Forced to Kill Read Online Free PDF Page A

own apprehension reached much deeper. He didn’t know how this development would affect him, and he desperately wanted to avoid slipping back into the fractured state that had nearly driven him to suicide. He’d moved past that years ago. Had it not been for Harv’s unyielding friendship, he would have ended his life. Harv had given him purpose. Started their security company. Invested their money. Protected him. He owed Harv more than he could ever repay in ten lifetimes.
    He closed his eyes. It was one thing to be tortured in private, but publicly? In front of women and children? For days on end? Juan Montez de Oca had been especially twisted in his methods. He’d gathered dozens of local villagers to witness the interrogations. One day, while Montez watched with casual indifference, one of the mercenaries who fancied himself an expert with a bullwhip had demonstrated his skills. During the unthinkable pain and blood loss, Nathan had discovered a dark side of himself, a savage part of his psyche that he’d come to call the other , for lack of a better term. This hate-filled personality had made it possible for him to cope with the pain and humiliation of being brutalized in front of an entire village, including women and children who’d been openly sobbing. Nearing death, Nathan had lost count at twenty-eight lashes.
    Now, fourteen years later, he felt an uncontrollable impulse to scream into the night until his throat bled.
    No. I won’t do it. It’s not who I am anymore.
    Nathan relaxed his hands and slowed his breathing.
    He couldn’t allow Montez to ruin his life, his friendship with Harv, and everything he’d developed with Holly. He’d imagined going after Montez many times, but never tried. As far as they knew, Montez had dropped off the face of the Earth more than a decade ago, apparently exiled from his own country, never to be heard from again.
    But if Holly’s photo was authentic, Montez had returned. And not only returned, he’d become active again, torturing and killing another victim—and probably more than one.
    Nathan couldn’t turn his back on this, but going after Montez involved considerable risk. He knew Harv would demand to be part of any operation against Montez. Could he risk that? Harv had a wife and two sons.
    One thing was certain, Montez couldn’t be allowed to operate like this again. On that, he and Harv would strongly agree. So be it. But first things first. Montez had to be found.
     
    ***
     
    Holly looked toward the hangars. “How long will he be out there?”
    “If he were by himself,” Harv said, “it could be hours. But he won’t keep us waiting that long. He’s going through all kinds of scenarios in his head right now. If-then scenarios. If this happens, I’ll do this. I’d also be willing to bet he’s making a phone call.”
    “To whom?”
    “General Hawthorne.”
    “The Marine Corps commandant?”
    “Yes, our old CO. He helped us with the Bridgestone case, looked into the DOD records for us.”
    Holly remembered. “What can you tell me about Nicaragua? The man who did this.”
    Harv sighed. “We called him Monty Goose, but his full name is Colonel Juan Montez de Oca. Oca means “goose” in Spanish. Nathan made up the nickname to antagonize him. Montez hated it.”
    “Why would Nathan want to anger his interrogator?”
    “Despite the physical pain, interrogation is a mind game more than anything else. A strong-willed victim can turn the situation around on his tormentor, but it usually comes at a very high price.”
    “Are you saying Nathan purposely made it harder on himself?”
    Harvey joined her in the front seat. “What I’m saying is, he could have made it easier, but didn’t.”
    “Montez didn’t break him?”
    “Not entirely. Nathan kept changing his story. Montez never learned the real truth, or even extracted Nathan’s real name. Even if he had, he couldn’t have verified anything. We were off the books. No paper at all. So in a