With no place to run, no way to help himself, Parker drops to his knees and prays it will be fast.

“But never let it be said that we aren’t merciful.” Wolf lowers his gun a few inches. “It’s going to be up to your fellow captives whether you live or die. They’re going to beat you for your disobedience, and they are going to do a thorough job. But eventually it’s going to be up to them to decide when—or if—to stop.”

No one moves.

“Come on, what are you waiting for?” Wolf cries. “If you’re against the doors, stay where you are, but the rest of you gather around this boy who thinks he can play with your lives.”

People begin to shuffle closer. Parker looks up at their faces, but only a few meet his eyes. Some of them are crying, fresh tears streaking already wet faces. Others are expressionless. The guy who was wounded is in front of Parker. Someone has bandaged his arm with a scarf, the price tag still attached.

“Now you need to show him how big of a mistake he made. Show him how angry you are for him putting all of you at risk. And show me that you really mean it. Make an example of him so I don’t have to teach the rest of you a lesson.”

After a long pause, the old guy wearing white puffy Velcro-fastened tennies kicks Parker in the ribs. It isn’t even really a kick that Velcro gives him. It’s more like a push.

Businessman, his face expressionless, pulls his expensive shoe back and kicks Parker in the left hip. Hard. An electric shock zaps down his leg.

Parker grunts and drops to his hands and knees.

“That’s a good start,” Wolf says. “But it’s not enough. It’s not nearly enough.” He raises his gun again. “Punish him or you will be punished.”

The lady with graying dreads makes a noise like a banshee. She looks like the kind of lady who would bake chocolate-chip cookies for her grandkids, but that was before this nightmare. Even zip tied, Dreads manages to grab Parker’s hair in both fists and then slams her knee into his nose. It feels like a cold metal spring opening inside his head. His eyes instantly fill with tears as blood splatters the white linoleum.

Stanford is trying to push Moxie’s face into her waist, so that his sister won’t have to see this.

Parker tells himself he won’t cry out. He won’t give Wolf and Lips and Mole the satisfaction.