The Big Enchilada

out of him, and he let go of my neck. I turned around and hit him in the solar plexus. As he doubled up, I gave him a chop across the back of his neck and he collapsed on the floor.
    I looked up and saw their fearless leader frantically trying to get the door open. I pulled him around so that he faced me. Terror showed in his face. His mouth worked but no sound came out. A stench hit my nostrils and told me he was literally scared shitless. I laughed. His face contorted and he tried to kick me in the groin. I caught his foot and flipped him on his back. Still holding his leg straight up, I said, “Is this what you Wed to do?” as I buried the toe of my shoe in his crotch. Yellow foam frothed out of his mouth.
    The girl came at me, screaming wildly, looking like the witch she pretended to be. She had picked up one of the fallen knives and was holding it over her head. She tried to plant it in my chest, but I grabbed her skinny arm with one hand. My other hand grabbed a tit and twisted it until she dropped the knife. She was glaring at me, spitting like a wild animal. She might have been the worst of the lot.
    I put my hands at the top of her dress and ripped it off her. She wore no underwear. Naked she was even worse-looking than before. She was very thin except for full breasts that seemed out of place on that bony frame. She was dirty, and her skin was covered, with welts and scratches and insect bites. She stared at me defiantly.
    “Now what should I do with you?” I said.
    “Eat me, motherfucker! Eat me!”
    I was suddenly tired of all this. Before she had a chance to react, I hit her on the point of her chin. Her knees went rubbery and gave way as she slumped down, unconscious.
    I looked around. There, in the corner, was George Lansing II.
    “Well, Georgie, here we are. Just the two of us.”
    “Leave me alone. I don’t know you. I don’t know anything.”
    “But Georgie, you must. You’re the reason all this happened.”
    “I told you, I don’t know anything. Don’t hurt me.” He sounded like an eight year old.
    Someone groaned and I looked around. When I turned back to Georgie he had a small gun in his hand. No matter what he sounded like, he had tried at least once to kill his father. He was unpredictable, and I figured I had to act fast.
    “Georgie, that’s just stupid,” I said, and keeping my eyes on his face, I suddenly went low and threw a roll block at him, hoping I would be able to come in beneath his gun. He fired as my shoulder slammed into him. I felt the heat as the bullet passed just above my back. The second time I bounced into him he dropped the gun.
    I kicked it across the room. Georgie was looking ás though nothing had happened. I studied his face. His nose was running and he had the frozen upper lip of the chronic coke sniffer. His eyes were vacant and imbecilic. All that showed was viciousness, and the only way to get the truth out of him was the threat of pain.
    “Who’s Domingo, Georgie?”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Leave me alone.” “Who’s Domingo?” I asked very quietly.
    He turned his face away, bored.
    “WHO’S DOMINGO?”
    I shouted into his ear and at the same time reached up between his legs and grabbed his balls hard and squeezed.
    He screamed and turned to look at me. I finally had his attention.
    “Let me go! Let me go! You’re killing me!”
    I squeezed harder.
    “Who’s Domingo? Tell me quick or I’m going to crush your balls.”
    “I don’t know. I never heard of him. Please let me go.” He was starting to sweat and roll his head.
    I squeezed harder still.
    “The truth. Tell me the truth.”
    “Stop! Stop! That is the truth. I swear. I swear.”
    I let up the pressure. He relaxed a little.
    “What about that big gorilla you sent to scare me off?”
    “I didn’t send anyone. Honest.”
    I jammed my hand hard up his crotch.
    “Honest. I don’t know anything about it. Let me go.”
    I relaxed my grip. I believed him. Very few men can lie under those circumstances. Georgie wasn’t likely to be the exception to that rule.
    “You know your father hired me, Georgie?”
    “What for?”
    I squeezed again.
    “Because he doesn’t want to be murdered by you. I think he should have killed you or put you away a long time ago. But that’s his affair. ,My affair is to see that you won’t send him any more presents or do anything stupid like try to kill him again.” I squeezed very hard. “Understand?”
    His face was