The Devil's Gentle Persuasion

Brian's agonizing shrieks reverberated in the room as pain coursed through his face like a knife through butter, slicing through his skull with each throbbing pulse. His freezing body stiffened and his twitching eyes saw stars dancing around his head.

Gazi leaned back on his seat, crossing one leg on the other. He picked up the spiked baton on the wooden table and examined it, before returning his calm but deadly gaze to the whimpering Brian.

"We could make this either painful or painless for you depending on your level of honesty and cooperation. If you deviate from my question one more time, by an insignificant fraction, I will expose you to a world of horror you can only dream of. Have I made myself clear?"

Brian nodded his head.

Gazi looked up at Beda and the latter struck Brian a second time on the same stinging spot causing him to squeal louder than the first time.