Istambul, Turkey

Vini tied the man's arms and legs to a chair, while Belgium assisted the women scattered around the apartment and Enzo.... Well, he wasn't doing much. The man was struggling in the chair, actively requesting his release. Vini could even agree, as long as he revealed Ana's current whereabouts and what the hell all those women were doing in that horrible place.

- I won't tell you jack shit! - said the man in broken English.

- Now what? - Vini looked at Belgium.

- Isn't this the time when we should torture him? - Belgium asked a curious question.

- Do you think I know such things? Do I look like Michael Myers?

- It's just to bug him, to make him talk. It shouldn't be too hard.

- You don't know that.

As it turned out, they really had no clue. And what do people do when they don't know how to do something? Google.

- Belgium, it says here that I should take a knife and... - Vini froze. - I'm not going to do that.

- You're a wimp! It's just... - Belgium took out his cell phone and just read the first paragraph. - Yeah, I'm not going to do that either.

- Oh, what's with the whole slacking thing?

- Anyway, it's a guy thing!

Vini was surprised.

- What do you mean?

- How many psychopaths are men and how many are women?

- That's because society treats us like a piece of shit. Of course we become crazy and end up doing... Things.

- Even more so with the judges of the internet who see themselves as having the right to judge everything and everyone. - Enzo came out of nowhere and defended Vini and his point of view.

- Okay, okay, arguing about this is useless. - Belgium changed the subject. - Just ask the guy where Ana is.

- That's fine. - Vini turned to the man, a little more relaxed. - Hey, where is our friend?

The man smiled, but didn't answer.

- Hey, I'm talking to you! Where is Ana?

- He won't talk! - Enzo said.

- Oh, I think he will. - Vini took the knife. - Tell me, you motherfucker, where is our friend?

- And why are these women left here in this horrible dump?

- Not like the rest of the country is much better.

- Shut up, Enzo!

- What? Have you seen the streets of this neighborhood? Even the school lavatory is cleaner!

Vini lost his cool and stuck the knife in the man's legs, who screamed wildly.

- What the fuck was that? - Enzo asked.

- I don't know! I think I've lost it!

- Just ask the fucking questions! - Belgium also seemed to be going nuts.

The man stared at them with anger in his eyes. If he hadn't been tied up and wounded in the thighs, he would certainly be gone with the bodies of the three of them in a matter of minutes. And that wouldn't be too hard.

- We promise we''ll let you go. - Belgium said. - But you are going to answer our questions. It's a deal.

The man said nothing, but the expression on his face gave an indication that he would cooperate. At least that's what they figured.

- Where is Ana?

- Who is Ana?

- Short, straight hair. Brown eyes. Smell of ocean leaves at night.

- Ignore my friend. - Vini suggested.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

- Oh. I know. The guys took her.

- "Guys"?

- The army guys.

- Turkish army?

- No, no, the Americans.

- Who are you, anyway?

- I just get paid per head. That's all. I don't touch the girls. If you want to go after somebody, go after them.

- Fight the army... - Enzo began to think. - It sounds like a bloody genius idea.

Like it or not, Vini thought the same.

- How is the trafficking scheme?

- The women and children come from various places in the West. They are traded here and then resold to various parts of Europe and Asia.

- And what does the army have to do with this?

Hasn't this question been kind of answered before?

- Your men have been involved in human trafficking for years.

- How much have you earned?

- 500k.

- 500k? Holy shit. And you are trying to be a veterinarian, Belgium.

Belgium ignored Enzo's comment.

- Where did they take Ana?

- You know, young girl, pretty, she wouldn't last long here.

- Ok, moving on.

- There is a guy... His name is Dmitri.

- Like any other Russian man.

- Who says he's Russian, you retard?

Vini stared at Enzo.

- He got you there, buddy.

- Go on. - Belgium ignores the two idiots.

- Dmitri is in charge of transferring the women. I'm sure he knows about your friend. But I warn you, he is not very friendly.

- Where can we find him?

The man gave him an address. Vini turned on his cell phone and saved the number and the location in the search history.

- Great. - Belgium walked away.

The man sensed that something was not right. Well, Belgium ended the conversation and started to release the girls chained in their rooms.

- What the fuck are you doing? - asked the man.

- Nothing. - she said.

And she didn't end there, as she went to the kitchen and found a whole bottle of alcohol on the shelf.

- Be useful and throw it on the floor. - Belgium ordered.

- Your girlfriend is such a bossy bitch. - Enzo complained.

With all that liquid on the floor, any spark would be fatal. With the apartment empty, the man began to protest that the agreement they had signed would not be respected. One of the "but" of the criminal underworld. Never make agreements without the certainty that one of the parties will do everything possible to break them.

- Are you going to leave me here?

Belgium looked around and smiled.

- Yes.

- A little accident. - Belgium lighted a match and Enzo's cigar. As soon as he blew the smoke up, with some relief, she took the cigar out of his mouth and threw it on the floor.

- No!

The fire was instantaneous. Quickly, the apartment began to burn uncontrollably. Minutes later, already on the street, the trio could see the flames spreading from a distance. The only problem was that the fire began to reach the other buildings around them because of the wind and the singular architecture of the houses.

- You shouldn't have thrown my cigar on the floor. - Enzo complained. - And burn down half the neighborhood.

- It's a shithole neighborhood. - Vini said. - We did the Turkish government a favor.

Still, it could be worse.