Five
PACE
Staring at the blood and gore surrounding me, I’ve never been so enraged before.
I don’t know who these men were, but they were merely a distraction.
They were likely paid to call me. Told to get me here so whoever has Isabel could either move her somewhere more secure or dump her body.
I realized almost immediately that they had no idea where Isabel was taken to.
Their deaths were quick but painful. After cutting out their tongues, I opened their chests and allowed them to die from the blood loss of such a brutal act. It took less than a minute each, and I’m covered in blood, but it was no less than what they deserved for taking part in Isabel’s kidnapping.
After spotting a camera in the corner of the common room, I used their blood to write a message on the wall, knowing whoever has her will be watching.
I’m coming for you, is written large enough that it can’t be missed. Stepping outside, pedestrians take a wide berth from me, and when I see one woman about to dial her phone, I shake my head, and she shoves the device into her pocket before running down the block.
Approaching the car, I rap my knuckles on the trunk lid before opening it. I’m unsurprised to see the priest still out cold. Slamming it shut, I see Daia jump in her seat.
Nervous as a deer, her eyes follow me until I’m seated in the driver’s side again. “What happened? Where’s Isabel?” Her eyes are wild as they search for her friend, knowing she isn’t coming.
Pulling out my phone, I show her the pictures I took of the two men inside.
“Do you know them?” She blinks rapidly before taking the phone and staring down at the photo as I pull into the street.
Ignoring the traffic rules, I head back to the hotel Isabel was supposed to be safe at.
Driving into the underground parking garage, I remain in the car until she answers.
“Yes, they follow Brother Ephrem around like puppies. I think one of them is his…” She stops to think.
“His what?” I snap when she doesn’t finish.
“Pet?” she finally says, and I lift an eyebrow in question. “Ephrem touches him a lot. He praises him. I’ve seen him touching the brother, too, beneath his clothes. They didn’t know I saw.”
“Ephrem is gay, and one of them is his boyfriend,” I clarify.
“I suppose so. But he’s done things with the sisters before, too.” Jesus Christ, this asshole is a fucking predator.
“Tell me everything you know about him.”
Exiting the car, she begins filling me in on the men I killed as I grab Cassio from the trunk.
As we get in the elevator, I swipe the card for the penthouse suite.
I should have taken Isabel here to begin with, but I had no idea what she would come to mean to me in so little time.
I should have known. I never would have brought her with me if I hadn’t on some level.
I have so many fucking regrets, but I can’t think about them, or I won’t be able to focus on the job at hand, and she might pay the price for it.
“The brothers share a house outside the city.” I pause to glance down at Daia as she reveals that.
“I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard them talk about it. ”
“Enough to get me there?” The doors open into the landing of the penthouse, and as we walk through, I can feel Cassio begin to stir on my shoulder.
“Will he know?” I ask her instead, and she nods.
Walking to the cramped kitchen, I put him in a chair and wait until his eyes open after pulling the tape off them before slapping his cheek.
“Wake up, Father Cassio. I have questions, and you’re going to answer them.
” Ripping the tape from his mouth, he hisses and glares at me before his gaze slides to where Daia cowers by the wall. “Focus on me,” I command.
“You’re going to hell for this, Daia,” he spits out.
“No, Cassio, she’s not. She’ll go exactly where she’s meant to be.
You, however, have a one-way ticket to torture, pain, and absolute agony.
How bad it will be is going to depend entirely on how well you cooperate with me.
” Giving him a moment to think, I drop my bag on the table behind him and open it up.
I already know his next move before he makes it, so when he begins to stand, likely to try and run, I grab the collar of his shirt and drag him back down to sit. “Not today, Father.”
Grabbing the side cutters from inside, I place it on the table along with some rope and a ball gag.
“This is going to happen. You will tell me where Judas and Ephrem would take Isabel, or I’m going to make you.
I have an infinite amount of time on my hands, you don’t.
” Wrapping the rope around his chest, I tie it off and bring another chair around to sit in front of him.
Gripping the cutters and mouth gag, I show them to him. “The choice is yours.”
He doesn’t quite understand yet because he spits towards Daia and laughs at me. “You don’t scare me.”
