Without saying a word, Nathan unbuckled Julio’s belt and yanked his blue jeans and boxer shorts down to his taped ankles. He pulled his Predator knife, examined its shiny surface, and smiled. Julio began flopping around in a terrified frenzy. His hip wound began oozing blood faster.

“Easy, partner,” Harv said to him, playing good cop.

“You saw what they did to my sister,” Nathan growled. “I’m gonna cut this asshole’s cojones off, cook them in the microwave, and stuff ’em down his throat. Better yet, he can eat ’em raw.”

Julio tried to scream, but the tape covering his mouth muted it. He frantically shook his head.

“What’s that?” Nathan asked. “I can’t understand you.” Of course he couldn’t, the man’s mouth was taped. “Hold him down. We’ll need something to cauterize his nut sack. Is your cigar torch filled with butane?”

“Indeed it is.”

Harv stepped behind Julio and grabbed his shoulders.

Nathan smiled at Julio. “You ready, amigo?” He lowered the knife out of Julio’s line of sight.

Nathan backed away just in time as Julio’s bladder quit. Yellow liquid arced through the air and found his bound partners.

“That’s disgusting,” Harv said.

Nathan sheathed his knife, walked over to the north wall, and removed the five gallon water bottle from the cooler. He poured the water on them, making sure to douse their faces. He winked at Harv and maneuvered behind Julio. Nathan tipped the bottle above Julio’s head, creating a crude but effective bit of waterboarding. Julio coughed and sputtered and whipped his head back and forth. After thirty seconds or so, Nathan stopped and tossed the bottle aside. He pulled his knife.

“Are you ready to become a woman?”

Julio lost control and began bawling like a child. A pathetic sight. Nathan had broken him in under a minute.

“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” he asked.

Julio desperately nodded.

Nathan bent over and ripped the tape free.

“We didn’t touch her. I swear, man!”

“That’s not what it looks like to me.”

“We didn’t. I swear! Ask her.”

“Where’s Montez?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is he coming back?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know much, do you?”

“I don’t, man, I swear.”

“Then you’re worthless to me.” He put his knife to Julio’s throat.

“Wait! There’s a safe house.”

“Where?”

“In San Diego.”

“San Diego’s a big place.”

“I’ve been there, I know where it is.”

“If you’re lying, dinner is standing by. I hope you’re hungry.”

“I’m not.”

“Hungry or lying?”

“Lying.”

“Who else has been to the safe house besides you?”

“Hector.”

“Which one is Hector?”

“You shot him. He was upstairs.”

He re-taped Julio’s mouth and returned to the offices. He motioned with his head for Grangeland to follow.