He turned toward the ten men standing in formation behind her and gestured sharply toward five of them specifically, singling them out with a quick series of hand signals that were clearly understood by everyone in the room except Cora herself.
"Hold her," he said, his voice taking on the crisp, commanding quality of someone issuing instructions to employees. "Restrain her properly, take her into the room immediately, make sure she is undressed and positioned exactly as I described earlier, and then wait for me there."
The five men he had indicated bowed their heads in silent acknowledgment and began moving forward.
