The Midnight Man Page #6

me?

- Sorry, do you need cab fare?

- If I wanted to leave,

I just had the chance.

- Zan.

There is nothing more

that you can do for me.

- What does that mean?

- Mind your fingers.

- What does that mean?

Grady, please don't do this.

Grady!

Grady, for the first time in

your life

you can feel something.

- Yeah, and what a barrel

of laughs that's been.

- Well, not everything

you feel will be bad.

- Anything else?

(moaning softly)

I'm sorry I got you into this.

You should go back to your life.

- What will you do?

I hope I never see you again.

(car rumbling)

- [Voicemail] Please leave

your message after the tone.

- Ezekiel, it's me.

I had to abort.

Get out.

Get out right now.

Well, it's a good job I'm not in

a hurry.

(cellphone chimes)

(cellphone chimes)

- Well, hello, Grady.

It's a pleasure to have you in

my home.

- Where is she, Vick?

- Would you like a sit?

- This is more of a quick visit.

- Oh, Grady, if we can't be

civil

even in death, then what are we?

- Animals.

- Very well, then, if you're in

a hurry

do as you must.

- Oh, the mighty have fallen.

How the Grady of old would've

stormed right in here

and snatched up whatever he

wanted.

Two unfeeling hands

clenched around my throat,

but now, the unbearable doubt.

It eats at him.

Why do I surrender, he wonders.

Is it because I'm caught?

Is it because, as he

fears, I'm booby trapped?

Or is it that if I were to

surprise you

and you end up in my chair,

you now know what awaits you.

Oh, let's not hurry this along.

Let's enjoy a few moments of

civility

before we get to business.

- It doesn't have to be this

way, Vick.

Just tell me what I want to

know.

- Cheese?

- It's a bochetto, a blend

of cow and sheep milk

with shavings of a rare, white

truffle,

a particular favorite from

Tuscany.

Have you ever been?

- Vick?

- Spent several summers there as

a boy.

I try to get back as often as I

can.

- I will kill you and look for

her myself.

- Yes, well, I suppose

boschetto isn't for everyone.

- Tell me.

- Actually, I was hoping

you would tell me.

After all, I can't imagine what

tonight's been like for you.

Your mind, your body,

struggling constantly.

Attempting to process the sheer

vastness

of all the sensation

this world has to offer.

And I imagine, above all,

it's been frightening.

Has the touch of agony forced

you to rethink your ways?

Your motives?

When the god becomes man?

Does he crave the same diet?

- Jesus Christ, you talk a lot.

- And, as I'm sure you've

begun to understand,

pain is not what motivates.

No.

No, when I interrogate a man

for information, for

punishment, for whatever,

it's not the suffering

that produces results.

Fear is what we share.

Fear is what makes

humans so easy to break.

That's why I make food and

drink,

comfort available to them first,

because when they feel safe,

and they know it's not meant to

last,

the work's been done.

So, has it broken you?

- Let me tell you what you are,

Vick.

You're a circus freak.

A sideshow.

A distraction that's all.

And all this bullshit you

use to scare your victims

doesn't work on me.

- Oh, I like this.

- You're not going to touch me.

- Oh?

- No, you're going to

tell me where she is.

- And then what?

- That depends on my mood.

Time's up, Vick.

Now tell me where is --

(taser buzzing)

- All your questions will

be answered in time, Grady.

Don't worry, the tension and

headache will pass momentarily.

And your diaphragm may still

be spasming from the taser,

so don't try too hard to speak.

You'll only make yourself vomit.

- What have done with Zan?

- Now, I know you've been

tortured before.

- Tales of your brilliant

ploy to reach the unreachable

Pearl are already legendary.

How I would have loved

to have him in my chair.

However, for you, I expect this

experience

will be quite different this

time.

Oh, don't look so down.

This is a gift.

The greatest gift you've ever

received.

Now, you get to find out what

the rest of us already know.

Now, I find it always

helps to give my subject

the details of what I'm doing.

In your case, I'll start by

opening

up the palm of your hand

and carving through the thenar

muscles.

Then I'll tie off the ulnar

artery

so you don't bleed excessively.

Once the the flexor tendons are

exposed,

I'll make several incisions

that will have multiple effects.

Most relevant, it will make

moving your fingers impossible.

That way, you won't be able to

resist

when I remove your fingernails

and, eventually, sever your

fingers.

Now, I'll be stopping

occasionally

to inject you with amphetamines

so you don't pass out from the

pain

and the entire process should

take no more than an hour.

And then we'll move on.

- You really are a sick f***,

Vick.

Now where's Zan?

What have you done with Zan?

- Before we begin, I really must

know,

who on God's green earth is this

Zan

you keep shouting about?

- She's the woman you kidnapped,

you assclown, you know exactly

who she is.

- Grady, dear, there's

no one here except us.

Surely, you've noticed.

- I received a text.

- Grady, do I look like I text?

- So you didn't do this?

You didn't drug me, did you?

- No, I'm afraid not.

- Did you even talk to the FBI?

- No, the only FBI man

I've ever spoken with

(chuckles) sat right

where you're sitting now.

Oh, the conversation was

compelling but brief.

Oh, Grady, perhaps you came here

under false pretenses?

- Why would Ezekiel think

that you, Marky, Nomack, and

Fairbanks

we're all talking to the Feds?

- Ezekiel is a thorough man.

Whatever led him down

that line of thinking

must've been convincing.

Well, shall we begin?

- Don't you want to know

who's behind this, Vick?

Somebody is playing with us.

We've been set up.

- No, correction, you've been

set up.

- Vick, Vick, look, Vick, Vick.

You can't torture me, Vick.

- Oh, but I want to.

Oh, Grady, to have you, it's

like,

it's like making love to a

virgin.

And for that reason, I shall

do no permanent damage.

Just a sampling if you will.

Now, yep, up-up-up-up.

Now this might be a little

startling.

Oh, dear.

(punching)

The drug wore off, didn't it?

I suppose I do talk too much.

Grady, please, try to see this

my way.

- Don't worry, Vick, I won't

do any permanent damage.

(car engine racing)

(clock chimes)

(gunshots)

- Miss us?

- I wouldn't.

That wire has a tensile

strength of 380,000 pounds.

Struggle too hard, and you'll

sever your own beautiful head.

(sigh)

- You, you did all this

to avenge your boss.

- I guess introductions are in

order.

- Hello, Grady, you know me,

but you probably don't know

that you do (laughing).

I'm so sorry.

I can't keep that going.

I think I sprained my tongue.

- It's impossible.

- Is it?

- We knew what Pearl looked

like.

- Did you?

See, I think that's what pisses

me off most about this.

Here's a man who was sent to

kill me,

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