Part 21 (1/2)
”You see?” she said. ”That was perfect. Except for some burned hair and red skin, you can hardly tell where I was working, but I'm sure it hurts like h.e.l.l.”
He moaned. ”You don't understand. The Eternals will f.u.c.k me up if they find out I talked!”
”I'll f.u.c.k you up right now.”
She began to roast his other nipple. He pulled hard against the steel wires that bound him, but all he accomplished was adding to his own pain.
”Stop! Stop!” he cried. ”You win!”
”Good.” She smiled. ”I knew you were an intelligent man.”
He swallowed. ”The Eternals are a covert government agency created to stop organized crime. I've been secretly working with them for years...”
She ran the torch across his fingers, causing him to screech in agony.
”Oh, sorry,” she said. ”I interrupted you. Maybe you should start over, but tell the truth this time.”
He took a moment to catch his breath. His eyes rolled in his head like a terrified animal.
After he settled down, he said, ”Really! They're feds!”
She grabbed his t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es. ”You're a brave man. I admire that.” She squeezed and he gasped. ”But you'll be a brave castrated man if you don't change your story.”
Aaron instinctively pressed his legs together.
”You b.i.t.c.h!” Wise said.
Marina gave his b.a.l.l.s a sharp yank and his entire body clenched.
”Excuse me?” she said. ”What did you say?”
He groaned.
”Enough messing around,” she said. ”I'll burn out your eyes next.”
She released his t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es and brought the torch close to his face.
”Wait! Stop! The Eternals are a.s.sa.s.sins!”
She held the torch back. ”How do you know that?”
”Because I hired them to kill people,” he said in a low voice. ”That's why I made all those phone calls. I was putting out contracts.”
”Keep talking.”
”They're expensive but they never screw up. Total professionals.”
”The Eternals eliminated witnesses for your clients?” she said.
He nodded. ”I get a commission on every contract. All I have to do is make a call. It's a beautiful thing. If you let me go, I'll give you a cut of the action. We could even expand, go national. I've been looking for new partners.”
”No, thanks. How many times did you use the Eternals?”
”I don't know.” He shrugged. ”A hundred? It's my most profitable business. The legal stuff barely covers expenses.”
”But it helps launder the money.”
”Yeah.”
”What methods do they use?” she said. ”How do they kill?”
”Accidents and poisons, mostly. They think guns are for amateurs.”
”Hmm.” She nodded. ”Now for the most important question. How do I find them?”
”I don't know. Really!”
”Then how do you do business with them?”
”I just call the number and leave a message,” he said. ”Then I get a note telling me where to deliver the money. The drop location is different every time.”
”They are professionals.” She raised her eyebrows. ”Are you sure you can't tell me anything else? Think hard.”
”That's all I know!”
”Maybe I can jog your memory.” She applied the torch to the bottom of his right foot.
His whole body contorted. ”Stop! Please! f.u.c.k!”
She slowly worked her way up the leg towards the groin. The smell of burning hair irritated Aaron. As she approached Wise's genitals, he began to screech like a terrified girl.
”Is your memory improving?” she asked in a pleasant tone.
”Yes!” he cried.
She withdrew the torch. ”Talk.”
”You heard about the Daly case?”
”I saw a headline in the newspaper.”
”There is a witness, a guy named Santorini. The feds are protecting him but I hired the Eternals to kill him. The hit will happen in two or three days.”
”Good.” She smiled. ”But I bet you know even more.” She started to roast his p.e.n.i.s.
”Enough!” Aaron yelled. ”Take a break. We have to talk.”