quiet, no noise could be heard from the homes as they walked passed.
‘It’s quiet!’ whispered Nathan
‘Yeah, good indicator that the rooms are empty’
Richard stopped sharply and stepped back to level with the door. On the top were the numbers three and three.
‘This is it’ stated Richard.
‘Just confirm something for me, how do you want to do this?’
‘We knock, if they answer, we go in and ask some questions!’
‘What if they don’t answer?’
‘We still go in and ask some questions!’
Nathan stood slightly behind Richard, his new friend was younger than he was and his physique was a lot more stable than his own. He watched eagerly as Richard knocked on the scorch marked door. His head moved left and right, quickly checking his arcs in case of any nosey neighbours. He looked back to the closed door. No answer.
‘Knock again’ he insisted, deciding against the forced entry.
Richard did as he was advised, his knuckles tapping the wood harder this time.
Once again, there was no answer.
‘Look, maybe they’re…….’ his words were stopped short as Richards foot was forced into the centre of the door. It flew open and crashed into the interior wall, the chain rattled as it swung freely. Richard was in, Nathan paused for a moment, spying his friends movement. He watched as he stormed into each room he came to, checking for the occupants. The faint voice could be heard in the darkness, the words were of complaint.
‘Get the fuck up and move, now!’ bellowed Richard. Nathan darted into the flat and closed the door behind him. The living room light had been switched on and Richard stood over a tall skinny man who was sat in an old stained chair.
‘What happened?’ he asked
‘Nothing, he was asleep, I woke him up!’ explained Richard, his gym bag by his left foot.
‘Right, first things first, what’s your name?’ his arms crossed over his chest.
‘N..n…n…n..Neil’ he stammered
‘Right Neil, my friend and I have some questions, we also need answers. Do what’s asked of you and you can head back to bed to catch up on some much needed beauty sleep, roger?’
The underweight man nodded, his rapid head movement imitated a nodding dog toy in a rally car.
‘Nathan, you’re up mate’
‘Me?’
‘Yeah, ask your questions’ his head motioned to the shaking man in his faded Y-fronts.
‘Okay, Neil yeah?’
‘Yeah’
‘We have had reports through of some disturbing activity partaken by someone at this location. It involves the internet and Child Pornography, some real serious shit’ he lowered himself to Neil’s level, a tactic used when questioning a suspect fitting the man’s state. Lower to their level, get them to open up slowly and believe you’re there to help them, sympathise when they break down into tears and whimpers.
‘No way, that’s not me…I….never, I would never!’ he babbled
‘I know, look, talk to me…..tell me about the Wolf!’
‘The Wolf?’
‘Yeah, the Wolf, tell me about him’.
‘I don’t know anything, I mean, I’ve seen shit on the news but that’s all!’
Nathan stood and turned to Richard, he moved to his side.
‘Maybe he doesn’t know anything!’ he whispered
‘Bollocks, he knows something, he’s on the list!’ he spat, starring straight into Neil’s eyes.
‘Well, he’s not going to say anything is he?’ Nathan realised that his statement was a bad choice of words strung together; he now anticipated Richard’s answer.
‘Oh he’ll talk mate, I’m sure about that!’
Richard had kneeled down and removed a large role of Gaffer tape from the bag, he handed it to Nathan.
‘Hands and feet please’
‘What, no way’
‘Look, I either do it with you or without you, no matter what this tape is going on this man!’ he starred into Nathan’s eyes. The man had watched every second and began to panic, he wriggled backwards against the rear of the seat, his feeble legs pushing his body up. Richard moved towards him after offering a loud ‘tut’. The man attempted to evade but Richard gripped his ankle, his black leather gloves pulling some leg hair free.
‘NO….NO, NO PLEASE’ he begged
‘Shut it, stop fucking wriggling you cunt!’ Richard ordered.
Neil was pulled to the floor and flipped onto his front, the large knee was forced between his shoulder blades and he screamed as his muscles began to spasm. Nathan watched in dis-belief, his hand over his mouth.
The tape offered a ripping sound as a length was pulled free, the man’s arms were manoeuvred rearwards and Richard began securing them. It looked as though he was preparing him for a spit-roast, all that was missing was the chunk of wood to hang him from. His legs were done next, the grey tape wrapping around his ankles, tying them both together. He was rolled onto his side and picked up from the filth ridden carpet. His body slumped upon the chair he had sat in, his arms behind his back and incapacitated.
‘Right, you little shit, my turn!’ he turned back to the bag and dropped the tape inside, his hands dug for the object he desired. He gripped the tool and removed it for the eyes of the room to see.
‘Oh Jesus’ Nathan turned and walked from the room, his stomach churning at the sight of the wire cutters.
‘Excuse him’ Richard apologised to the man. He approached him and sat by his feet, his back resting against the arm of the chair.
‘Here’s what happens now. I ask you a question and you answer it, easy isn’t it?’
‘Please, please don’t do this!’
‘It’s not me…..it’s you, I’ll only do something if YOU fail to answer my questions’
‘Please don’t’
‘Stop, just fucking stop now….take it like a man, any more winging comes from that mouth and I’ll remove a toe!’
‘Please, I don’t…..’
Richard gripped his ankles and wrapped his hand around them, his arm forced the legs down. The screams filled the room as the man fought to free himself. The wire cutters were opened, the sharpened edges glimmered in the dim light. The flesh was torn apart as the metal sections were pushed together slowly, the blood leaking into a pool beneath Neil’s feet. The black plastic handles were pushed together and the small toe dropped to the floor, it bounced slightly and rolled to one side. The cries turned into shrieks of pain, Nathan covered his ears as he stood in the hall. Richard retrieved the dissected digit, fluff from the carpet clung to the bloodied toe.
‘Now look’ the toe was waved in Neil’s face.
‘Don’t kill meeeeeee…..please’ the saliva streamed from his bottom lip, it glistened as it slithered down his naked chest.
‘I’m not going to kill you, stupid bastard. Just answer my fucking question….what do you know about the Wolf?’
‘He….he takes girls!’
‘Right, next?’
‘He…kills them!’
‘Neil, where is the Wolf?’
‘I don’t know!’ he bellowed, the stumped toe burning with pain.
Richard moved to the bag and placed the wire cutters back inside. Nathan peered around the corner as the
