So were Knox and Stone. With apprehension. They didn’t know what was coming, only that it would be painful.

The door opened and Tyree walked in followed by four more guards, including the one who’d grabbed Stone by the balls and Manson, the one-eye.

“Gentlemen,” said Tyree. “We need to talk.”

Stone stared up at him with a dull expression. Knox kept his gaze on the table as though he hadn’t understood the man.

One guard whispered into Tyree’s ear. He nodded. “Right. Of course. Give them a pop then, because I need their undivided attention.”

A guard pulled a syringe from a black bag he carried. Stone was swabbed and then injected in the upper arm. The needle was cleaned with alcohol and Knox was hit next.

Whatever they’d been given, the effect was immediate. Stone could feel his heart racing and every nerve he possessed was on overdrive. He glanced over at Knox and saw he was having the very same reaction.

“Good,” said Tyree. “Now get ’em hooked up.”

A duffel bag was opened and out of it came two thick leather belts with black wires attached. They were placed around each man’s middle and padlocked down. Tyree was handed a black box with buttons on it.

He depressed one of the buttons and a green light came on. He stood in front of the men and then turned his attention to Knox.

“All right, Mr. CIA. Does anyone know that you came to the town of Divine?”

“Yes.”

Tyree depressed the button and Knox stood straight up, screaming as the voltage entered him. Tyree released the button, and like a marionette that had lost its handler, Knox slumped back down in the chair, panting and swaying.

Tyree looked at Stone. “What is your real name?”

“Oliver Stone.”

A second later, Stone was involuntarily on his tiptoes, feeling like both his brain and his heart were going to explode.

Tyree removed his finger and Stone dropped back down, missed the chair and hit the floor. The guards grabbed him and slammed him back in his seat.

Tyree turned back to Knox. “Does anyone know that you came to the town of Divine?”

“NO!”

The blast hit him again. After he was slumped back in his chair, he barked, “What the hell answer do you want?”

“The truth.”

“Well, one of those answers had to be the truth, you dickhead!”

Tyree held the button down so long that Stone feared Knox would not come back. But he did, sweating and swearing.

Tyree turned to Stone. “Oliver Stone?”

Okay, buddy, let’s see if you can take it as well as you can dish it out.