There is an uncomfortable silence. It feels like hours. It was probably not even a minute.
Znuul turns around as best he can in the van’s seat. “Arthur, he won’t remember anything. He’ll wake and only remember going to sleep. Now, ten, fifteen – thirty years from now, who knows what may seep back into his consciousness. But, it will still suck for him even if he doesn’t remember. Bullet may have been a favor.”
I take a deep breath of relief and kick myself for thinking the worst. “Thanks man. It’s better he lives. Much better.”
“Who knows…" says Znuul, "Let’s hope so.”
Chapter 37
We got out of Tarim with no incident. All that is left is about a thirty minute drive through a bunch of nothing territory. The van is quiet. I guess in between my mood affecting my summonlings and the very dark reality of leaving an orphaned child behind there’s not much to banter about.
In a strange way I’m glad to see how Znuul dealt with the situation. I thought for sure he’d solve it with a round from his silenced desert eagle. I think I’m even more pleased to see his concern for the child as a whole. He gets the orphan thing. But then it makes sense to me – at Grey’s, the kids loved him. I remember when I first arrived how they swarmed him – and I think how maybe he enjoyed it.
My musings are broken by Znuul who tells us to get our weapons ready. Apparently there’s something ahead on the road he notices. I look out the front window and don’t see anything but darkness, of course.
“Just follow my lead, and hopefully we won’t have trouble.”
And just like that a pickup pulls out into the road, blocking our way.
I see two men jumping off the back, armed, and two men getting out of the doors. The man from the passenger door makes his way over to the driver’s side. Kitten has already wound down the window and is waiting patiently. The man peers inside.
Znuul greets him in local language with a robust, “What may we do for you brother?”
Road blocker looks around the van. Of course a 7 foot tall plus man in commando gear might stand out a little. He focuses his gaze on Kitten.
“Americaner!” and with that he pulls the door open and rips Kitten outside. Znuul’s reaction is instant, the door flies open and he’s out there too. It’s very hard to see what’s going on, but I do see Z rounding the front of the van his hands out in attempt to calm the situation.
I hear Road blocker shout at him to stop. Then I hear him tell his friends to get us out of the back. I also hear the threat that Kitten will be the first to fall if we don’t cooperate completely. The rear doors fly open and we are faced by three men with AK’s telling us “Get out now.”
We do.
Now this is an awkward situation. Kitten with a gun to her head. Guns upon the rest of us. And Z who is just basically trying to calm everyone down.
“Now, what is it you want brother? We can work this out,” comes Znuul’s calm deep voice.
Road blocker laughs. “Nothing from you, we know of those who will pay us fantastically for infidels like you. More alive. Still good pay for your corpses.”
I look over to Sil. Burka or not she can still make for a good distraction. She gets the message and starts in with the, “hey boys…”
Dropping all pretense of accent, Znuul addresses Road blocker. “Friend, that woman you are holding is the only thing keeping you alive now. Let her go and things won’t go very badly for you.”
Road blocker’s response is pretty succinct, “Fuck you Europe.” And with that he puts a round into Znuul’s forehead.
Taking advantage of that distraction I run my fingers along the runes to summon Hjuul. I probably didn’t even need to say, “sick ‘em!” but did anyway. While my hound was destroying one of the three men, Vets’ weapon is drawn and brings down another. A silver arrow sprouts from the forehead to the other.
My attention immediately turns to Road blocker. Before Znuul or anyone can react after the gun fire, Kitten had swung around and trapped his arm under hers making it impossible for him to shoot her. Then from somewhere in that burka her 9mm appears. There was a “pfft” followed by another one as she shoots his wrist making him drop his weapon. She takes a step back and puts one in his knee.
“You hurt my master you bastard!” she screams at him. Znuul’s large hand engulfs her gun to keep her from firing more.
“I’m okay,” Znuul says.
“He shot you!” Kitten is almost crying as she looks at him. Her face turns to Road blocker and goes back to rage. “Enjoy your last moments fucker… all painful ten minutes of them.”
