokai and petted his hair. “I wish I didn’t have to,” he said. “I really do.”

“Bai Xue, I don’t…I really don’t know anything. I don’t.”

Bai Xue’s fingers curled into Xiaokai’s hair.

He yanked him up.

Xiaokai’s face plunged into the water.

He struggled against Bai Xue, pushed against him, but his strength had already been drained from him. His vision blurred.

The water was so cold.

He was so cold.

He came to on the floor again, leaning up against the warmth of Bai Xue’s chest. Unwillingly, he immediately curled into that warmth and sobbed.

“There, there, little one. I have you.” He stroked soothing circles into Xiaokai’s back. “I have you. Let’s see if we can answer some questions now, hm?”

HE DID BREAK, eventually. His mind was muddled from the beatings and the lack of oxygen. He just wanted to fall into Bai Xue’s heat and fall asleep—finally get some rest. When he wasn’t unconscious or in the water or curling beneath the blows of the others that came in at Bai Xue’s beck and call, Bai Xue gently spoon-fed him food that he barely managed to choke down. And then it all started again, this vicious cycle, until finally his will splintered.

On the third or fourth day, he finally said yes.

Are you a traitor? No.

Have you betrayed the List? No, no, never.

Have you ever had thoughts of betraying the List?

…

Xiaokai, do you ever have thoughts of betraying the List?

“Yes,” he said. “Yes. I have. Yes.”

Bai Xue smiled and kissed him, right between his eyebrows. It was a reward for answering honestly. “Tell me about it, baby.”

“I…sometimes want to run away.” It was the truth. “Sometimes I want you to just take me and run away.”

“You want me to take you?”