WARNING: EXTREMELY VIOLENT SCENE UP AHEAD.
Painful screams filled the 50 × 50 hall, but no one outside could have heard them, because the hall's walls were sound proof. It was impossible to tell night from day in there, due to the lack of windows. Only a single light bulb illuminated the hall, so it was very dim. A wide collection of assorted torture weapons adorned racks, table, and hangers, clean and neatly arranged.
At the center of the hall sat a man. His hands and feet were tied to the steel chair he sat on. He was dressed in only his underwear, a pair of boxer shorts and a white singlet, which were both heavily stained with his blood. Writhing violently in his seat, the man struggled for air, because the nylon which covered his head was making it impossible for him to breath.
Ben, a brawny black man wearing a low haircut and a right diamond earring, landed a heavy blow on the restrained man's stomach. The man cried out, and shook his head in pain, but Tonio, a tall lanky white man with chestnut brown hair, held the nylon in place.
"You still don't wanna talk, huh!?" Ben bellowed, punching the man in his stomach again. "Don't wanna talk huh!? You might as well die!"
Without pausing, he gave the man a series of boxes, each greater than the last, and randomly targeted. The man soon lost the energy to react to the punches, so his body remained still, even though he was going through unthinkable pain. A blow landed on his ribs, and the sound of bones cracking echoed in his ears. The ache from his ribcage breaking was enough to make him flinch, but he could react no more. Ben either didn't notice Javier had broken a bone, or simply didn't care, because he didn't stop punching.
"That's enough."
Tonio and Ben turned to face their boss, who had just walked in. Raul was dressed in a tailored navy blue suit, and black tie. His blue eyes shone cold and dark —like an Alaskan night— and he sat down in front of the tied up man. Raul signaled Tonio to take off the nylon.
"Hello Javier." Raul greeted calmly.
Gasping, Javier breathed in fresh hair. He looked hideous; his lips were badly bruised, and his left eye could only open halfway. It took sometime for his senses to stabilize; Raul waited patiently. By the time the dizziness Javier felt had subsided, he felt an overwhelming urge to puke. Blood shot out his mouth, rolled down his neck, and settled on his chest, absorbed by the cotton of his singlet.
"I've heard a lot about you." Raul finally spoke. "You're the man who sneaked into the Valdezian Mafia undercover." He casually grabbed a 4 inch nail from the table beside him. "I won't lie, that was stupid. Did you really think we wouldn't find you out?"
The nail was pushed into Javier's middle finger, fastening it the arm of his chair, and he let out a shrill screech. He watched as blood oozed from the nail's penetration. It was nothing severe, but it still hurt badly.
"It doesn't have to be like this. I can end your pain quickly." Said Raul. "You just have to tell me who you're working for."
"Never!" Javier spat, with all the pent up anger that had been brewing inside him, since the many hours he had spent in Raul Valdez's torture theater.
"I was told you would say that." Raul wasn't caught off guard —interrogations never went that easy— neither was he unprepared. "Your real name is Ralph Constantine. 48 years old. Lives at 18 Medina Street. Married with two kids. Your wife's name is Miriam."
Raul was staring deep into Javier's eyes, so he was able to see them widen with horror. Javier had obviously not expected the elaborate description of himself.
"I know everything about you —Ralph~. That's bad enough for you. But to let your situation sink in... " Raul pulled out a phone from his suit's jacket, and held the screen for Javier to view it.
To his utmost surprise, Javier watched a life video starring his entire family, at gunpoint. His youngest daughter, who was only a year old and didn't comprehend what was happening, seemed unbothered. His elder son however, who was 9 and old enough to understand that his life was being threatened, as well as his wife, were shaking.
"All I have to do is give the word, and your family would be killed." Raul, insensitive as ever, said. "Is this one you are working for really worth it?"
Javier smiled bitterly. Raul Valdez was every bit the devil he'd been described to be. When Javier had agreed to pretend to be a gangster, so that he could collect information for the police, he had been told to be very careful. "Raul Valdez is a dangerous man", they had said, but he took it for granted. Now he was paying dearly for it.
"Fine. You win." Javier said, still with a smile. "His name is Robert Woods. Star Detective of the FBI. He's won Detective of the year twice now, and he's hoping bringing you in will make it thrice. That's all there is to it. Now let my family go!"
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Raul pocketed back his phone, got up the chair, and began walking away. Immediately, Tonio stepped in front of Javier, and pulled the trigger. The bullet landed in between Javier's eyebrows, instantly killing him. Javier was the second cop that had attempted spying on the Valdezian Mafia. The first, both him and his partner, were dead.
"What we gonna do with the family Lord?" Ben asked Raul.
Raul paused in his steps. "Send $100,000, as condolence." He said. "Tell them... I'm sorry for their loss."
With that, one more item was ticked off Raul's to do list. Next was Karla Nightingale. Raul smirked evilly. He was going to do far worse things to her.
A/N: PLEASE TAKE NOT OF THE NAME "ROBERT WOODS". IT WILL REOCCUR.
TEASER: KARLA COMES FACE TO FACE WITH RAUL