Esteban didn’t think it was as good as last time, maybe because she wanted it and was wet and willing. There was no pain and no blood. But he saw the pain inside her, and that alone was enough to make him come.
Later, he’d pull Juanito into his room and inflict the pain on him that he couldn’t inflict on her. Juanito took it like a champion and Esteban made false promises that he wouldn’t do it again as long as Juanito behaved.
Then he was back to Luisa, hauling her out under the moon and pushing her to the dirt.
They carried on like that for a week.
One full week out in the middle of nowhere. Fucking in the dry earth, amidst the snakes and scorpions and other horrible, dangerous creatures, just like themselves. All the while, underneath that same earth, Javier worked away on Evaristo, wanting answers.
He’ll get them soon enough, Esteban thought to himself.
The clock was ticking.
CHAPTER NINE
Javier
“Are you ready to talk?” I asked Evaristo calmly. I was sitting in my usual chair in the corner, running a file over my nails. They were getting awfully damaged over the work of last week. Torture would do that to you. Sometimes it was as hard on me as it was on them.
Not that I was being too hard on the federale. I had been taking it slow and easy, warming him up. But now, now I felt as if I had been far too nice to him. The agent wasn’t talking, he wasn’t even close to it, and I had to step it up a notch.
He’d been trained almost too well, and he was as stubborn as fuck. He could take the voltage and not talk, even when applied to the bottoms of his feet. His dick was a last resort, but there was something crude about shocking the genitals. Not to mention they often shit a brick after, and I sure as hell didn’t want anything other than piss and blood around here.
I would prefer to remove a finger or toe with a thin, jagged saw rather than shock him there. But before I would even consider that, I’d apply some heat.
“Evaristo,” I said, louder now. My voice echoed down the tunnel. I was starting to feel like a snake, like this was my burrow, my new home. The few times I had gone outside here I was almost blinded by the sun.
Evaristo, still naked, always naked, turned to look at me. He was always silent. I really admired him for that. He had no reason to put up such a front with me. After all, the information had nothing to do with him or his organization. I tried to reason with him, to tell him that my taking out Angel would only help them. One less narco. But he wouldn’t have it. He didn’t speak — at least, he didn’t give me information — because his loyalty and sense of righteousness was that strong.
But he would break. I could see it in his eyes. He was tired. Weary. And I was starting to make the other side look good.
I eyed Diego who was leaning against the dirt wall. Borrero and Morales were elsewhere, perhaps partaking in the women in the house. I had no interest in that anymore. All my rage and violence was getting a daily outlet now.
“Let’s see, what might give our young friend here some … motivation?” I said to Diego. “Do you have a lighter?”
He nodded and tossed one to me which I caught in one hand. Diego brought a small can of gasoline out from beside the toolbox and found the t-shirt Evaristo must have been wearing when he was brought in. He dumped the gas on the shirt, soaking it through.
“Why are you spending so much time with me?” Evaristo asked, his voice hoarse yet somehow strong.
I cocked my head at him. “Because you’re being a pain in the ass. Do you really think you’re going to win any favors with your peers because you held out long enough? Does it matter when you’re going to give in, in the end?”
He shrugged even though the movement made him wince. I walked over to him, flicking the lighter as I went.
“I don’t care what my peers think,” he said.
“Oh, is that so? I totally would have pegged you for a brownnoser from the way you’re holding out on me. I figured back at work you’re nothing better than a dog with its nose up someone else’s shithole, taking whatever comes your way.”
“Then you don’t know me at all.”
“I think I know enough of you,” I told him. “You want to be looked at as a hero. A self-righteous little prick and example for all the damned federales.”
“Maybe,” he said, eyeing me. “Maybe I don’t give a flying fuck about them. Maybe I’m trying to see what you are made of.”
I exchanged a look with Diego. He lifted up the soaked shirt, ready to follow through. We both knew it got dangerous when the captor got too personal. I couldn’t help but be fascinated though. I subtly shook my head at Diego to keep him on standby.
“You should know what I’m made of,” I told Evaristo as I crouched down beside him. I flicked the lighter on and pressed it into his thigh. “Sugar and spice and everything nice.” He began to sweat and his skin started to burn beneath the flame. “Or is it worms and snails and puppy dog tails? Yes, I suppose the last one suits me better.”