"Gentlemen, torture as a political instrument is no longer the crude and brutal extraction of information from one's enemies." "It has become a subtle and sophisticated specialty to be carried out with medical and scientific precision." "Physical and psychological pain is applied in unbearable yet controlled doses, to destroy the subject's will and spirit as the body clings to life." "Now, the process can take weeks, even months during which the subject is kept trapped in a delicate, shall we say, nightmare existence of terror." "Now, the hood, which serves to separate the interrogator and subject psychologically, is not always necessary." "There are times when one does without it." "Hidalgo." "George Hidalgo!" "You've seen how a woman must be made to remove her own clothing depriving her of her dignity." "With a man, it is the opposite." "Strip him!" "Sir." "Excuse me, gentlemen." "Doctor, there's some kind of trouble outside of the city." "I must get you to the hotel." "This won't take long." "Mr. Hidalgo, or I should say George, since I feel we almost know each other I've had an opportunity to read some of your articles about me." "Astute for the most part, though you do have certain facts wrong." "You credit me with instructing the leaders of over 35 countries." "Flattering, I must say, but the actual number is 20." "Notice, gentlemen, how the subject clings to compensatory morale and habitual defences." "Electrodes." "Good morning, Quasimodo." " You will wait here, please." " Thank you." " Good day to you, man." " Good morning, Santiago." "I brings you a visitor." "Gentleman's coming from Mexico City on the airplane." "I bring him up here?" "I'll go down there." " Holland?" " Yes." "The name's Hector Lomelin." "George Hidalgo may have mentioned me." "Yes." "How are you?" "How's George?" "He's dead." " How are George's daughter and widow?" " You knew them?" " No, but he talked about them a lot." " They are doing as well as can be expected." "I just don't understand." "George was a journalist." "He had no business getting mixed up with someone like the Doctor." "He always counted on you on getting the job done." "He felt he had no other choice." "Now I am here for myself and for others hoping to convince you to do it." "Hector, you don't seem like the kind of man that would commission somebody's death." "I'm not but the Doctor stands outside the moral laws of civilized people." "George died trying to stop that man." "How much would it cost?" "Hector, like I told George, I'm retired." "Look." "You can't withdraw from the world, Holland." "You know, in my clinic, I have patients from all over the world." "They have recorded their experiences with the Doctor on tapes." "I brought some with me." "Will you look at them at least?" "Sure." "I was arrested with my sister and her husband." "They said we had been giving guns to the rebels, but it was a lie." "We had done nothing." "My sister was pregnant." "They beat her many times on the belly." "One day, they took her away." "I never saw her again." "But I was told her body was found in the street." "When she was cut open, her husband's head was found inside her." "My wife and children were taken from me." "The Doctor forced my wife to eat her own excrement." "My children's bones were broken." "They said it would continue until I confessed crimes against the government." "But I invented things to save my family, and they said I was lying." "At the time of the coup, I was arrested and taken to the national stadium." "I can never forget the man in the hood." "The man they called the Doctor." "It was he who selected those to be tortured, those to be shot." "All day and all night, you could hear the gunfire and the screams." "They injected me with a drug every day." "It gave me headaches so bad, I felt my skull was being split open  and I had terrible cramps all over my body." "The Doctor." "The Doctor." "The Doctor." "Everyone of them." "Clement Molloch, the man they call the Doctor." "Will you do it?" "... until I passed out from the pain." "And then they broke..." "Like I said, I'm retired." "Clement, a pleasure." "And my dear señora Molloch." " Please, be seated." " Why are we here, Aristos?" "Relax, Clement." "May I offer you a drink?" " Just mineral water." " There is a problem, Clement." "The Council for Central American States has just concluded its meetings in Costa Rica." "Hypocrites." "Every government represented condemns my brother publicly and then welcomes him privately." "They have called for another meeting and study of human rights violations." "Human rights violations." "There is no such thing." "There is only the security of the state and those who'd undermine that security." "We must play the game." "What are you suggesting?" "A move." "My brother had a great deal to do with making this country secure, Victor." "If his work should have earned us a welcome anywhere, it's here." "I only reflect my president, señora." "How long are you giving us?" "As quickly as possible." "We'll see." " Changed your mind?" " Yeah, let's do it." "We haven't discussed your fee." "Don't worry about it." "I don't want the money." "I'm grateful." "There's a complication, however." "The