Chapter 6
There’s a familiar darkness that slips over my mind the moment I put on the mask, like it’s got its own personality, its own brain and thought process.
Strangely, it gives me a sense of calm, like I’m able to shut off my own mind for a moment and sink into that darkness that I’ve been too ashamed to admit that I’ve missed.
Don’t get me wrong, my life has been significantly better since I left this life behind.
I’ve been able to live a life without the fear of constantly looking over my shoulder in case a hit lands on my head from angry clients.
Now I’ve got something worth living for, a woman who brings happiness and love into my dark world.
Both of which are something that I’d never thought I’d get to experience again with someone.
I know that slipping back into that dark character, that deadly skin will bring the love of my life home and I’ll thrive in that fucking, pitch darkness.
The sleazy dealer swings aimlessly from the chains, the rusted metal clanging together every time he throws his legs around in an attempt to free himself from his confines.
It’s pretty useless on his part considering those handcuffs are secured rather tightly around his wrists.
If I’m lucky, he might snap his wrists and save me the job, but then again, where’s all the fun in that if I don’t get to be the one to do it.
I should feel bad for the torment I’m about to bring onto this guy but I just can’t seem to find that ounce of guilt inside of me.
Ricky didn’t show an ounce of remorse for Ana, not even after he raped and abused her for the entirety of their relationship.
Where was his fucking guilt every time he broke her down to nothing?
I’ll tell you, he didn’t fucking have any and I won’t have any either.
The world will crumble to ash when it sees what I’ve become without her.
“Who the fuck are you?” The guy shouts, his voice quickly bringing me out of my hazy thoughts and I step closer to him, the gravel crunching under my heavy boots.
“You don’t need to know who we are. All I wanna know is who you work for, and you’re gonna tell me.” I say, keeping my voice even and low. The dealer looks between me and Eli, quickly beads of sweat begin to form on his brow.
“I ain’t sayin shit.” He mumbles and I can practically taste the fear that’s radiating from him. He’d rather die here than face going back to his boss with an empty sale, and it just might be his lucky day, but first I want answers.
I watch him for a moment, tracking his weaker points as Eli pulls a pair of bolt cutters out of one of the bags and hands them to me before turning back to the now wide eyed dealer.
“You see, we don’t have the time for games.
You’re going to give us the information we want, or Viper here will start cutting your toes off. Your choice.”
The bolt cutters are heavy in my hand and I know they’ll create some delicious pain when they snap through bone and tissue.
“What’s your name?” I ask, knowing he’s probably not going to give it up, but still it’s worth a shot.
“Fuck you.” He spits out.
“No thanks. Eli, take his shoes off.”
“Say no more.” Eli says with a pep in his step as he strides over to the swinging dealer who begins to throw his legs around to stop Eli from grabbing a hold of his ankles but he doesn’t get far as Eli lands a low blow to his dick and balls, effectively rendering him useless for a moment.
The dealer coughs and groans from the pain which gives Eli prime opportunity to slip off his shoes and socks, leaving him barefoot.
Whilst he’s still groaning in pain, I slip the end of the bolt cutters over his big toe which has him mumbling incoherent words in panic from what’s to come.
“I’m gonna ask again, what’s your name?”
“And I said, I ain’t saying shit.” He spits out.
If he wants to play it that way. That’s fine by me. I’ll enjoy the screams he’ll create when I start cutting body parts off.
Inhaling heavily through my nose, I blow out a long breath and squeeze the bolt cutters. The metal slices through crunching bone and flesh until the appendage lands heavily on the floor, immediately the guy screams as blood begins to pour from his foot.
“You.. you cut my fucking.. toe off!” He wails in shock.
I roll my eyes, already feeling bored of listening to him. “I know, and now you’re gonna tell me your name or I’ll cut another one off until all your piggies are sitting pretty at the market.”
“Alright, alright. It’s Sam.. It’s Sam. Happy now?” He pants out, his face a pale white shade from the slow blood loss, and probably shock.
“No. I’m not happy actually. You’re fucking boss kidnapped the woman I love, and now you’re gonna tell me where he is.” I say between gritted teeth, the anger that’s been simmering in my stomach now rises to boiling point.
I watch as Eli nods to Sam’s foot again and I slip the cutter over his next toe.
Sam throws himself around in the chains, causing the handcuffs to cut into his thin flesh around his wrists creating thin rivulets of blood that begin to rain down his forearms.
“Look, wait. I.. I don’t know anything alright, I just do the deals!
” The words fall out of Sam’s mouth like vomit but I’m done listening, my patience is wearing paper thin and I cut off the next toe with zero remorse.
The small stub lands next to the other severed toe and Sam screams in agony.
It’s only fair to cause pain to someone who is aiding the man who’s ruining my life.
“Holy.. fuck. Please. I don’t know anything!” Sam cries out.
“I don’t believe you!” I snap before handing Eli the bolt cutter and yanking down Sam’s trousers and boxers. His flaccid cock hangs limp against his skin. I reach for the bolt cutters again and clamp them around Sam’s soon to be severed dick if he doesn’t give me what I’m asking for.
Eli stands to the side of me with his arms crossed over his chest. “God. I can’t imagine losing my dick.” I shake my head at his words and turn back to Sam who looks just about ready to throw up the entire contents of his stomach.
“The more you lie to me, the more body parts you’re going to lose and I’ll keep cutting until there’s nothing left to bury.” I tip my head to face Sam, my eyes burning into his. “Now, where the fuck is your boss?”
