3. Elias
3
Elias
I hung my head and shook it as I pinched the bridge of my nose, the scent of embalming fluids wafting into the air.
Javier held a knife to Joaquin's calf, his body pinned to the autopsy table—his blood dripping through the drain holes and into buckets. "Tell me again, pendejo ."
"I have nothing to say—" A shrill scream bounced off the walls as Javier ran the blade down Joaquin's flesh.
Blood beaded to the surface, tainting the fatty layers below.
He bellowed, his cries reverberating in the cemented room.
I stepped away and sat in the far corner next to the table and unwrapped a soft taco from the local fast food joint. "The path to your death isn't easy, that's for sure." I sat back in my seat, propped my ankle over my knee, and bit into the succulent meat and salsa. "But, if you tell me who you gave my shipment information to, I'll tell him to end it humanely."
Joaquin's blood dripped into the bucket, mixing with the acrid urine.
"Fuck you and your mother, you piece of shit."
"Colorful, Joaquin." I waved my two fingers, giving Javier the go-ahead to proceed, and then chewed my second bite of taco. Javier worked the blade against Joaquin's paralyzed calf, peeling the skin to the side.
"This can all end now—"
His screams rose above my words. Clear fluids ran from his nose, and his eyes rolled back.
Javier's shoulders sagged, and his white shirt stained crimson. "I was getting to the best part."
"Maybe go for the smaller bits if you want him to stay awake." I quirked a brow and finished off my taco.
Javier gave a smug grin as he snagged smelling salts from the table, then shoved them into Joaquin's nose.
He jolted as though he were Lazarus, his mouth opening wide to match his eyes, his purple hands shaking.
Javier tossed the salts to the floor. "There he is."
I chuckled as I crumpled the paper and tossed it into the bag.
"Please…" Joaquin's head rolled side to side.
I exhaled a deep sigh and rested my arm along the edge of the table. "If I let you sleep, how would I get my answers?"
His bearded jowls jiggled as he shook his head. "Please…"
"You're hiding something, and I want to know what it is."
"I-I can't." His chin trembled, and Javier tipped the pointed end of his knife into the man's exposed muscle, eliciting another ear-splitting scream. "She said he'd kill my family."
I cleared my throat as I stood and walked to his side. "Joaquin." I tapped his chubby cheek. "If you don't tell me who you're talking about, I'm going to hack your pretty family to bits and drop them in the well beside you."
The man cried, tipping his head back. " En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Amén." In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
"Amén . Now, tell me."
"So…" He gulped and hung his head. "Sofia Torres."
Who the hell was Sofia Torres?
" I better get more information than that if you want some semblance of mercy." I wiped his tears off my hand and snarled.
"That's all I know. I swear. She never showed her face. She always stuck to the shadows."
Javier leaned into the knife.
"Victor...Victor Chekhov. He's seen her face. He's the only one that has. That's all I know." He cried.
"And where is Victor now?"
His ears filled with tears. "Last I heard, he'd hid out at some church." His head rocked side-to-side. "That's all I know. I'm sorry. Don't hurt my family."
I shook my head, my knuckles pressed against the side of the metal table. "I was never going to hurt your family, Joaquin. What kind of monster do you think I am?"