Her expression changes back to her more usual doe eyed happy face and she looks at her master. “I shot him the liver master – a real painful slow death like you showed me.”
Znuul just nods and smiles to her, then walks over to Road blocker, who is clutching his side, bleeding out darkly – not good for him. Z reaches up and peels the bullet from his forehead, grasping the man’s hand away from his wound and putting the round in that hand.
“What are you?” is Road blocker’s question.
“Not impressed” is Znuul’s response to him. Then he looks around at the rest of us.
“Told you all kitten had claws. Back to the road.”
Damn, he wasn’t lying. I call Hjuul over and give him a good scratch behind the ears, making sure to avoid his gory jowls. I thank him for his help and let him know I’ll bring him back as soon as I can. Then I send him away. Unfortunately there’s just not enough room for my hulking hell hound in the van and a wolf would be real hard to explain here.
I watch as my brother in revenge walks calmly over to the pick-up truck and tosses it over to the side of the road by the bumper to clear the way. It’s easy to forget what he is capable of. I’m glad for the reminder.
The rest of the trip goes by quickly and mostly quietly, except for Kitten’s occasional, “Nobody messes with my master.”
We get to the warehouse and pull in. Znuul grabs Jalal and casually throws him over his shoulder, taking him into the office area. He comes out, grabs some lumber and carries it back there as well. The sound of some hammering follows and then he comes out for another small bag of zip ties.
“The demon is getting ready for his fun,” Shey tells me. “They love torture and General Znuul’s real good at it.”
I knew this part would be coming.
Chapter 38
“I just dosed him with a stimulant,” Znuul shares with us. “Let’s give him a few to stew on it and then we’ll see what we can learn."
“I be a thinkin’ to pass on the festivities.” Pffif’s look is serious as he’s filling his pipe, with goodness knows what.
Big Z nods to Pffiferil. “It’s not everyone’s cup of tea,” says Sil.
“Tea I can stomach,” says Pffif who is now patting himself down for a light. “Ach!” Apparently fire is not forthcoming. He gives a sigh and holds out his hands as if to say, “oh well.”
Znuul takes Kitten over to a corner and is telling her something in a hushed tone. Whatever it is, it doesn’t seem to bother her. I take advantage of the lull to summon my hound. What’s a warehouse without a guard dog?
Znuul returns and locks eyes on me while Kitten goes to sit down next to Pffif. Apparently he didn’t want her joining the party. “Plan is simple Arthur, we try reason and if that doesn’t work, we get nasty, break him down. Try some reason again. Rinse, repeat.”
“Simple enough, but what about the whole rip his memories from him thing?”
Sil pipes up this time. “Risky. You may well scramble his brains if he’s too resistant.”
That gets a smile from Znuul. “Thanks for that. What she said, maybe after he can’t pitch up must resistance and is ready to surrender. Otherwise… risky with the data.”
Great, he’s already dehumanizing him – data from a machine.
He puts his arm around me, gives Shey a glance to back off and walks me over away from the office.
“You don’t have to be a part of this. No shame on you at all. This kind of… endeavor. It’s not for everybody.”
I’m being given an out. And I really appreciate that. Torture is the kind of thing that leaves a dark mark on the soul. That is unless your soul is already black. I’d like to think mine isn’t.
“I’m in. This is a bad man with good information. Just don’t expect me to inflict the pain.”
No smile from Znuul, just serious consideration and a nod. “You’ll be the good cop.”
We walk back to the group and Shey asks if I’ll be sitting it out.
I tell her “No.”
I get a very disappointed look from her and a nod of her own saying acknowledging my response.
“Okay, then… “ Znuul interrupts. “Arthur, me, Silithes - in the room. Vets, do you mind keeping the place secure?”
Vets looks to me and I nod a “yes” to her. Hjuul woofs to let us know he's guarding too.
“I do as my wielder wishes. You will be secure.”
I chuckle a bit, not at her as much as just how implacable her code of conduct it. She doesn’t rankle or question my chuckle a second. She just knows. That’s nice.
