***No gore, but maybe be mindful that this chapter is a bit mature?***
Ben was reluctant, and not even breaking his possessions seemed to work. They were worried however, that someone would call the police if things got too loud.
"How about torture?" Asrael suggested as they both stared at the man tied to a chair with duct tape over his mouth.
Arius looked at Asrael, and as much as he hated the idea, it wasn't like he hadn't done it before. Arius was a kind man, but not exceedingly kind. So just like that, he nodded his head. "Nothing too messy though."
"Waterboarding it is then." Asrael smirked as he walked into the kitchen.
There were different forms of waterboarding, and one included holding a wet cloth to the nose and mouth to induce the sensation of drowning. Asrael favorite form was dunking their heads into cold water, put unfortunately, he couldn't find any decently sized buckets to use. He settled on using a cloth and water.
Asrael brought a jug of water and cloth into the room which he set down on a table. Arius understood waterboarding, and he helped by flipping the chair that Ben sat on so that he faced the ceiling. The water was conveniently found in the fridge, so it was cold and perfect for Asraels intended use.
"Hold this on his face for me." Asrael handed the cloth to Arius, who went to rip the tape off his face and did as asked.
Asrael took up the jug and held it over the poor man's covered face. After a moment of pouring, there was a reaction as Ben began to struggle. Arius himself had been waterboarded before, so he understood the experience. Right now, Ben must be feeling his lungs constricting, and a burning in his larynx. It ignited desperation within the person as well as panic. It was a bad time, although Arius thought that drowning was less painful than many other things.
They needn't really do such a thing, as they didn't come for information in the first place. However, since they were there, they might as well not leave empty handed. It was this mentality that made them efficient, but also scary.
Soon, Ben was unconscious, and Arius lifted the towel. The two waited until he woke up again, and at that time they asked where the dogs were once more.
Ben was weak willed, so after that he practically told his entire life story. He even admitted to cheating on his middle school girlfriend, not that anyone asked.
The information they wanted was acquired, and just as they were about to set off, Arius remembered to untie the poor Ben. Of course, they had to threaten him to keep quiet before they could leave. Before that, however, Asrael had insisted they bring him along, and so it ended with the three of them on their way to a secluded area in a bad neighborhood.
On the outskirts, stood a house that seemed to lean to the right, with a slanted rooftop. The paint was wearing off and the was smell horrid. It was a combination of things, feces, mildew, and likely something dead.
The air was thick with the scent. Arius and Asrael could some how handle the smell, although they both held a deep frowned. Ben, though seemed completely unfazed by it, and looked at the two like they were monsters.
"This is the place?" Arius looked at the man weirdly.
"Y-yes."
Asrael began walking towards the small house that looked more like a shack. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the mold. His gaze became cold as he heard faint whimpering from inside.
Arius followed behind and could also hear the sounds of the pitiful creatures. He immediately turned to look at Ben with disgust, as he had come to the conclusion that he wasn't actually a breeder, but a puppy mill farmer.
A puppy mill was what you would call a farm, that farmed puppies under terrible conditions with cruel ethics. Arius was prepared to find dead dogs and puppies inside, victims of disease, dehydration, and starvation. It wasn't improbable that they were beaten to death either, as their owner was a scum!
Often times, puppy mills would conduct inbreeding, and the puppies might not live long.