Doctor is leaving Guatemala in a couple of weeks." "Nobody knows where he is going." "If we let him slip through our hands this time we may never have another chance at him." " Where do you get your information?" " A man named Max Ortiz." "Very well placed with the highest echelons, and fiercely opposed to the current regime." " Sounds like someone I could trust." " He's a lifelong friend." " Maybe you can put me in touch with him?" " Of course." "And one more thing, a little more difficult." "I'd like to get down appearing as a family man." "I want to take a woman and a child with me." " That could be dangerous, no?" " Yeah, but it's only for a few days." "Most of the people in this ward have one thing in common." " The Doctor." " That's it." "These are only a small portion." "They managed to escape." " Holland, this is my wife, Isabel." " How do you do?" "Señora Rhiana Hidalgo." "My wife is a surgical nurse." "She is training Rhiana." " I'm sorry about George." " I'm sure you are." "Why don't we all get together for coffee later on?" "Fortune smiles in a strange way." " I don't think so." " Why not?" " Because she is George's widow?" " Because she's too emotionally involved." "It seems to me Rhiana is right." "And she has a daughter." "She is exactly what you are looking for." "But she's very careless." "In the scrub room, she told your wife I looked like a killer." "She could've been overheard." " You read lips?" " Yes." "I'm sorry." "I now realize I was mistaken." "Decided I don't look like a killer?" "I've decided I should keep my opinions to myself." " When can you be ready to leave?" " I can leave whenever you say." " Which bedroom do you want?" " Neither, I'll sleep out here." " But there's no bed." " I'll sleep on the floor." "I like it here, Mummy." "Max Ortiz?" " It's a pleasure to meet you." " The pleasure's all mine." "The Doctor has three men in particular who never leave his side." "Every one a totally trained assassin." "Randolph Wheatley, a former intelligence officer." "He's the Doctor's communications expert." "He likes to spend his off-hours in the filthiest dives in the barrio." "Karl Hausmann." "Green Beret, originally." "Then he was with the CIA before the Doctor hired him away." "This one is a mystery." "He's called Cillero." "He's probably Basque." "He's Molloch's chauffeur." "And then, there's Molloch himself." "The Doctor." "I don't suppose he needs any introduction." "It's a cosy little family." "Most of my collection is at my place in the country." "What I need is a shotgun with a sawed-off barrel and the shells to go with it." "And a large calibre handgun." "Tell me more about Molloch." "Does he follow any kind of routine?" "He's rarely seen in public." "The closest thing to a routine would be going to the cockfights." "That box is his." "Tell me something about the sister." "Does she have any routines or habits that are different from her brother?" "She visits town to shop." "She keeps a small apartment in one of the new high-rises." "Her name is Claire." "She and Molloch are inseparable." "I think I'm going to be sick." "I didn't mean for that to happen." "I'm sorry." "Hey, mister, do you want some dope?" "I said, dope." "Do you want any?" "Do you have elephant?" "Do you have Mingtoydop?" "I guess you don't." "It's extraordinary how easily he's gotten little Sarah to like him." " The innocence of children is blessed." " You don't like him?" "Before coming here today, we spent hours going from shop to shop looking for cassettes of Latin American favourites." "That's what tourists do." "Don't let him fool you, Max." "He's cold, bloodless." "He doesn't react to anyone or anything." "I forgot." "He reads lips." "Is that what you wanted?" " It'll do fine." " There it is." "Up ahead, on the right." "I don't dare to go much closer." "The place is completely covered." "Closed-circuit television, motion detectors, alarms even got some kind of infrared beam." " See that man over there, by that tree?" " Yes." "He's just inside the range of the cameras where he is now." " How will you get in there?" " I don't intend to go in." "Then how will you do it?" "A high-powered rifle, perhaps?" " Or is the obvious considered passé?" " Rhiana, please." "I honestly think I have the right to know." "I'm involved in this, too." "I'm just gonna have a look around." "I am sorry about Rhiana." "She's afraid he'll get away, or something will go wrong." "It's all right." "She's just afraid." "Take them both back to the hotel." "Sure." "I think you ought to consider going home today." "Why?" "Remember that cripple at the cockfight?" "The one with the crutch?" "He turned up at the Doctor's no crutch, and he walked like a champ." "There hasn't been anything to make them suspect, has there?" "From what I picked up, observing the conversation I think they're satisfied we're tourists." "Then why do you want us to leave?" " I don't need you anymore." " Mummy?" "Holland, if we stay, is Sarah in any danger?" "Not yet." "But you both could be." "Where's Randolph?" "He's been working on a computer programme all morning." " Damn these people." " Randolph?" "No, the embassy." "My reward in heaven will be getting my hands on generations of diplomats and petty bureaucrats." " Cillero." " Is Randolph there?" " Yes, sir." " There is a problem with Briggs." "He's not keeping his end of the bargain." "I guess I'll have to speak to him in person." " Holland, am I going to see you again?" " Yep, you'll see me again." "Remember, I want to see your fish." " What's his name?" " Quasimodo." " Be a good girl." " Yes, I will." " 'Bye, Holland. 