“I.. I can’t. He’ll kill me. I don’t know anything about this woman you’re talking about alright.
I just pick up the drugs and sell them, that’s all.
I swear.” Globs of spit fly out of Sam’s mouth as he word vomits all over the place, his eyes darting around the warehouse.
Like he’s hiding something and I know a liar when I see one.
Gripping the bolt cutters in one hand, I drop my head into my free hand and shake my head in irritation before snapping my gaze back to Sam who freezes under my deathly stare. “Fuck. You really are stupid aren’t you?”
“Wha.. what do you mean? I just told you everything I know?”
“Hey Storm.” I turn to Eli over my shoulder. “This guy isn’t only a stupid fucker, but he’s also a liar. Who would have thought?”
“Not me, Viper.” Eli chuckles out.
I turn to face Sam again, my grip tightening even further on the bolt cutters, causing him to panic.
“You’ve lied to me again. You’re also wasting my time, time that I don’t have spare to fucking use on you.
You’re also very fucking stupid to think that you won’t die here tonight.
I’ll end your pathetic little life right now, or I could keep you alive for hours on end until you’re nothing but a fucking torso for me to torture.
Either way, your life is in my hands and I’m more than ready to claim it. ”
I don’t even give Sam the chance to open his mouth as I clamp my hand down on the bolt cutters, eliciting a blood curdling scream to leave Sam’s mouth as the metal bites through his fleshy dick.
The soft appendage lands with a flop on the floor and I have to step back to stop the river of blood from landing on my boots.
Echoing cries and moans bounce around the empty warehouse from Sam’s gaping mouth as he stares down to look at his severed dick next to two of his toes. Immediately he begins to gag before expelling sour, yellow liquid all over the floor.
“Fuck! Man, that’s disgusting.” Eli remarks as he steps further back. “Viper, you know vomit makes me feel all weird.” He says, his voice full of disgust.
“I wonder if he’ll tell us now.” I say and spin on my heels to face Sam again whose face resembles that of a corpse in a morgue. Clumps of vomit line the front of his shirt, stringy saliva slips from between his lips like melted cheese.
“You ready to tell me the truth now?”
Sam nods heavily as he struggles to keep his eyes open.
I drop the bolt cutters to the floor before giving him a swift smack to the side of his face to wake him up again.
He jerks in the chains, causing more blood to slip between the metal of the handcuffs which are now beginning to rip the skin from his bones.
His hands almost resemble gloves now as the weight of his limp body pulls against the handcuffs.
I can almost hear the small bones breaking and snapping, the skin splitting open as it detaches from his wrists.
“Ricky.. has two warehouses that I know of. Both are about an hour from here. Ones near a shipping dock, and the other is about four miles west from there. You can’t.. can’t miss it. He mentioned somewhere else too.” Sam says, his breathing heavy and ragged.
“What did he say?” Eli pipes up.
“I uh.. I don’t remember much. Something about collecting girls and women, I dunno. Trafficking them I think.”
My blood runs cold at Sam’s words, creating images in my mind of Ana being shipped off, miles away from me.
Shooting my hand out, I grip Sam’s vomit stained shirt in my fist and drag him to me. “You wouldn’t lie to me again, would you Sam?” He shakes his head, his bottom lip now trembling.
“No, no. I swear. He’s got my sister, Emily.
She went missing a couple of weeks ago and.
. I just know he’s got her.” He says in defeat and my stomach coils with indecision, but I can’t let the feeling of guilt slip into my mind.
This fucker has been working with Ricky and I need to remember that, no matter how much his story is stabbing me in the chest. Ana will always come first.
“Do you know where he’s keeping them?” I ask as my eyes flick up to his slow, detaching hands. I’m running out of time.
“No. He never.. mentions anything about it in front of us. I just overheard him and Nico talking about collecting women. That’s all I know. I swear on my life.”
My gaze immediately snaps to Eli the moment Sam mentions the name Nico, the same name that we found on Ana’s text message and some kind of understanding passes between us, confirming that we’re on the right track.
Sam begins to cry out in pain as his hands start to slip through the handcuffs, the skin bunching like fabric before red flesh and bones peel from beneath the skin like a horrifying gift.
He lands with a heavy thud on the floor with his severed toes and dick, his hands now flesh and bones.
He groans and scrunches his eyes tightly to avoid looking at his mangled hands.
“If.. if you’re gonna kill me. Do it now, please. I’m begging you. But first, if you find my sister. Tell her that I’m sorry.” He pleads, keeping his eyes closed tightly, his fleshy hands trembling in front of him.
My jaw begins to ache from the pressure in which I’ve been grinding my teeth, and in a swift decision I slip the blade from its holster in my cargos and slash it across Sam’s throat, the hot blood sprays across my masked face like a burst pipe and he gurgles on his own blood as it pools out of his mouth like a volcano.
After a couple of seconds, the warehouse falls silent again, Sam’s body lays limp on the floor.
I stare at his lifeless form before taking the knife to his shirt and shredding the material straight down the middle to reveal his bare chest.
“What are you doing?” Eli asks.
“Sending a message.” I snap whilst dragging the tip of the blade through Sam’s skin, the words coming to life through the puddles of blood that seep through the open wounds.
Once I’m done I take a step back and come to stand next to Eli where both of us look down at Sam’s dead body, the words staring right back at us.
I’m coming for you.