Where is it?

Back In the Current Day: 

Blood dripped from Tamara’s jaw, pooling near the bruises and welts that covered her battered body. Sweat rolled down her face like a waterfall. She was strapped to a chair in a dark, windowless room. The only source of light was a cold, blue spotlight shining down from above.

Her head hung low as she spat blood onto the floor. The metallic taste lingered on her tongue, and the pain in her jaw throbbed with every breath.

Lester stood behind her, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. His boots clicked against the concrete floor as he circled her slowly, like a predator assessing wounded prey.

"You know what I don’t get?" he said, his tone calm but laced with venom. "Why would you go against a system designed to help you?"

Tamara didn’t answer.

A shadow moved in the corner, and soon Donna stepped into the light. Tamara’s body stiffened. Her face scrunched into a grimace of equal parts fear and hatred.

"Where is it?" Donna asked, her voice clipped and precise.

Tamara stayed silent, her lips pressed together in defiance.

Donna tilted her head, almost as if she pitied her. Then she reached down, pressing a button on the sleek watch on her wrist. A jolt of electricity surged through Tamara’s body. The chair rattled beneath her as she screamed in agony.

"Don’t make me go any farther than I have to," Donna said evenly. Her voice was steady, almost conversational, as though Tamara’s suffering didn’t faze her. "And to think you would betray me like this... after all we’ve been through."

Tamara glared at her, her breathing ragged. "Fuck you."

"I understand your frustration," Donna continued, ignoring the insult. She crouched slightly, leaning in close to Tamara. "Really, I do. I took a thing from you, and now you want retribution."

Tamara’s lips curled into a snarl. "My husband wasn’t a thing."

Donna sighed, standing up straight again. "And I am your friend. And as your friend, I need you to tell me where it is."

"I told you," Tamara growled through gritted teeth. "I. Don’t. Know. And even if I did, you wouldn’t get it out of me."

Donna didn’t hesitate. She pressed the button again. Tamara’s scream tore through the room, louder this time, raw and broken.

"Who gave you the resources to do this? How could you have possibly have gained access to the master code?" Donna asked, her voice still calm. She leaned closer, studying Tamara’s anguished expression. "I know you have a connection somewhere."

Tamara clenched her jaw, refusing to respond.

Donna sighed, brushing a strand of dark hair away from her face. "You’ll talk eventually," she said, almost lazily. "We took the liberty of looking around your place, by the way. And guess what? It wasn’t there."

Tamara’s eyes widened. For the first time, fear eclipsed the anger on her face.

"I swear, if you did anything to him—"

Donna interrupted her, her voice suddenly sharper. "—You’ll what? You know how I am about loose ends."

The anger returned to Tamara’s expression in full force. She bared her teeth like a cornered animal. "I’ll kill you!"

She thrashed against the restraints, twisting and pulling with every ounce of strength she had left. But it was no use. The straps held firm.

Donna sighed again, like a teacher disappointed in a disobedient student. "Maybe you’ll be more cooperative when I return," she said coolly. "Or maybe I’ll get your brother next."

Tamara’s eyes blazed with fury, but Donna had already turned away.

Before leaving the room, Donna pressed the button one last time. Tamara’s screams echoed off the walls as Donna walked out, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.