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you some questions； Mr。 Fletcher。 Many of them…I tell you this frankly…are the questions Tomás Herrera refused to answer。 I hope you will not refuse； Mr。 Fletcher。 I like you。 You sit there in dignity； do not cry or beg or urinate the pants。 I like you。 I know you only do what you believe。 It is patriotism。 So I tell you； my friend； it's good if you answer my questions quickly and truthfully。 You don't want Heinz to use his machine。'
'I've said I'd help you；' Fletcher said。 Death was closer than the overhead lights in their cunning wire cages。 Pain； unfortunately； was closer yet。 And how close was Nú？ez； El Cóndor？ Closer than these three guessed； but not close enough to help him。 If Escobar and the Bride of Frankenstein had waited another two days； perhaps even another twenty…four hours 。 。 。 but they had not； and he was here in the deathroom。 Now he would see what he was made of。
'You said it and you had better mean it；' the woman said； speaking very clearly。 'We're not fucking around； gringo。'
'I know you're not；' Fletcher said in a sighing； trembling voice。
'You want that cigarette now； I think；' said Escobar； and when Fletcher shook his head； Escobar took one himself； lit it； then seemed to meditate。 At last he looked up。 This cigarette was planted in the middle of his face like the last one。 'Nú？ez es soon？' he asked。 'Like Zorro in that movie？'
Fletcher nodded。
'How soon？'
'I don't know。' Fletcher was very aware of Heinz standing next to his infernal machine with his long…fingered hands folded in front of him； looking ready to talk about pain…relievers at the drop of a cue。 He was equally aware of Ramón standing to his right； at the edge of his peripheral vision。 He could not see； but guessed that Ramón's hand would be on the butt of his pistol。 And here came the next question。
'When he es； will he strike at the garrison in the hills of El Cándido； the garrison at St。 Thérese； or will he e right into the city？'
'The garrison at St。 Thérese；' Fletcher said。
He will e to the city； Tomás had said while his wife and daughter now watched cartoons； sitting on the floor side by side and eating pop…corn from a white bowl with a blue stripe around the rim。 Fletcher remembered the blue stripe。 He could see it clearly。 Fletcher remembered everything。 He will e at the heart。 No fucking around。 He will strike for the heart； like a man who would kill a vampire。
'He will not want the TV station？' Escobar asked。 'Or the government radio station？'
First the radio station on Civil Hill； Tomás had said while the cartoons played。 By then it was the Road Runner； always gone in a puff of dust just ahead of whatever Acme Road Runner…catching device the Coyote was using； just beep…beep and gone。
'No；' Fletcher said。 'I've been told El Cóndor says 'Let them babble。''
'Does he have rockets？ Air…to…ground rockets？ Copter…killers？'
'Yes。' It was true。
'Many？'
'Not many。' This was not true。 Nú？ez had better than sixty。 There were only a dozen helicopters in the country's whole shitpot air force…bad Russian helicopters that never flew for long。
The Bride of Frankenstein tapped Escobar on the shoulder。 Esco…bar leaned toward her。 She whispered without covering her mouth。 She had no need to cover her mouth because her lips barely moved。 This was a skill Fletcher associated with prisons。 He had never been to prison but he had seen movies。 When Escobar whispered back； he raised a fat hand to cover his own mouth。
Fletcher watched them and waited； knowing that the woman was telling Escobar he was lying。 Soon Heinz would have more data for his paper； Certain Preliminary Observations on the Administration and Consequences of Electrifying the Shit of Reluctant Interrogation Subjects。 Fletcher discovered that terror had created two new people inside him； at least two； sub…Fletchers with their own useless but quite powerful views on how this was going to go。 One was sadly hopeful； the other just sad。 The sadly hopeful one was Mr。 Maybe They Will； as in maybe they really will let me go； maybe there really is a car parked on the Street Fifth of May； just around the corner； maybe they really mean to kick me out of the country； maybe I really will be landing in Miami tomorrow morning； scared but alive； with this already beginning to seem like a bad dream。
The other one； the one who was merely sad； was Mr。 Even If I Do。 Fletcher might be able to surprise them by making a sudden move…he had been beaten and they were arrogant； so yes； he might be able to surprise them。
But Ramón will shoot me even if I do。
And if he went for Ramón？ Managed to get his gun？ Unlikely but not impossible； the man was fat； fatter than Escobar by at least thirty pounds； and he wheezed when he breathed。
Escobar and Heinz will be all over me before I can shoot even if I do。
The woman too； maybe； she talked without moving her lips； she might know judo or karate or tae kwon do； as well。 And if he shot them all and managed to escape this room？
There'll be more guards everywhere even if I do…they'll hear the shots and e running。
Of course rooms like this tended to be soundproofed； for obvious reasons； but even if he got up the stairs and out the door and onto the street； that was only the beginning。 And Mr。 Even If I Do would be running with him the whole way； for however long his run lasted。
The thing was； neither Mr。 Maybe They Will or Mr。 Even If I Do could help him； they were only distractions； lies his increasingly frantic mind tried to tell itself。 Men like him did not talk themselves out of rooms like this。 He might as well try inventing a third sub…Fletcher； Mr。 Maybe I Can； and go for it。 He had nothing to lose。 He only had to make sure they didn't know he knew that。
Escobar and the Bride of Frankenstein drew apart。 Escobar put his cigarette back in his mouth and smiled sadly at Fletcher。 'Amigo； you are lying。'
'No；' he said。 'Why would I lie？ Don't you think I want to get out of here？'
'We have no idea why you would lie；' said the woman with the narrow blade of a face。 'We have no idea why you would choose to aid Nú？ez in the first place。 Some have suggested American naiveté； and I have no doubt that played its part； but that cannot be all。 It doesn't matter。 I believe a demonstration is in order。 Heinz？'
Smiling； Heinz turned to his machine and flicked a switch。 There was a hum； the kind that es from an old…fashioned radio when it's warming up； and three green lights came on。
'No；' Fletcher said； trying to get to his feet； thinking that he did panic very well； and why not？ He was panicked； or almost panicked。 Certainly the idea of Heinz touching him anywhere with that stainless steel dildo for pygmies was terrifying。 But there was another part of him； very cold and calculating； that knew he would have to take at least one shock。 He wasn't aware of anything so coherent as a plan； but he had to take at least one shock。 Mr。 Maybe I Can insisted that this was so。
Escobar nodded to Ramón。
'You can't do this； I'm an American citizen and I work for The New York Times； people know where I am。'
A heavy hand