Never Judge

"One for every man that betrayed us." Al announced as he delivered ten more blows.

After the first two strikes red specks began to appear on Troy\'s shirt, Al knew he had broken skin. 

He commanded the guards to strip the man of his shirt and continued to whip Troy.

With every impact, as much as Al tried to deny it, he resisted the urge to flinch, the urge to feel. 

Once all ten blows were delivered, the floor was red with Troy\'s blood as the man groaned. 

A doctor was quick to check if the man could handle more or if he was about to die. 

"He can still take more." The doctor confirmed with a nod as he quickly moved aside.

"Pour ice cold water on him, I think he needs to wake up a little." Ray said with a grin as he waved for a guard to approach and do as he commanded. 

A bucket of ice cold water was poured on Troy, making the man jump in jock, waking him from the pain induced trance. 

"Now, Troy, will you tell us who gave you orders to infiltrate my family?" Al asked the man as he walked up and lifted his head to look Al directly in the eyes.

"I didn\'t know the person." Troy said in a shaky voice. 

"Are you sure, Troy? I\'m sure he gave you a name." Al told the man as he took a step back and whipped him again. 

"Do you remember a name yet, Troy?" Al asked in a cold voice. 

"Joanna, she said her name was Joanna." Troy shouted as Al let another strike fall on his back.

"And this Joanna, was she just a middle man or did she call the shots?" It was Ray that asked the question this time. 

"I\'m not sure." Troy answered, prompting Al to whip him again.

"I think we made it clear from the start, Troy, we don\'t like liars. So answer my father\'s question." Al demanded the man.

"She was just the middleman." Troy confessed. "She dealt with everything we needed. She did the documents and made sure we had what we needed."

"Was she your handler?" Al asked, this time he chose not to harm the man, maybe a more positive reinforcement would help.

Troy shook his head.

"A name, traitor." Ray spat. 

"Renzo." Troy said.

"I need a last name." Al declared as he whipped Troy, deciding that the man needed more incentive to speak. 

"Renzo Chia." Troy said in a weak voice. 

"Do you know who was in charge? Who was Renzo\'s boss?" Ray questioned the man as he walked over to the table.

"No, we never spoke to anyone higher than Renzo." Troy desperately told Ray as he saw the King of the underworld pick up a knife.  I think you should take a look at

"Hmmmm. . . Are you sure?" Ray hummed as he walked up to Troy. "I really don\'t like repeating my questions, it\'s such a waste of time."

"I swear sir, that\'s all I know." Troy sobbed.

Ray squatted next to the man and placed the cold blade against the man\'s cheek and pulled it towards himself, slowly gliding over Troy\'s skin.

Where the blade passed, skin broke and blood dribbled out of the wound. 

"Sharp." Ray said with a grin. "Do you know what we use this blade for, Troy?"

The man shook his head, not minding the pain from his torture.

"We use it to skin animals, but mostly we use it to skin uncooperative prisoners." Ray said with a grin as he pulled the man\'s hand towards himself. 

"No! Please! No!" Troy shouted, crying as he spoke.

It was at that point that Al turned away for a moment. He was thankful that the man\'s attention was purely on his father and had his back turned on Al.

"I swear, I\'ve told you everything I know!" Troy begged. "Please enough!" 

"I don\'t think it\'s enough Troy. You\'ve been working for me for a few months now and you must know how much my family means to me." Ray said in a cold tone that sent chills up Al\'s spine.

It was the first time he had seen his father in the act like this. 

He had seen the king of the underworld work in a business sense, sending out orders to the different leaders of the Mafias and Gangs. But Al had never seen his father extract information from a man.

The king rarely had to do so, but according to some of Ray\'s men, Ray had always been the best.

"Don\'t embarrass me Troy, it\'s my son\'s first extraction. Tell us what we need to know and you will be able to rest in your cold cell." Ray told the man. 

"I really don\'t know, and Renzo probably knows by now that the group has been taken, there is no way for you to reach him. He\'s probably killed Joanna." Troy declared. 

Ray nodded as he listened to what Troy had to say.

"You can try, but you\'d be stupid to try." Troy chuckled. "You can get all the information you need to contact him in my apartment. But I\'m sure he has people watching that place, making sure that no one from your side approaches." 

Troy began to laugh like a mad man, as a response, Ray punched the man in the gut, causing him to fall to the ground, grunting.

"So noisy." Ray scoffed. 

"What did my family do to you for you to want to harm us so bad?" Al couldn\'t help but ask. 

Surely there was more to why the man had helped try to kill Al\'s brother. 

Troy laughed even if he was on the ground bleeding. 

"You people think you can be in power forever." Troy said in a mocking tone. "You too will fall someday, and I am happy to have been part of it."

"Send him to his cell. Give him only enough to live." Ray declared as he guided his son out of the room, clearly bothered by Troy\'s parting words.