Dead Men Bleed

I'm No Angel

The large warehouse was deteriorating. There was only a large furnace that I set ablaze that kept the place lit. He was tied to a wooden chair.
Rope squeezed at his ankles and wrists. He was groaning, slowly waking up as I held the steel pipe steady in the flames of the furnace. Stones were kept inside for a very specific reason.
"Wakey, wakey asshole." I greeted him. His head was swirling around groggily. The pipe was well heated. Orange heat illuminated nicely at the top. He was still out of it. His hip bled a little bit. I wrapped a towel on his hip. Not anymore.
I stormed toward him, tore his shirt off, and examined the wound.
His scream was the equivalent to screeching glass or clawing a chalk board as I pressed the hot pipe on his wound.
"You awake now, fucker?!" I asked above his scream. "You feeling alive?!"
He writhed in agony as I removed the pipe off his wound. He whined and sobbed as I threw the pipe away.
"You better be alive and you better be awake because you're livelihood depends on it. I'm gonna ask a series of questions. Your response will incite each one of my actions so you better answer wisely."
He moaned and breathed hoarsely as his eyes looked at me.
"How do you know Avirace?"
He spat a thin line of saliva right at me. What is with these guys and spitting? I warned him though.
I reached behind his chair and pulled out a rusty hammer. His feet were bare on the concrete. My hammer hovered over his toes.
"I'll give you one last chance. Answer me. How do you know Avirace?"
He let out an arrogant scoff. Splat! The hammer dropped on his pinky toe, turning the caramel skin purple on impact. Blood gushed from his busted nail. He threw his head back and howled in pain.
"Your compliance is the only thing saving you at this point. You have nine more toes left so you can be big and bad all you want. I got plenty of piggies to smash."
He wheezed and drooled like a blubbering infant. Tears fell from his cheeks.
"He's-he's a puh-puh-partner"
I dropped the hammer and gave him a slap on his cheek.
"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" I questioned in a joyful tone. "Here's another one. Do you know his whereabouts? Dirtroad? New York? Olympus? Jupiter? Where is he?"
He was fading out again. I threw a quick jab to his cheek bone. His eyes snapped open.
"I-I am nu-not talkin' anymu-more."
I gave a nod.
Beside the furnace, a towel and a bucket laid on the ground. I rushed to them quickly.
"Wait!" He screamed. Nope. He had his shot. I tipped his chair over. A loud echo resonated through the empty building as I tossed the towel over his face. Water splashed as the towel was soaked. He gagged from underneath it, choking on the warm water. Finally, I tossed the water aside and brought the chair back up. The towel flopped on his lap as he threw the water back up. He let out coughs and gags as water continued to spew from his lips.
"I have no time for your damn bravery or your rebellion!!! I waited seven years, plotting and training to fight scum like you and Avirace! I do not tolerate your ways so this is an act of mercy! Continue to push my limits and you'll see how far my mercy cab stretch! Answer the damn question! Where is Avirace?!"
He began to cry again. Both from the pain and something else. Fear.
"I can't tell you because Blackhand will kill me. Avirace is a made man! Blackhand knows my movements! His men watch me because I've been arrested before! Once I got out, he's been suspicious that I've been doing mole work for the feds!"
I tipped his chair back again in frustration. I snatched the drenched rag and covered his face. His head jerked back and forth, but to no avail.
"You'll find that I'm way worse than Blackhand. I'll go all day with this until I get what I need. Tell me where he is or you get dunked on again!"
He whimpered like a frightened child.
"He's in a private compound. Today, he's out and about. Small deals with locals. Grabbing quick cash for Blackhand. I know he's going to the market square to meet with a client. The one who bought the girls at the bar. 2:30. At The Market. The compound is out south."
I slipped the rag off of him.
"See? Not so bad. The thing is O'Neil," I lifted his chair back up. A set of pliers and duck tape rested in front of the furnace. "I have to send a message to Blackhand. I don't care if he has an army or connections or puppets in high places."
I opened the pliers and plucked an orange and burning hot stone from the furnace carefully. A small tail of smoke wiggled from below it.
"Billy Waters is gonna know that nothing will stop Max Ammo from reaching his mission. And that mission is Avirace."