“Right. In we go,” says Znuul That brings a smile, and not the fake one from Znuul. “Oh, in a moment,” he says looking over to me and Sil.
He strolls over to Pffif, sitting on the crate our weapons and body armor came in, bends down and picks up his pipe. That gets a serious eye from my leprechaun.
“Real fae pipe weed Mr. Luchorpean?” Znuul asks with interest.
“Naa, that’s back at me home for special occasions.”
Znuul gives it a sniff – “Sinsemillia?”
That gets a shrug from Pffif.
I’m going to have to keep better tabs on Pffif. There’s no way he could have brought it in from the white – or is there? I am confused. How did he get that?
Regardless of my confusion, Znuul lifts the pipe to his lips and with a wink to Pffif produces a flame from the tip of his index finger. Puff, puff and he hands the pipe to Pffif, who is all smiles.
“Right kind of you, Mr. Destroyer,” Pffif acknowledges with a small pull on his pipe.
“Balance in all things Mr. Pffiferil, I now go to be very unkind. Thanks for the puff.”
Pffif salutes him with the pipe and we all head into the office. To my surprise Sheyliene is following. I shoot her a look to let her know my surprise. She just hugs me around my waist and we wade in.
Jalal has been affixed standing to an “X” of 2 by 4’s with twist ties at both hands and feet. His mouth is gagged. He is totally naked. And he is wide awake now with great big bulging eyes and “Errmph! Eee! Oh's!” coming from his gagged mouth.
There’s no furniture except one table with brutal looking instruments on it and Jalal’s makeshift crucifix. No doubt the table is there for show – its right in front of him. Jalal can’t miss it.
“Hi," says Znuul, greeting Jalal with that artificial smile. Then he turns around to the table grabbing a very sinister looking knife. What happened to reason first?
“I’m going to cut your gag off here in a moment, so we might talk. But before then there’s a few things you need to know. First, my name is Ahtsag Znuul. I am the real and true Ahtsag Znuul. The creature you think is Znuul is an imposter.”
He gives Jalal a moment to take that statement in, which is met with struggling against his bonds and more muttering from under his gag.
Znuul looks to me and hands me the knife, handle first. “He needs proof.”
He takes off his tee shirt, unbuckles his pants and winks at Sil. “Have to make room for the tail, isn’t that right?”
“Pants suck for the tail,” she says, then looks at her own pants and shrugs.
Once free of the pants, Znuul begins his transformation – skin darkens, wings sprouting and he grows even larger. Once done, he pops his neck and lets out a satisfying “Ahh… so much better.”
"Cut the gag Arthur," Znuul says.
Jalal has obviously seen demonkind before. He’s not freaked out in the least. I cut the gag and it doesn’t take Jalal a second to tell us how he feels.
“You are a liar, demon. I know the true Ahtsag Znuul, bound by the heavens to their work. You are a deceiver and an abomination!” Jalal’s fanatical gaze turns to me. “What kind of demon are you? Show me! Show me your true face.”
Znuul is rubbing his temples now, shaking his head. “He’s human you idiot. In fact he carries a holy sword of the order of Paladins.”
I step up to Jalal and look him in his crazed eyes. “Friend you’ve been had. This is the real Ahtsag…”
I didn’t finish his name because of the gross quid of spit Jalal hocks up on me.
“Okay!” Znuul bellows out, which stops everyone in the room and has Jalal turned to him. “Here’s the truth Jalal, we are hunting the - what you would call a demon - that controls the false me. Arthur here and myself are sworn to bring him to death because of what he has done to our respective families. You have been duped into plunging this world into chaos in the name of good. By the way… how is doing evil in the name of good, truly good in any way?”
This comment gets Znuul a hocked loogey as well. Plus a few choice names, most of which I don’t understand.
“Ok, now the nastiness starts,” Znuul says wiping the spit from his face.
He steps over to Jalal and with one of his sharp fingernails begins digging into his flesh, making a small square. Of course, Jalal is being tight-lipped not crying out in pain.
