78

Alessio

Xiou doesn't look fazed by my threat. I didn't think he would, and I already know he's not going to talk for me. If he didn't for anyone else, I won't be the exception.

"Who are you working for?" That's the best place to start and, like I guessed, I'm met with his silence. "Why do you have those pictures? Did you follow all of us? Me? My wife? My mother? The Butyrskayas?"

My question garners no response from Xiou. He's little more than a stone statue with a heartbeat. Pretty soon, he won't even have that. It's time to up the game.

"Not gonna take that chance?" I try to clarify.

When he doesn't answer, I cock the hammer on my gun and shoot him right in the top of his left leg. That gets a response from him.

He howls with pain and shakes against the chair. Blood spurts from his thigh and flows onto the floor, joining the blood already there.

"Have you changed your mind?"

Still no answer, so he gets another bullet in the same leg, then I shoot him again in his other leg.

Now he's