The Psychotic Payback

Much needed answers

We went inside, Jim and I sat the guy in a kitchen chair and started to question him. I put my knife on the table.

Shadow - Listen, man... First, I don't give a shit what you do, or what your name is.
Thug - It's Dave.

He said desperately.

Shadow - Ok, Dave, you need to listen better if you're going to survive, ok? I said...

I grabbed him by the throat with my bloody hands.

Shadow - I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT YOUR FUCKING NAME IS!

Jim interrupts me by putting his hand on my shoulders with a gesture saying "I got this one".

Jim - Ok, Dave. There's a thing known as good cop, bad cop. We... Are not doing that. We're not cops, that's apparent for you and anyone who sees us work.
Dave - What are you guys then?
Jim - If I told you that, I'd have to kill you.
Shadow - Dave, we are a nightmare for bad people, we are not justice, ok? We are balance and, sometimes, balance has a thirst for blood. Do you want to help us calm balance's thirst?
Dave - No, sir...
Shadow - Then don't ask stupid questions and you will fucking live to NOT tell the tale.
Dave - ...
Shadow - Now, do you have a family? Dave. Do you love them?
Dave - Yes, yes I do, I love them with all my heart.
Shadow - Then I recommend you don't lie to us on anything and, when we're done with everything me and my friend are doing, you get the fuck out of this "business" and go have a good time with your family.
Dave - ...
Shadow - Now, ask him the questions.
Jim - Ok, then... Let's start with a simple one. What do you guys do?
Dave - Umm... I don't know exactly what we d-
Shadow - What the FUCK do you mean you don't know?!
Dave - I'm sorry! I don't know, really! The boss won't tell us the details, he just gives us tasks and we do them.
Jim - What kind of tasks?
Dave - It's different for everybody. Some of us go to retrieve guns, others go use them on people the boss doesn't like. Some are lucky enough to use the prostitutes, others go get them. Some of us-
Shadow - Wait, wait... Prostitutes?
Dave - Yeah, why?
Shadow - Don't ask questions! Fucking prostitutes?! Really?!
Dave - Yes.
Shadow - Where the FUCK do you get prostitutes?!
Dave - I can't say, sorry!
Shadow - DAVE...

Hearing him say that made my blood pump again. Rage started to come over me, I grabbed the knife from the table and-

Jim - Hey! Shadow, calm down...
Shadow - This mother fucker has the nerves to suggest that he can't answer some stuff with no ground to negotiate.

I pointed at Dave with the knife and shouted.

Shadow - Fucktard, you told me you have something to live for and you might not get to live for it if you act like you can or can't answer our fucking questions! Now, ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTION!

I was so enraged. The mere thought of Nadia being used and touched by another man against her will made my head hurt and my senses grow four times more accurate and attentive. The killing machine in me just wanted to go and murder all of them... No, not murder, slaughter.

Dave - Umm...
Shadow - ANSWER!
Jim - You better answer the fucking question, Dave. I can protect you but not forever. Don't piss me off too because I'm the bulletproof vest between you and the big gun here.

Dave looked nervous, and he should be. I don't want to, but I'll kill for my Nadia.

Dave - Ok, I'm sorry...
Shadow - Just... Answer.

I had to calm myself down a bit. A took a deep breath, and then Dave talked.

Dave - We take them randomly. We go look for them at night; sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes she's out with a boyfriend and we'll kill them or knock them out to take her but, as I said... We don't have a specific target, it's just... Women.
Shadow - And you take them in what?
Dave - What do you mean "in what"?
Shadow - Car! What car do you use?!
Dave - Van, white van! Why?
Shadow - Fuck! Where is it?! Where'd you guys hide the van?! Where are the women you guys kidnapped?!
Dave - I don't know! It's not us. We don't get them!
Jim - Who gets them?
Dave - Another squad.
Shadow - WHAT SQUAD?!

I grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him up. His body was weightless at the moment, I guess it was from another burst of adrenaline.

Dave - Oh god, don't hurt me!
Shadow - WHAT FUCKING SQUAD?!
Dave - They're on the next house!

I threw him to the table. He bounced so hard he landed on the other side, hitting his head on the edge and getting too dizzy to stand up correctly. I stormed out of the house in the direction of the next. Jim got out of the house, pursuing me before my drastic fuck-up to our mission.

Jim - Shadow, stop! What are you going to do? Go around kill everyone and fuck it all up, maybe killing Nadia in the process?! No! You're better than that!
Shadow - Then what the fuck do we do?!
Jim - We keep advancing, fast but with the plan! Not like one of them seven assholes who got killed by two guys with an actual plan!
Shadow - Fuck! Gust... What if they're fucking with her right now?!
Jim - Then I guess we better hurry up, huh? Now, let's stop this bullshit discussion that's going to end with the REASONABLE option winning, ok?...
Shadow - Ok... Actually, I have an idea...

I needed that. That moment of reasoning with a man who knew as much as I did that what I was going to do had more risk than profits. Plus, as I said, it gave me a moment of an idea.