Page 80 of Cruel Knots

The trapdoor leading into the dungeons is concealed inside a nondescript room. Only those who’re marked for death are brought here.

Opening the trapdoor set against the floor, I step onto the first step leading to the bottom. The temperature drops sharply as I descend the short flight of stairs. Only a few bulbs hang from the ceiling, keeping the place immersed in permanent shadows.

Walking along the narrow corridor, I reach the cell where the traitors are being kept. Three men hang from chains attached to hooks on the ceiling. Their knees barely support their sagging weights.

My footsteps sound loud in the underground chamber. The noise is enough to rouse them. Blinking against the darkness, they peer at me.

To make it easier for them, I step into a shaft of light coming in through the bars of the cell.

Gasps rise in the air along with the slinking of iron chains as the three men act on their instincts. Their fear makes me smile.

Moving nearer, I take a closer look at them. All three men are badly beaten up and sport dark bruises on their faces. Their clothes are soaked in sweat. Strands of hair stay stuck to their foreheads. None of them are bleeding just yet.

“Please, Master Leon,” one of them pleads in a shaky voice. “P-p-please, give us one more chance.”

The others nod vehemently.

My butterfly knife appears in my hand. Rotating the handle along my fingers, I slowly circle them.

One of them breaks into halting, gasping sobs. “It’s all your fault, Samuel!” he screams. “I should’ve never listened to you.”

“Stop blaming me,” Samuel hisses. “You wanted the extra cash and were happy to take it.”

I look toward the third guy. He’s the oldest among them. His silence is sobering. The bastard knows what’s coming for him and makes no effort to beg and plead.

Smart, I think wryly.

The sound of approaching footsteps gets closer and soon, both Damien and Mikhail appear at the cell’s door.

“I’ve been waiting,” I say with a nod toward Mikhail who’s carrying a tripod with him. “Let’s get this show started.”

“You okay, bro?” Mikhail asks as he starts setting up the tripod.

“Yep and looking forward to getting better.”

The three men watch with bated breath as Mikhail fixes a camera onto the tripod. This way, we can do a livestream for our staff without having them all crowd the underground chamber.

Everyone is going to watch what happens to those who betray us. This is a message that needs to sink into all our men’s minds.

My knife whizzes around my fingers. My patience is starting to thin now. I need to cut some skin and see the blood oozing out. Moving closer to my prey, I slash at the traitors’ clothes.

All three start struggling against their chains to move away from me. All it does is get them cut everywhere. My knife is so sharp, that even a small brush against the blade cuts skin like paper.

Within minutes, strips of their shirts and trousers lie scattered at my feet. I tear away their remaining clothing, exposing their nakedness to my brothers and everyone else who’s watching the livestream.

Rivulets of blood flow from the numerous cuts that resulted from their incessant struggles to get free. I didn’t even get started and they’re already making a mess.

“Leon, wait,” Damien says in a low, commanding voice. “I need some answers before you get started.”

“Ask away,” I say, stepping back to stand beside him.

“Who else is on your team?” Damien asks, looking at the man in the center. “You’re all going to die today, so there’s no point in lying. Whoever was involved with you deserves the same punishment as you.”

“I didn’t want to do any of this!” The man called Tom shouts. He’s the youngest among them. “It was Samuel who made me take the money. I didn’t ask for it!”

“He’s lying!” Samuel spits. “He saw the cash in my hands and wanted to know how I got it. When I told him there was more to make, he said he’d join me. Don’t believe a word he says. He’s a greedy bastard.”

“No!” Tom shrieks. “P-p-please, Master Damien. Make it stop. Please make it stop. I’ll do anything for you. Please, please, please!”

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