The Torturer (Part 2)

A Story by Shade Teller

Echo's vengeance has been complete but his past still exists and his past is all that he can see. Follow Echo on fragments of his life through the many people that he tortures, one person at a time.

The night was like any other. The natural light was all gone, and the planes that flew through the skies were the stars and the lights of the city, the man-made sun. Briar, a visitor to the great city, enjoyed the magnificent view of the unnatural wonder, from the second highest floor of the building he was staying. Briar was never afraid of heights so being so high was no discomfort.

Briar, unlike most, was powerful. Secretly, he had combination's of assassins, other crime lords, and drunk friends. One might say that Briar is the bad guy or the chief villain. That one and maybe even you don't want Briar to exist. But in every being there is a good side, a conscience, a soul, right? If Briar had any conscience it was left below while he climbed to power. With his conscience, he left his fear and caution, making him now a dangerous man amongst human society. The funny thing is, no one knew it and no one would know.

Briar continued to look over the great city, breathing in the air of greasy fat food and the toxins of passing vehicles. Briar then began to think on his past life. It was in these moments of solitude that he felt small waves of guilt but these waves of guilt were easily interrupted by his money or his countless concubines... or a cloth covered in chloroform. Briar began to inhale the fumes by the unknown victim and he fell unconscious.

"Time to wake up," a voice said, as if far away, "Unless you'd rather sleep through death."
The voice sounded familiar as if Briar had heard it from somewhere. He opened his eyes but he was still surrounded by darkness. He realized he was blindfolded and tried to move his hands to remove the blindfold but they were tied down along with his feet and waist.

"Oh joy, you're awake," the voice said, "Well let us get down to business." Briar felt the figure moving around him and felt him staring right at him. Surprisingly enough, Briar remained perfectly calm.

"Who sent you?" Briar said, suspecting that some other rival crime lord had sent a hit-man for his extermination, "Was it Delagio? It would be just like him to send only one hit-man to come and try to kill me." The figure laughed cruelly and hysterically as if Briar had just told a show stopping joke.

"Who sent me?" he said, "I am here on my own will and power."

"Liar."

"Are you still really this stupid Briar or are you drunk again."

"I'm perfectly sober, I would think you're the one who must be on something to think that someone wouldn't start looking for me, most-likely someone has already tracked you down and are here to find me." Briar said.

"A lot of words for someone in such a small position, your tongue should be the first thing to go," the figure said, "But you're right they will find you." The figure paused. If Briar could have seen he would have seen the long psychotic smile that stretched across his would-be murderers face.

"I think it is about time that I introduce myself," the voice said, "My name is Echo." With these words he removed the blindfold to reveal himself. Briar looked into his face. Indeed he did sound and looked familiar but he couldn't place it. Briar looked around some more and realized that he was outside on the top of the building. Suddenly Echo lunged towards him with a knife in his hand.

"What are you looking at?!" Echo said, holding the knife to his eye, "No control yourself, were not done yet," he said now to himself than his prey.

"Exactly what do you want?" Briar asked, now more curious about Echo's motives.

"I just want to see you die," Echo said calmly as if it were just some everyday occurrence, "that and I would also like to know something."

"What?"

"Does this hurt?" Echo took the knife in his hand and stabbed at Briar's eye. Briar screamed in pain but his voice was muffled out by Echo's glove covered hand.

"Oh, lets not give away my cover yet, someone might hear you and I don't want the blood of two of my hands tonight... or do I?" He sat there and pondered this while Briar went through unexpressed pain. Something now struck Briar that had not come up since he had left high school. Fear. It now was every part of his being. He wanted to run but could not. He wanted to scream he could not. He wanted to cry. He cried but only bloody tears. Echo now meant a type of business that Briar thought he would never have to deal with: death.

"Oh now look what you've done." Through one eye Briar saw a man come from the ceiling door.

"What's going on up h..." before he could finish a silence bullet hit him in the forehead and he fell, as you could expect, dead.

"Poor fellow, wouldn't have had to kill him if it wasn't for you, but oh well your used to killing others right?" Echo said. Echo then stabbed Briar's other eye and he screamed again this time uninterrupted by Echo's hand.

"Scream all you want, I just find it more enjoyable," Echo said menacingly. "Now before I kill you, I would just like to say, This is for making my life a hell and making my friend which you killed, commit suicide." Echo began to drag the chair over to the edge but Briar couldn't tell.

Echo began to sing a little song in that crazy way that he had laughed and the little parody made Briar scream even louder. " Rock-a-bye Briar on the rooftop the winds will blow and your chair will drop, no one will catch you, your going to die, and now that your falling, I'll... say... good... BYE!"

Echo after ending his little song gave the chair a push and watched as Briar fell through the air and through his fear and become nothing more that a red splat on the ground.

"Yep they'll find him."