unstable hybrid of three peppers. A devil’s trifecta, if you will.”
She squirts some in his left eye and he begins speaking in tongues.
“This one registers one-point-four million heat units.”
She notices he’s wet his pants.
“You put the fire out all by yourself!” she says. “That was really clever.”
Callie feels her cell phone vibrating softly in her pants pocket. She opens it, reads the text message.
She smiles, texts “Yes,” closes the phone, puts it back in her pocket. Then she unbuckles Frankie’s belt, pulls his smoldering pants and boxers down to his knees.
She says, “I’d hold still if I were you.”
She uses the knife’s sharp edge to scrape a layer of skin off his nuts. Then she opens the vial of Naga Viper extract and pours it on his nuts, and Frankie goes unconscious.
When he comes to she says, “Now that I’ve got your attention, I hope you’ll believe me when I tell you I’ve got two more vials. One is the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, the current world’s hottest pepper. It weighs in at over two million heat units. The other is pure capsaicin, a hydrophobic compound that registers a whopping sixteen million Scoville. If that doesn’t get you talking, I’ll dump a jar of acid on your penis. It’s really up to you.”
“Please,” he begs. “Put the fire out.”
“The fire’s out.”
“No. It’s burning the skin off my nuts. You’re killing me! I’m gonna die!”
“You’re just feeling the after-effects of the liquid pepper extract. This is why you don’t want me to open the bad vials.”
“P-please. Check for f-flames. M-My skin’s on fire!”
“I’m looking, Frankie. I know it hurts. That’s why they call it torture. But your balls are blistered, that’s all. So, will you talk to me?”
He nods.
“Good boy. You know Donovan Creed?”
Frankie nods.
“He was hoping to be here. And no better than you’ve handled this? You’re getting off light. But while I’m more civilized than Creed, I’m just as determined to make you talk. Do you understand?”
“I’ll talk.”
“Good, ’cause you’re one squirt away from losing your eyesight.”
“P-please!”
“Creed says you’re skimming money.”
“No. I would never-what are you doing?”
She opens the vial of Trinidad Moruga Scorpion…
“
…And pours it up and down the length of his penis.
And Frankie cries. Sobs like a child.
When at last he settles down, Callie says, “You’re not going to make me use the pure cap, are you?”
“Drugs,” he says.
“What about them?”
“I’m selling drugs on the side.”
“What type of drugs?”
“Heroin.”
“Who’s your contact?”
He shakes his head.
Callie reaches for the vial of pure capsaicin and says, “I’ll remind you. This is eight times worse than the last one. And I’ve got to say, your penis isn’t looking very happy.”
She starts to open the vial.
“Wait!” he says.
She pauses.
“Are you going to kill me anyway?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On you giving me the right answers. I know you don’t trust me, so I’m going to tell you a little secret. Sal hired Creed to kill Angie, not you. Sal doesn’t know you’ve been skimming. Creed planned to kill Angie, then torture you until he got a reason to justify your death to Sal. If Creed hadn’t been called away on business, you’d both be dead by now.”
“But you work for Creed.”
“Well, here’s the thing. Creed and I work for the government. They’ve offered me the top job. I said no, so they’re giving it to Creed. So I’m thinking, maybe I tell Creed I tortured you and couldn’t get anything because you’re clean. So I spare your life. Meanwhile, you cut me in on your drug deal.”
“What about Angie?”
“She’s resting quietly.”
“But what about her? Are you going to kill her?”
Callie sighs. “I can’t protect her. She’s been saying things that could bring down the whole organization.”
“I know. Shit. I told her to stop, but she can’t keep her fuckin’ mouth shut. She hears shit, she tells it. But still. She’s my wife. Maybe I can talk to Sal, get him to give her another chance.”
“Sorry. That’s not part of the deal.”
“But I love her, you know? I can’t bear to watch her suffer.”
“I understand. Look, if it makes you feel any better, she’s been dead for the past twenty minutes.”
23.
Donovan Creed.
Sensory Resources, Virginia.
“SO AFTER YOU told him Angie was dead, what did he do?” I ask.
Callie says, “He gave me the name of his drug contact.”
“Is it someone we know?”
“Oh, yes indeed.”
“Were you surprised?”
“Stunned,” she says.
“Am I going to be stunned?”
“You, sir, are going to shit.”
“Tell me.”
24.
“BRACE YOURSELF,” CALLIE says.
“Enough buildup,” I say. “Who’s Frankie’s drug contact?”
“Sophie Alexander.”
“
“That’s what I said to Frankie!”
“Sal’s niece?” I say.
“The same.”
