harder. The screams from behind the closed door drowned out Callo’s own.
‘Don’t worry,’ Abbot said, ‘it’s your turn now.’
Their destination had the same unfinished concrete walls as Callo’s cell. There was a sink against one wall with a hose fixed to one tap. Against the opposite wall was a simple table with a portable electricity generator next to it. Two long cables were attached to the generator and resting in a pile on the table. The generator rumbled noisily. Exhaust fumes hung in the air. Abbot and Blout released Callo, who landed hard on his back, but quickly turned himself over and scrambled, on his hands and knees, for the door. Sykes stood in his way, and laughed as he easily blocked Callo’s path.
Then Sykes shouted, ‘ Asshole just bit me.’
‘I warned ya,’ Abbot said as he wrapped a thick arm around Callo’s throat. ‘This one’s a facking lunatic.’
Sykes rubbed at his forearm and closed the heavy steel door as Blout and Abbot dragged Callo backwards and forced him to sit on a cold metal chair. His arms were pulled behind his back and handcuffs locked his wrists in place. More handcuffs locked his ankles to the chair legs.
Abbot moved towards the sink and Blout towards the generator.
‘ I’ll tell you anything,’ Callo yelled.
Sykes nodded as he rubbed his forearm. ‘We know that, everyone does. But that’s the problem right there. You’ll tell me anything. And anything is no good. Which is why we have to go through certain procedures to ensure what you do say is the truth.’
Callo spoke quickly. ‘It will be, I promise.’
Sykes nodded again but didn’t say anything. He looked at Abbot, who picked up the hose from the floor and aimed it at Callo. He turned on the tap and a jet of icy water struck Callo in the face. It was so cold Callo stiffened and exhaled sharply, face contorted, and head shaking from side to side, trying to get away from the painful blast. Abbot redirected the spray down over Callo’s body until he was drenched with water. He bucked and screamed, kicking his legs out wildly. The chair, bolted to the floor, didn’t move.
Sykes said, ‘That’s enough.’
Abbot turned off the tap. Callo sat shivering uncontrollably in the chair, teeth chattering, goose pimples covering his body, lips blue. He tried to speak, to beg for mercy, but he couldn’t form any coherent words.
Abbot grabbed Callo’s hair and wrenched his head to one side so he was looking at the table.
‘You’re going to want to watch this,’ Abbot snarled.
He let go of Callo’s hair and moved to the table. There was a brown paper bag lying on the tabletop into which Abbot reached. He removed two oranges, set them down so they were touching, and taped both to the table.
‘Think of these as a representation of what’s most valuable to you.’
Abbot took a black marker pen from a trouser pocket. He drew some little black lines on each orange. He laughed to himself. He then took the cables, which had crocodile clips at the ends, and clipped one to the skin of each orange.
‘Ready then?’ Abbot asked Callo, but didn’t wait for a response. He gestured to Blout, who thumbed a switch on the generator.
The oranges started to glow and then vibrate. After a few seconds a warm citrus odour spread around the room. The vibrations intensified and the skin of one orange split open. Steam rose from the opening and juice bubbled through.
‘Here we go,’ Abbot said, slapping his hands together.
A split opened in the second orange. Other splits appeared and Callo watched with wide eyes as the oranges burst open and hot juice and pieces of flesh exploded outwards.
Abbot clapped his hands together again. ‘ Oh yeah. That’s the money shot.’
Blout flicked the generator switch. What was left of the oranges sat steaming on the table. Juice dripped from the edge. Chunks of orange flesh and skin lay scattered across the floor. A hot piece had landed on Callo’s naked thigh, making him wince.
‘Look,’ Abbot said, laughing and pointing, ‘bastard’s pissed his pants.’
Callo’s underpants were already soaking wet but the yellow colouring at the front was obvious.
Sykes took a step towards Callo. ‘Get the point?’
Callo nodded. ‘ Yes, yes, I’ll tell you the truth.’
‘Good,’ Abbot said, ‘because if you think this bad boy makes a mess of the oranges you wouldn’t believe what it will do to a pair of bollocks.’ He took the crocodile clips from the skin of the destroyed oranges. ‘Whoa, these babies are hot.’
Blout opened out a folding knife and stepped towards Callo, who screamed at the sight of the blade. Blout used the knife to cut away Callo’s underpants.
Abbot laughed. ‘Guess that water is colder than I thought.’
Callo yelped as the crocodile clips bit into his scrotum.
Sykes walked forward. ‘You see, Xavier, we’re underfunded out here and we can’t afford a polygraph. But you can see how we’ve improvised our own. Sure, it’s not as sophisticated, but it works just as good. Better even.’ Sykes gestured to Callo’s groin. ‘Would you like a more accurate demonstration of how our lie detector works?’
Callo shook his head as hard as he could. ‘ No, no, no… ’
‘Okay,’ Sykes continued, ‘I can see you’re convinced that it works, but we’ll start off easy. Tell me, how’s business?’
A confused look passed over Callo’s face. ‘Business?’
‘Yeah,’ Sykes said. ‘Business. You know, the diamond trade. How is it? You making lots of money?’
‘I… I guess. It could be better.’
Sykes laughed. ‘Could be better?’ He glanced at Abbot and Blout. ‘You hear that guys? Could be better. I heard about your little trip to that Greek bar. You were throwing cash around like it was going out of style. And that villa overlooking the beach; bet a week’s rent on that is a month’s take home for me. So don’t be modest. I don’t know how you do it. Uncut diamonds look like shitty little rocks to me, but you’ve got the magic eye, don’t you?’
‘I guess.’
‘What did I say about modesty?’
‘Okay, I’m good at what I do.’
‘Then just facking say so, prick,’ Abbot spat.
‘Excuse my friend here,’ Sykes said. ‘He’s pissed because the coffee machine doesn’t work. I’d offer you a water, but I guess you’ve had enough from the hose.’
Callo shook his head. He had been in a constant state of thirst for two days. ‘No, some water would be good.’
‘Okay,’ Sykes said. ‘Answer a few more questions and I’ll have a cup brought in for you, how does that sound?’
‘Thank you,’ Callo said.
‘Don’t mention it.’ Sykes put his hands in his trouser pockets. ‘Tell me about your relationship with Baraa Ariff.’
Callo hesitated. ‘What about him?’
‘Just what I said. Tell me about your relationship with him. And don’t forget about the lie detector.’
‘I… I sell his diamonds for him.’
Sykes tilted his head to one side. ‘You mean you fence his diamonds for him that he receives as payments for arm sales in Africa?’
‘I don’t know where they come from. I just-’
‘You’re a clever boy, take a guess. What else would an arms dealer trade for diamonds?’
Abbot scooped out some flesh from one of the destroyed oranges and ate it. ‘Hot orange ain’t that bad.’ Juice dribbled down his chin. ‘Fancy a bit, mate?’
Callo shook his head. Blout threw some anyway. It hit Callo on the cheek.
‘I’m waiting,’ Sykes prompted.
Callo said, ‘He gets the diamonds for arms.’
‘That wasn’t so hard,’ Sykes said. ‘I know you’re afraid that word might reach Ariff that you ratted him out,