My lips lift in a half-smile as I secure the gag around his mouth. Disregarding his sputtering, I suggest to the girl behind me, “You should go to another room.”
She shocks me when she says, “I’ll stay.”
“As you wish.” Grasping Cassio’s hand, I look him in the eye as I warn, “Last chance.” He glares as I center a finger between the cutters’ blades.
Shrugging, I squeeze tightly, ignoring the way he squeals as I snip off his pinky.
The digit drops to the ground with a faint thud as his miserable screams echo around the room. “No one can hear you.”
He mumbles something that sounds like you bastard, but I pay no attention and grab his middle finger, executing the same cut. Blood spurts out, dripping to the ground, as I let his hand go.
“You doing okay, Daia?” Glancing back at her, I see she’s pale and concentrating on the pooling blood at our feet. “Take a seat,” I instruct her, and she does so without a word. “Got anything to tell me, Father?” He tests his restraints before shaking his head.
I grab his other hand, and he whines in his throat and shrinks back, but I don’t release my grip as I clip his pointer finger off.
This time, relishing in his wailing and fighting, I move to the pinky again.
Then his middle. “When I run out of fingers, I’ll be going to your toes.
” He looks sick. “There are a lot of body parts one can cut off before you’ll die from blood loss, Father.
You can end your suffering by telling me where they would take her. ”
“Why should I? You’re just going to kill me anyways.”
“True. But do you really want to continue to suffer through it all?” He clearly has no idea the amount of pleasure I gain from hurting evil men like him.
Licking across his lips, his eyes slowly raise to meet mine. “I can handle it.”
Shrugging, I bring the clippers to his hand again and take off his other thumb. After howling, a burst of laughter erupts from him. I know he thinks I’ll give up just because he believes he can handle it. Eventually, he’ll reach his pain threshold and cave, giving me precisely what I want.
Standing up, I notice Daia looking a little green, but I can’t concern myself with her emotional state right now.
The girl was given the option to leave, and she chose to stay.
“How many children did your church take?” I ask as I grab the bag with all the files in it.
“I have every file in the church, so don’t lie to me. ”
As he ponders my question, I walk into the master suite to grab a few more tools I brought with me.
A blow torch, rolling pin, and barbed wire.
Sometimes a little visual stimulation will get a man talking.
“Well?” Looking at him, I see his eyes are closed, and he’s mouthing a prayer.
“Don’t bother, Father, there’s nothing left of your soul to pray for. ”
Snatching the end of the rope on the table, I tie one leg to the chair he’s sitting in while propping the other one up on the chair I was in and securing it in place with his foot hanging over the edge.
He pauses in his prayer to breathe deeply but continues again when I move back to the table.
Wrapping the wire around the rolling pin, I grab a random file.
“Beatrice Windsor of London. You went a long way to get her. Where’s she now?” He ignores me. Getting a good grip on the handle of the rolling pin, I swing my arm back before bringing it forward to smash into the bottom of his foot.
His entire body stiffens, and he bites his lip.
I can see he’s determined to act like this has no effect on him.
“1998 you snatched her up.” I help refresh his memory.
“She was gone a couple of weeks later, only four months old.” His eyes open, and he stares at Daia.
For a girl like her, she’s likely feeling intimidated by the man.
“You’re not going to get her on your side,” I say, bringing the pin down on his foot again.
A whimper escapes past his lips. My grin is slow to crawl across my face.
I continue with the rolling pin until he’s screaming and the skin on his foot is shredded. Blood is splattered everywhere, and he’s visibly shaking from the exertion. I admit I’m surprised he hasn’t begged me to stop yet.
“Are you going to tell me where they have Isabel now, Father?”
He spits the saliva from his mouth before his sweat-stained face peers up at me. “Please, no more, please.”
“You can beg all you want, but you need to tell me where she is.” There is no compromise on that. I won’t stop until I have her location, or he’s dead. Whichever comes first.
“Please, Father Cassio, please tell him where she is. This has to stop.” My gaze remains steady on the man, but I see his eyes soften at Daia’s plea. He’s not nearly as unmoved by the girl as he wants me to believe.