tell us," he suggested, "the easy way, who hired
you to kill my mother, or we can do it the hard way. It's your choice."
23 "I don't know what you're talking about," the man insisted, when he
saw the recorder in North's hand.
24 "Very well," Morn told him. He pushed the man down on the top of the
desk, holding him with one hand. With the other hand he ripped away the
sleeve of the man's shirt, and held his arm while the Medic gave him an
injection. The man's breathing became very slow, and his eyes glazed. "Now," Morn
demanded, "who hired you? Who did the job? Who killed my mother?"
25 It was evident the man was resisting, but as he lay on top of the
desk unable to move, he slowly poured out all the information they
wanted. "How long will he be paralyzed?" asked Morn.
26 "Another thirty minutes," answered the Medic, "At least."
27 Morn took a thermal grenade from his belt, holding it in front of
the man's face, where he could see. Morn sat the timer for ten minutes,
pulled the pin, and sat the grenade between the man's legs. Dragging
the girl, they fled the office.
28 North beamed the lock mechanism just to make sure no one could get
in. They had already quietly emptied all the other offices on that side
of the building for three floors down. As they walked from the building
a great portion of the top floor and roof disappeared in a bright
flash. "He won't be killing anybody else's mother," Morn growled.
"Let's get the other!"
29 North was uneasy at his friend's cold-heartedness, but remembered
his own plans for the man that had murdered his father. They left the
business district and headed for a building North knew well. It was
where he had spent most of his youth. They even used the same elevator
his family had used, and stopped two floors below his.