Breathe | ✓ (first draft)

sneak peek 01

29/03/2024

Draft 1, Version 3

"Wait! Just listen to me-"

But I'm already on my feet, heading back to the office desk. Alex is quick to gag Mateo before he gets the chance to spout any more bullshit, tying the tape right across his face. Mateo Guerra struggles against his confines, his words now completely unintelligible behind the gag. Glancing through the gathered documents on the desk, I allow my mind to filter back to the first conversation we had with Mateo when we entered this office. Initially, he was less willing to cooperate with our line of questioning, however, over the past few hours, his spirit has appeared to have weakened significantly. But so has mine.

"Are we ready?" I mutter, exhausted.

Alex positions the pliers right next to Mateo's first fingernail but he's screaming now, thrashing around in his chair. It takes a minute for Alex to get a firm grip on him, but soon enough, he manages to secure the pliers onto the index nail. He pulls. Mateo screams, the sound loud enough to travel across the borough. It's a good thing people know when to mind their own business on this side of Lincoln Hill.

I watch as blood gushes out from behind the removed fingernail. "Don't remove it completely." I guide him. "A partial removal always hurts more."

Drool starts to coat Guerra's mouth as his head rolls back in agony. Alex's lip twitches with amusement at the sight of it. "Why didn't we just start with this?"

"We have steps to follow. The Colombian manicure remains within phase 5 of every questioning operation. Refer back to your lessons with Lieutenant Monrova. "

I'm willing to admit that we might've underestimated Matero Guerra, tonight. I certainly didn't expect the man to hold out for as long as he has. I figured he'd crumble by stage three, at the most. And yet here we are, approaching stage five. And the longer this drags on, the more irritated I grow.

"So should we make a start on the second finger, or are you ready to finally talk to us, Mr Guerra?" I ask. Guerra nods frantically, and I gesture for Alex to remove the gag. The second it's off, he spits at my feet. My eyes track the movement, catching the saliva splashing across my shoes. Alex wastes no time in striking Mateo hard across the face, hard enough for a dense crack to sound out. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of my reaction, I remain stoic.

"It's fine, Alex. Position the pliers, but don't make another move until I tell you to."

"You can tell your man, Nathaniel, to go fuck himself," he snarls, using every last inch of his energy to glare up at me. The man is an absolute mess, his hair dishevelled, his skin coated in sweat, and eyelids visibly heavy with exhaustion. My jaw tenses at his words, fighting the urge to personally unleash myself on him. Alex retaliates against his words by bending his wrist at an unnatural angle, a deafening crack causing Guerra to scream and I force myself to look away.

We need to speed this up.

"Hussain was right. The Vorona has infested this city." he continues, breathing hard. "Look at you, people. Running around Miurmont like rats, trying to get your dirty fingers into the pockets of every single-"

"Second finger."

Guerro's second fingernail is yanked right out of his hand, followed by a bloodcurdling scream. I pull a face. "Maybe we should've reattached the gag, right before that one."

"Please." he whimpers, tears streaming down his face as he stares at his hand in horror. I'm beginning to get whiplash from his abrupt mood switches. "Please..."

"Remember, we've still got eight fingernails left, mate," Alex smirks, stepping back and allowing me to crouch down to Guerra's level with the final document in hand. I show him the list of transactions underneath Mr Hussain's name. Guerra deliberately turns his head away but Alex is quick to grab him by his hair, forcing him to direct his attention where needed. I trace my fingers along the line of the latest transaction, a large sum of money taken from his account on a singular day. I tap it twice, holding Guerra's gaze with a curious head tilt.

"Talk to me about this."

It takes a moment for him to speak. And when he finally does, his voice is hardly louder than a croak. "I did it on his behalf."

"Yeah, I already figured that much." my eyes narrow. "I'm asking you to tell me when this alliance was first suggested."

He remains silent. I continue.

"Was it before or after Abeer Hussain swore his loyalty to Nathaniel Vorona, six months ago?"

"After," he whispers. My body tenses. Interesting.

"And that timing doesn't seem the slightest bit convenient to you?"

Again, he doesn't say a word. I rise back to my feet, meeting Alex's gaze with a slight nod. He complies with my silent command, removing the knife from his pocket and jamming it straight into Guerra's shoulder blade. Turning away at the sound of his hoarse cry, I toss the document back onto the desk, running my hands across my face.

It's been six hours and we've only just managed to crack the slightest dent in this operation. I should be the one screaming. My eyes scan through the remaining untouched pile of printed transactions left over for us to decode, and my eyes clench shut in exhaustion.

This is going to be a very long night.

 * * *

It's a short and sweet snippet, I know. But they'll get longer with time, I promise.

Thanks for reading!