Chapter 903: The time and the place [Bonus chapter]
Stop!
It was not me.
I could never betray you, Sir.
Please!
A voice of a man echoed in the dimly lit room. His cries of agony bounced onto the four brick walls surrounding the area. But it was not enough as one of the men standing before him grabbed his hands and spread his fingers on the table’s wooden surface.
His eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when he saw the butcher’s knife. Then, he peed on his pants when the sharp, metallic object swung and stopped just on top of his fingers. He could probably guess what would happen next if he did not start talking.
“So, who paid you?” His head of security asked as he sat in the shadows, watching one of his former men tied on a chair under the bright light tremble in fear.
.....
They had barely touched him, and he was already breaking down. No wonder his enemies had easily bribed him to betray him. Unfortunately for him, he was not good at his job.
It did not come as a shock to him that someone would try to sell him out. In this line of business, he had to watch all angles. Only a fool would trust the person around him. Of course, he was not a fool.
“They would kill me.” The man shouted in pain as another man smacked him across his face before letting the knife drop on the board, missing his fingers by a quarter of an inch.
“What do you think would happen to you if you don’t start singing?” The man holding the knife asked the man who was still tightly secured on his seat.
He finally had enough of watching the show. It was getting late, but they were still far from getting anywhere. He was not scared of the dark, but he never liked the stench of the small basement room. It smelled of dried blood, rotten flesh, and stinking urine.
“Enough!” He shouted, catching everyone’s attention. His men moved aside, giving him room to come closer to their captive. Then, one of his men pulled a chair for him, so he could sit opposite the man who still had his hand displayed on the table.
“Sir, I swear I did not betray you.” The man pleaded with him, begging him to let him go. “Please, Sir. They are mistaken. Let me prove myself to you. Just set me free.”
He laughed at the man’s audacity to lie on his face when he had all the evidence pointing to his treacherous ways. He clicked his tongue and smiled at the Judas before him.
Without saying another word, he took the butcher’s knife from the table and raised it above his head. When it landed on the table, blood splattered on the table as a finger flew in the air.
The man shrieked in tremendous pain, looking like he was about to faint. But his men repositioned him back in his chair and tapped him on the face to wake him up.
“I have no more time to play games with you. I will chop your fingers one by one. Then, I will proceed with every limb of your body until you say what I wanted to hear.” He told the man, who was shaking like a leaf.
“Or I can put a bullet on your head right now and save you from the suffering.” He wiped the knife on the man’s sleeve, cleaning the metallic blade off his blood.
“Sir, please kill me now.” The man begged him as he bit his lip in pain.
But he was not merciful today. He repeated his earlier action, aiming at the thumb this time. Of course, he did not miss as blood oozed out of the wound once again.
His captive was now hysterical as he fought like a wild animal, trashing on his seat. However, his men could easily overpower him, giving him no chance to escape.
“Not until you give me what I want.” He repeated the motion of cleaning the knife. But he was losing his temper as his patient ran thin. “Ok. Let us do this two at a time.”
He raised his hand again, about to chop two fingers, but the man stopped him. “Ok. Ok. Ok.” The man repeated. “I will tell you. Just don’t kill me.” Then, the man whispered something that nobody could hear.
“I could not hear you.” So, he moved closer until his ears were closed to his lips. “Who?” He hissed, controlling his temper. He could not kill him before he could tell him what he needed from him.
Finally, his traitor whispered a name he was not expecting. Would he believe his word? Maybe or maybe not. But it was a start. At least he had an idea where he had to look.
“You did a good job.” He threw the butcher knife on the wall, watching the metal blade buried on the wooden beam. Then, he tapped the man on the shoulder. “Give the man a glass of water.” He instructed one of his men before he grabbed a clean towel, wiping his hands off the blood.
He stood up from his seat and walked away. From the corner, he grabbed his coat before proceeding to the basement stairs. Once on the top landing, he turned to his men.
“What should we do with him?” His security head asked, standing up behind him as he waited for instructions.
“You know what to do.” He instructed. “But make it fast and painless. Then, clean up afterward.”
He did promise the man that he would give him a quick death. Moreover, he was feeling generous, so he was adding a bonus. His men would make sure that the traitor would not suffer anymore. He might be the devil, but he still valued his word. At least when it suited him.
He quickly rode his car, hoping to be back at his estate. However, he could not shake the name and the face that popped into his mind. If they came for a fight, he would give them a fight. But he would dictate the time and the place.