54 Hellhound

Meanwhile, in an underground base on the west of Country C…

"Ahhhh!!!" you could hear screams of pain echoing in the room. A mixture of metallic smell and sweat could be detected even way before entering the room. Intermittently, you could hear splashes of water hitting a surface so hard.

The woman was tied to the chair with a special material that contracts further when wet, eating into the person's flesh.

"Are you still gonna continue with your 'oh I've been misunderstood and wronged' attitude?" the man with a black half-mask over his eyes, sitting in the dark corner catechized. The woman kept mum despite the various torture she had to endure.

"Tell me, Anna Liu… Who in the Lee family is the mastermind? I know Lee Kong Chian does not have any hands in the matter. Is it Lee Sze Jie?" he paused when he could not see any response, he signalled for the torturer to continue.

The torturer pulled her hair back with his right hand and hosed ice-cold water on her face, not allowing her head to move to get any breathing breaks. Seeing her face turning red, the torturer pulled the hose away from her face. He then released her hair and off the water.

He then walked towards the table on the left of the room and picked up a prod that has a bronze tip and an insulated handle, and is connected by wire to a control box with a rheostat to raise or reduce the voltage and delivers a high voltage but low current electric shock to its victim.

After that, he stuck the tip of the prod on her wet neck and nodded towards his colleague to turn the rheostat up. This device, known as the picana, is a hybrid electroshock weapon adapted from the electric cattle prod, the precursor for today's stun guns. Originally cattle prods were devices developed for use as a goad in animal slaughterhouses but later were used on humans as torture devices intended to exact pain and incapacitate a person in the late 1920s or early 1930s in Buenos Aires.

When the captured was waning, losing her consciousness, the torturer stopped and slapped her face, waking her up. He then stepped away from the woman and looked at the masked man.

The masked man looked at the woman's face and said, "Derek Lee…" He could see a slight change on the woman's face. It was quick... but still noticeable.

Derek Lee. The 8th grandson of the current Lee Patriarch. Also the youngest and last in line to the 'throne'.

The Lee and the Loh families had good relationship previously. However, 3 generations ago, the harmonious relationship between the family was extirpated when Lee Kong Chian's uncle had caused Loh Liwei's aunt's death due to his extra-matrimonial affair. Luckily the marriage did not produce any offspring… Imagine the complications it could have created on top of the super perplexing situation now.

The man in the dark stood up from his seat. He then walked towards the woman and bend down, putting his lips by her right ear. "Thanks for the affirmation, Anna… Since you have provided us with the information, I will grant you your freedom… with as little pain as possible…" he then stood straight and nodded towards the men surrounding the woman.

One of the men closed the distance between them and reach for the dirk from its sheath on his thigh belt and swiftly slash through her neck while pressing her head down. His action was precise and clean. Not a single drop of blood jetted out, flowing down the woman's throat like overflowing syrup out of the cup.

The interrogator walked out of the room after seeing that the deed was done. He then walked towards a room further down the corridor to report to his superior of the findings.

In the room, a modern yet simple furnished interior, you can see a man in his mid-twenties lazily laying down on a black faux leather chaise lounge. In his hand, a white Netherland Drawf Rabbit was being caressed lovingly.

"Hellhound, the captive has confirmed the mastermind. Should we proceed with the next step?" the man asked the man on the chaise.

"Her body?" the man addressed as Hellhound on the chaise questioned in an indifferent tone.

"Will be incinerated as per protocol after we deliver her head."

"Commence the next step… I can't wait to see the man's face! Hahaha!" the man on the chaise lounge laughed loudly. His low voice echoed eerily in the room, making the hairs on the interrogator's back stand. The interrogator saluted to his superior and slowly walked out of the room.

Seeing that his subordinate has left the room, the man on the chaise picked up his phone and called someone.

"Shūshu, we have confirmed the main culprit for Hidayah's accident. As we have guessed, it really is Derek from the Lee family."

"Have you settled the woman?"

"Her head will be delivered to his house in an hour and the ashes will be sent back to her family."

"Hǎo! Good job! Anston, come home for dinner tonight. Your shěnshen is making your favourite beef stroganoff for dinner."

"Mm... Wǒ zhīdào. See you tonight." Anston ended the call and stood up. He then carried the bunny out of the room and walked towards the underground garden to return the bunny back to his home.