Only I know what’s coming. Maldgorath did the same damn thing to me. My body shudders involuntarily at the recognition of what Znuul is preparing to do. He’s going to flay the skin from this man - one small patch at a time. Probably eat it too – that’s what Maldgorath did to me. The cutting sucks – the peeling off of the skin is beyond agony.
I can’t watch this. I can’t stand for this. So I say so.
“Ahtsag you need to stop right now.”
That gets me a, “are you serious look” which can be kind of intimidating coming from him.
“Maldgorath did that to me. I can’t allow it, man. Are you going to eat his skin after you pull it off?”
“That’s usually how it’s done.” Znuul does a double take. “He did that to you? Oh, I wish you had told me. This isn’t a good cop thing is it?”
I nod “no” to him.
“Please go then. This will be brutal.”
Jalal is basically freaking out at this point asking what is going on.
Then I have an idea. It happens every now and then. I have my own inquisitor of sorts. I used her to great success in world war two. It will end up just as badly for Jalal, but not as painfully.
“I have a better idea, my brother” I exclaim proudly looking at Jalal. “Oh Silithes, you beautiful, deadly creature, do you think you could help us here?”
I feel that little almost intangible tingle that you sense when you come into contact with her as she wraps her arm around my waist.
“You called me a beautiful creature. Hmmm.”
Shey steps around in front of me, and glares at Sil.
“Oh pu-lease pixie. He called me beautiful, that deserves a hug.”
I disregard Shey for a moment and turn to Sil, not because Shey’s intentions are unappreciated but because someone else needs a bit of direction. “We need to know everything he knows. Everything. No details too small.”
Sil acknowledges that direction coolly. While the hug may have been full on flirt, I think she knows this is business. Her arm leaves my side and she steps in between me and Jalal.
“How much of him do I get to have?”
That’s the killer question. Literally. She’s asking me if she can eat his spirit once we’ve squeezed him for what he’s worth.
“As much as you want, but we have to know everything he knows first.” The words didn’t come out easy.
“You're going to let her eat him” asks Shey in prot
est.
That of course gets Jalal a little freaked out; his crazed eyes are now wide-eyed crazy eyes.
Znuul’s gaze has been upon me and Sil this whole time.
“We’ll give it a go. If it doesn’t work… back to pain.”
“Then I’m leaving; what she does is just wrong,” says Sheyliene back to Znuul. True to her word, she makes to leave.
Jalal isn’t saying much now. He’s kind of freaked out looking from the eight foot tall dark beast to me, Sil and a now leaving Shey.
Sil gives me a wink – it’s on.
She turns around to Jalal, “Oh baby, don’t you worry even a little. You and I are going to have biiiig fun.” With that she rubs her hand down his ribs in a offhanded way
But there’s nothing offhanded about it. Everything she does from here is deliberate. With that touch she imparted a small neuromancy, which one I can’t know – more than likely something to fire up his primitive brain centers of lust and desire.
She strolls behind the 2 by 4 X and begins running her hands up and down his chest from behind while murmuring in his ear. “We’re going to have so much fun Mr. Lion. I can hardly wait. Can’t you feel it?”
She’s jacking him up even more. To him it probably feels like a real attraction, but I know it’s nothing but preparation for his surrender. And she’s doing this one by the numbers. She told me a long while back about her techniques. First the enticement, touches and neuromantic intrusions. Then, she brings on surrender. Next is domination, followed by death or enslavement.
Given how deeply Jalal is breathing and responding to her teases, she must have the neuromantic hooks in pretty deep.
She finishes the circle around the crucifix and regards Jalal, making sure to take special attention to his arousal. “Somebody likes me,” she tells the room.
Her eyes are 100% on his eyes and I am guessing probably pushing some telepathic boundaries.
Her eyes go down to his arousal again. She reaches out to it touching him briefly, then pulls back like she did something wrong and looks him in the eyes. “Sorry… is it okay if I touch you?”
Znuul looks over at me and mouths the word, “wow”, making tiny silent fake applause at the performance.
The Wielder: Sworn Vengeance (The Wielder Series) Page 14