Chapter Twenty-Five

Jax

M idnight, two days later... Schererville Wastewater Treatment Plant, Kaeser Blvd, Schererville, Chicago ...

"Holy fuck! I can't breathe," Dexter complained as he held his hand over his nose, which was already covered by a black balaclava. "You should've warned us to bring gas masks," he said as he glowered at Iceman.

"Man up or leave. I don't particularly give a fuck. I'm here because you're too useless to find your girl," Iceman sneered as he led the way to one of the septic tanks on the far side of the plant.

"Why isn't there any security in this place?" Rex asked, looking around. "Not exactly my kind of place to hang out, I'll have you know."

"I think we can all agree none of us do," Jax said. "Now, stop complaining. The quicker we get through this, the faster we'll find Ciska."

The five men silently followed Iceman and his four soldiers, two of whom were carrying a comatose man. His head was covered with a sack with a growing red stain at the back.

"Why the fuck do we need to be here? We could wait back at the trucks. It's not as though we're going to participate in the interrogation," Rex said.

Jax was more than aware of their unease. Max and he shared their feelings since they all knew what was about to happen.

"We go up to the top," Iceman said as he started climbing the ladder. One of his men followed him with effortless ease, even though he was carrying the dead weight of the passed-out man over his shoulder.

"This is fucked up," Axel said but was the first to follow the mobsters up the ladder.

By the time they were all at the top of the tank, the prisoner was tied to a pole, naked and still oblivious to where he was.

"Who is this man?" Jax asked as Iceman pulled off the sack.

"This is the asshole who lured your girl to work for the Sandolens." Iceman did a brief curtsey. "Meet Theo Gulliver."

"Shit," Jax mumbled. He hated what the man had done to Ciska, not once, but twice. However, he also knew she had feelings for him in the past and didn't know if he was comfortable watching him being tortured. There was no question about what was about to happen. His naked body and the way he was tied up indicated a brutal interrogation was unfolding.

"For his sake, I hope he spills the beans quickly," Axel said, his jaw rigid. Jax had no doubt that visions of his time in prison were unlocked and rode him hollow.

"Fuck, me, too," Jax said.

"Wake him up," Iceman snapped. His words were still floating about when one of the soldiers flung water from a bottle into Gulliver's face. He came to with a spluttering and a string of curses.

"What the fuck!?" He struggled viciously as he realized he was tied up and not wearing a stitch of clothing. The only light was one dim globe above him, which put everyone around him in the shade.

"Who the fuck are you? What do you— Jesus Christ!" His words ended in a gasp of horror as Iceman stepped into the circle of low light. "Iceman? Wh-What do you want with me?"

"There's been rumors, Gulliver. Rumors that the Godfather doesn't like."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he grunted as he once again yanked on the ropes. "Let me the fuck go."

"Quite frankly, I don't give a shit if you know anything about the rumors, but there is one thing I know for a fact you do know." Iceman's voice chilled Jax even though he wasn't in the line of fire.

"I guess now we know why he had earned the moniker," he whispered to Max.

"I have the chills just listening to him," Max concurred.

"What do you want?" Gulliver was either very brave or exceedingly stupid as he sneered the words at the man watching him steadily.

"Ciska Fowler." Iceman chuckled as Gulliver couldn't stay the wince at the mention of her name. "Ah, there it is. The confirmation I needed." His voice turned as cold as a polar blizzard. "Where is the lady, Gulliver?"

"Fuck you," he snapped. "I don't know any Ciska Fowler."

Iceman nodded and watched with an expressionless face as one of his soldiers forced Gulliver's forefinger into a glass container.

"Ahh, fuuuck!" His screams of horror and pain echoed over the plant, floating back to them in decreasing intensity.

"Jesus Christ," Rex gasped as the fluid in the bottle turned red.

"Stop! For fuck's sake, please," Gulliver pleaded, his body shuddering violently from the pain.

Again, one nod and the soldier stepped back, releasing Gulliver's hand.

"Holy shit," Dexter verbalized what everyone was thinking as they looked at the stump remaining of Gulliver's finger. "What was that? Acid?"

"Probably," Axel said with a closed look on his face. "Must be a potent concentrated sulphuric acid to melt the bones in such a short time."

"Do I need to repeat the question, Gulliver?" Another nod when he didn't respond immediately. This time, the soldier used a spray bottle to squirt drops of the acid all over the screaming man's chest.

"I can't fucking watch this," Dexter said as he turned away. Rex followed him, and the two of them disappeared down the ladder. Jax didn't blame them. Watching a man being tortured was sure to leave its mark. It wasn't something any of them would be able to just cast from their minds... not like the men performing the deed.

"Sh-She's here," Gulliver finally stammered. "In Chicago."

"We already know that, fuckface." Iceman walked closer and swiped a hard uppercut at him. His head snapped back from the viciousness of the hit. Blood dripped from his mouth, and his jaw hung slack. "Where the fuck is she?"

"In-Indiana H-Harbor," he managed to whisper. His head hung in defeat. Jax realized he had also come to the same conclusion he just did. Theo Gulliver wasn't leaving here alive.

"Where at the harbor." A slap against his head swung his face sideways. Gulliver didn't even scream. "Talk, motherfucker."

"O-OceanSh-Shore Coal C-Company." Gulliver spit out the blood pooling in his mouth.

"How do we get inside," Iceman kept pushing.

"Fuck you. I t-told you en-enough... ahhh." His scream of pure horror was cut off as he passed out when the soldier pushed his penis inside a larger glass container. Within moments it was blood red with pieces of skin floating around.

"Fuck, I'm going to be sick," Max's voice thickened as the glass jar was removed. Gulliver had just lost the one part of him he would never recover.

"It's a good thing you brought Nitro along," Jax mumbled. "Make sure he keeps an eye on that demented piece of ice."

"Fuck yes," Axel interjected.

"Wake him up," Iceman ordered, unperturbed at the sight of the man bleeding from his crotch.

It took longer to get Gulliver back to consciousness. When he eventually opened his eyes, Iceman was there, in his face, demanding once again, "How do we get inside?"

"K-Key c-code... four, eight, s-six, zero."

"Good man." Iceman took a step back. "All of this could've been avoided, Gulliver. But no, you had to take the poor woman and kept your trap shut when I asked the first question. Now... unfortunately, I have to bid you adieu." Iceman turned away. "Throw him in the tank." He chuckled. "Let him be purified." His eyes were glacial as he turned and headed to the ladder.

"Let's go get your girl."