Hide in the iron maiden

Looking quickly for a place to hide, Alex is left with no other option than to step completely into the iron maiden and to gingerly pull it as much closed as he can without impaling himself on the protruding spikes. This leaves him standing uncomfortably, but able to see out of the crack in the opening.

No sooner does he get settled than he hears the doors to the dungeon open and the sound of approaching footsteps. Soon several figures step into Alex's line of sight. He sees Scanlan's goons, Mick and Butch, dragging a semi-conscious Juarez across the floor. They dump him unceremoniously onto a wooden table and proceed to affix chains to each of his arms and legs with heavy metal cuffs. The chains radiate out from each of the four corners of the table, and once they are firmly attached, Alex sees Beverly Scanlan step into view.

"You tire me, Juarez. I let you off easy with your promise that you would talk, and now look what you are forcing me to do! You bring this upon yourself, you know."

Scanlan pulls a lever, and Alex sees the chains grow taut, pulling Juarez's arms and legs with them. They slowly pull harder and harder, until Juarez wakes from his stupor to yell, "Enough! I'll talk! I'll talk!"

Scanlan flips the lever back, and the chains hold their position. She steps close to Juarez and runs her fingers over his cheeks. "I know you will talk. That's never been a question. The question is how much fun I'm going to have with you as repayment for my inconvenience."

She snaps her finger over her shoulder, and Alex sees another figure step into view. It is a well-built ebony woman. Her muscles are well defined, and her ample figure is highlighted by the black leather harness that barely conceals her full breasts. She wears a tight leather skirt, and a black leather mask that covers her hair and her face from the nose, upward. She carries a riding crop, which she brandishes from hand to hand.

"I will let Nadia warm you up for me," says Scanlan.

With that, the black woman reaches out to Juarez's shirt, and with a violent tug, rips it from him, exposing his upper body. From a nearby table, she retrieves a large knife, which she brandishes in front of Juarez's horrified face before expertly slicing his pants to shreds and removing the last remnant of his clothing.

Alex watches in horrified fascination and is so captivated by the sight that he nearly leaps out of his skin in terror when he hears Beverly Scanlan's voice at his side. "Enjoying the show, Agent Rider? Why don't we give you a closer view?"

The iron maiden abruptly opens, and Alex finds himself looking at Mick and Butch, standing in front of him and catching him by the arms as he tries to bolt.

"What's your hurry, secret agent boy? The show is just getting started." says Scanlan, and Alex feels a sharp pain in his shoulder. He looks, just as Scanlan removes the empty hypodermic syringe and places it on a nearby table.

Alex tries to speak, but his tongue suddenly feels four times thicker than normal, and his eyelids feel as if they weigh ten pounds each. He gives one last effort to struggle against his captors, and then....

blackness

When he comes to, he knows without opening his eyes that he is bound in the same manner as Juarez. He hears voices, but he is still too woozy to comprehend them.