- Can you repeat that?

- I know how it sounds, but...

- Tell me you're joking...

A dense atmosphere prevailed in the small office on the second floor, where tiny drops were running down the dirty windows one by one, and the ticking of the clock was slowly breaking the silence that reigned in the room. Joseph leaned back slightly in his leather chair, without taking a hard gaze off the woman sitting across from him. The gray irises tried to read sincere emotion from the brunette's hunched, anxious posture, but the truest mirror of Ruth's soul was now pointed toward the floor's hollowed planks, diminishing the reliability of the older man's judgment.

- I wasn't prepared for this either - a pair of almond-shaped eyes now turned to the listening boss, whose intertwined fingers rested on the surface of the black table - I had thought that he would have joined me quickly. I waited two hours with your carrier. Just as I was about to return, this guy...

- Henry...

- Henry - Ruth closed her eyes, concentrating on a deep, long inhale - said he couldn't wait any longer and I was either going to stay there for the night or go with him.

- And at that point you decided to leave Torres on the island? Alone?

The woman unhurriedly glanced at the window overlooking the dark street. Her usual cheerful manner had disappeared during the two intense days and Pierre was sure that it was not just out of tiredness.

- I'm going there.

The loud rustling of a chair caused a sudden reaction from Ruth, whose figure in a split second found itself beside a wet coat hung clumsily on a wooden stand - I'm going with you.

- No. You will stay in the office and inform me if Torres comes here on his own.

The slam of the door was still hearable in the air when a pale face emerged from behind the curtain, watching a white vehicle pull out into the street, and a trembling hand slowly softened a piece of paper written in faded, slanted script.

***

- Hmm... We can start with something gentle... - the sound of breaking glass filled the small space while Raziel struggled against the strong straps securing him to the cold frame of the hospital bed. The man didn't know how he had ended up in this position or how long he had been imprisoned, and the only markers of reality were the stars visible through the cracks in the decaying roof boards of a wooden building.

- If...you want money... - barely audible, hoarse voice caused Derico to straighten up from above the metal countertop and turn with a mocking smile towards the blond man, whose muscles gradually refused to cooperate in his attempts to break the strong bonds.

- You are extremely funny - the man laughed lightly, setting aside a pot full of tiny white flowers - Do you think I would waste my time with miserable detectives if I wanted money? - slender fingers carefully lifted the glass vial and slowly poured its contents into a syringe – I’ll have more fun with you than I thought...

The thick needle, dripping with liquid, was brought close to the blond man’s arm, whose faint hope of breaking free from the leather straps had evaporated with the last jerk of his weakened muscles.

- Get the hell away from me! - Raziel tried to jerk his hand away from the sharp instrument, but the needle's tip bit mercilessly into his reddened skin, and a shrill shriek mingled with a derisive laugh of satisfaction.

- You can't move anyways, so you won't feel much difference - Derico nimbly inserted the mysterious substance into the man's veins, whose horrified gaze was jumping from the doctor's focused face to the fluid quickly disappearing from the container. For a moment, the unpleasant sensation of the needle being pulled out of the man's body and the pain of the prick were the only things Raziel could register, but after a while he began to feel the effects of what had been poured into his organism.

The muscles on the left side of his body became limp, numb, and unresponsive to even the strongest commands sent from a stunned brain. The whole left arm, a moment ago throbbing with pain from the needle and the tightened straps, now seemed to be nonexistent, as if suddenly detached from the whole. The same condition encompassed the entire hip of the blond man and the initial part of his thigh, which fell slightly on the dirty surface of the white bed and completely immobilized the entire limb.

- What are you... - Raziel couldn't understand what was happening to his body, and the panic of not being able to control most of it began to spread quickly through the young man's consciousness, whose shocked gaze rested on the doctor, now leaning over the open drawers.

- Hmm... Ah, perfect! - the soft voice barely broke through the clang of metal, and as Derico turned towards the man lying motionless, the cat-shaped eyes caught a glimpse of some objects the smiling doctor was holding in his hand. In an instant, the only muscles in command began to jerk with newfound strength in an effort to avoid what was about to happen, but Derico ignored these desperate attempts, meticulously placing the sharp tools, knives and screwdrivers side by side on the cold countertop.

- What do you think about starting with... this? - The long blade reflected the glow of chocolate irises in which terror mingled with the determination to survive as the black-haired man walked unhurriedly closer to the motionless arm and pressed the flat surface of the knife against the pale skin.

- What do you feel? - Derico looked investigatively at the reaction of his new test subject, who was now staring into the azure depths with flames of hatred and a wave of contempt pouring into the doctor's soul - Oh, I’m asking for a minimum of cooperation....

- They'll find me here soon - the menacing tone rose upon the crisp night air coming in through the leaky walls of the low room - You'll pay for this.... - the scarlet liquid began to flow slowly from a deep incision in the smooth skin - ...and then I will show you what I feel...

- Touching, indeed - Derico analyzed the freshly cut wound unhurriedly, collected a few drops of blood into a glass vessel and wrote something down in a black notebook – And I hoped I had met someone less naive.

Raziel did not know exactly what these words meant, but after a while, something began to gently tap at the surface of his consciousness, like a disjointed flash of intuitive premonition.

- What do you mean?

Derico turned a bewitching, excitement-fueled gaze toward the awaiting an answer man, whose frustration and anger mingled with impatience on the surface of his tensed face.

- The better question is - Doctor grabbed the scrap of white shirt strapped over sweaty body and with a swift motion tore open its left side, revealing the anaesthetised part of bruised torso - 'Who' I meant.