"Seignior?" a voice rang out, cutting between the horrible silence. Tulio tore his eyes away from the monster of a man and saw one of the Italian guards holding a case of some sort. "This just arrived today." "Good." Diego growled, wrapping the cloth back over his face and walking over to the man. "Now would you be so kind as to leave me to my work, please?" As soon as the guard stumbled back through the door and locked it, Diego whipped around and stared at Tulio. "I don't suppose you know what is in that bag, do you?" Tulio swallowed, trying to force the knot in his throat down. "If I have to guess," he croaked, "I'd say that it's full of very painful torture devices." "Very good, heathen. You don't seem too stupid to know your fate." He placed the bag on the grimy table and began to unload. The first were two, long leather whips with the ends tied to what looked like fishhooks of some sort. Then he pulled out several fireplace pokers, many rusted metal clamps and, lastly, a couple of pliers. "Doesn't this look like fun?" Diego snarled. "God...." Tulio trembled. He didn't know what was worse, the little toys that were planned to destroy him or being in the presence of the infamous Sancho Feo. "Do not use the Lord's name in vain, harlot!" Diego screamed, punching Tulio across the face again. Tulio definitely heard something crack that time and screamed. "Listen to me. You and that other one stole all the gold and silver in a bank in Spain, and they're not too happy about it. Tell me where the money is, and I promise I won't hurt you too bad." Diego's eyes (The only part of his face showing) flashed an evil red. "I-I dunna." Tulio slurred, positive that his jaw was now broken. "M- Miguh hid da money somewhere. Only he knows!" Tears flowed down his face. 'Why did I say that?' he screamed to himself. 'He'll kill Miguel for that! Oh God, Miguel.' The thought of Miguel, with his beautiful green eyes and long golden hair and laughing smile, shattered his heart. If he was to die, he was sure that Miguel would kill himself. Or if Miguel died, he would kill himself. All in all, they were doomed. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Diego said calmly, and unshackled Tulio's hands, causing them to flop down lifelessly. Then, grabbing a handful of black hair, he lugged Tulio across the floor (with Tulio kicking and yelling the entire way) until they reached the middle of the room. He then hurled the Spaniard onto the table and strapped his arms and legs down, so he was unable to move. "Now since this is your first time with the great Sancho Feo, I'm going to do you a little favor." the monster said, holding up the pair of pliers. "I'm going to start out by ripping out your back teeth so I don't mess us that pretty little smile of yours." The way that Diego said that last remark made Tulio shudder. Pretty little smile? That couldn't be good. But, his mind clouded with fear, all he could say was, "Gee, thanks." Diego grasped Tulio's broken jaw and forced it down as low as he could, causing Tulio to cry out in pain. But that was nothing. Tulio then felt the madman shove the pliers into his mouth, latch onto one of molars, and ripped it out. Tulio screamed as his mouth was filled with raging pain and the coppery taste of blood. He thrashed his head side to side until Diego finally grabbed his bloody face and held him in place. "You are making this difficult. Guards! Hold his head down!" Tulio felt two pairs of hands grab his face as the horrible colors and stars dance across his face. But three more times he felt the thundering pain as more teeth were pulled out. Finally his face was let go and he was untied. "If I don't catch your lover in the next twelve hours, I'll come back for you." Diego growled in Tulio's ear. "So I suggest you get some sleep." And Tulio was left alone, lying on the table, trying not to choke on his own blood. Slowly he rolled himself off the table and onto the cold floor, soothing his feverish skin. As his world faded into pained darkness, he could practically feel Miguel's arms wrapping around his waist and whispering, "It's all right Tulio. I'm here." "If only it were true...." Tulio rasped, falling into a nightmarish sleep. ------------- Miguel burst through the door of Tulio and his apartment, only to find it a total mess. The sheets and the bed were ripped apart, shelves and cupboards emptied, mirrors smashed and objects cluttering the floor. But Tulio or the mysterious man was not there. "Ah...." Miguel groaned, clutching his chest as he tried to return his breathing to normal. His throat was raw from panting, his legs felt like they would fall off any minute and his heart was pounding much to hard for it's own good. "Calm down, calm down, calm down...." Now was not the time to pass out. He had to find Tulio! However, as he stepped outside the building, he was face to face with about six guards. "Get him!" the leader of the group shouted, but Miguel was too fast for them. He dodged into the alleys, jumping over the random piles of trash or the occasional tramp sleeping up against the wall. But the horrible spikes of pain doubled in his body and he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. He closed his eyes as he felt shackles cuff his hands together. "Seignior Onofre will be pleased to see you." one of the guards said, but his laughter was replaced with a loud CLANG and an "Ooof!" before he dropped to the ground. Miguel, with his eyes still closed, heard a great clamor of punches landing, grunts, groans, screams, and the clatter of armor falling to the ground. Then, when all was quiet, he felt his wrists being unshackled. "It's okay, Miguel. You're safe now." a familiar voice said Before he fell into unconsciousness, a single word passed Miguel's lips. "Ch-Chel?....."