'Bye, Mummy." " 'Bye, Sarah." " I love you." " I love you, too." "The embassy." "What would he be doing there?" "Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me." "Protector of the free world hard at work?" " Give me a break." " You give us a break." "What's this crap you've been handing the Doctor?" "Washington's putting on pressure." "I can't tell the locals to let him stay without sticking my neck way out." " Then you stick your neck out." " I suggest you don't rock the boat." "There are plenty of countries that would be happy to have him back." "You suggest." "The Doctor loves it here." "The air agrees with him." "Damn it, Randolph, if I used any influence with these people Washington would know in five minutes." "My ass would be posted to Afghanistan." "You want to play hardball, Briggs, we can play hardball, too." "The Doctor has done all the dirty work you've needed." "It's time to call in the markers." "Remember, all those congressional committees would be very interested in how you've used the Doctor's services." "Besides, a few well-placed leaks..." "Nothing to it." "I'll see what I can do." "That's exactly what you're going to do." "And see to it that it's done." " Sarah has taken quite a liking to you." " I think she misses her father." "It's more than that." "She actually worries about you." "Take the car and go back to the hotel." " Where are you going?" " I'm going inside." "Holland, wait." "I'm coming with you." "Okay, it's your decision." "Don't you do anything to screw up." "My father warned me about places like this." "It does have a certain intimate charm." "I'll get a couple of beers." "Couple of bottles of beer." " You American?" " You bet." " You crazy coming in here?" " Just thirsty." "Jeez, no sooner do I turn my back, and you pick somebody up." "Who is this American shit?" " My husband." " Only whores marry Americans." "Buddy, we didn't come in here looking for trouble." "Who are you looking for?" "Your mother?" "You all right?" "You got strong hands, sport." "I just had glass chandeliers." "I didn't know what the hell I was to do." "Boy, real big, scary guy, he is." " You're an American." " That's right." "It's nice to hear somebody else speak English now and then, isn't it?" " Would you like to join us?" " Don't mind if I do." "There's a table right over there." "My name's Bart Smith." "My wife, Nancy." "Hello, Nancy." "I'm Randolph." "What are you all doing in here anyway?" "What are you, tourists?" "Sort of." "This is not your usual tourist attraction." "We're not your usual tourists." "You know what I mean?" "Life just gets dull and nothing like a little variety to spice things up." "That's right." "Nancy and me, we come from a small town up in Nebraska." "We always have to go someplace else for excitement and variety, you know?" "Bart, just what kind of excitement are you looking for?" "You know, me and Nancy, we've been into a lot of things." "We've learned tricks you wouldn't believe." "We've been into things like wife-swapping..." "You married?" "No, I'm divorced." "But remember, three's company and four is definitely a crowd." "I am down for anything or anybody." " Three is all right with me." " It's definitely all right with me." " You got a place?" " You bet." "Well, here we are." "Dear, why don't you go in and get something more comfortable on?" "Let's you and me make ourselves at home." "Sounds like a great idea." "Not bad." "First-class pad." "How about a drink to get this party started?" "Oh, my God!" "Keep yourself together." " You didn't say you were going to kill him." " And if I had?" "You're depraved." "You've no principles whatsoever." "I didn't know our main concern here was principles." " You're a vicious..." " All right, now enough." "Stop it!" "I think it's time for you to get Sarah and go home." "Tell Max to get you on the earliest plane." "When you call me at the hotel, tell me the flight number and the time." "Nothing else." "Jesus Christ." "Doctor!" "Randolph's all over the road out there." "Did somebody declare war or what?" "Yes." "I'm at Max's." "I'm not leaving." "That wasn't our understanding." "Please, don't be angry, Holland." "I can explain." "I'm sorry." "We got as far as the boarding gate, but I just couldn't go any further." "I need to know he's finished." "Emotional vendettas are just another form of suicide." "Did Hector ever tell you about George?" "What happened to him?" "His body was returned three months ago." "His kidneys and spleen were crushed." "His teeth were completely broken." "That's what electric shock does to you." "George never gave up hope that the Doctor would be stopped." "Not even after he came to you for help." " You turned him down." " Well, it's finally out." "If you're blaming me, you're wrong." "Max I'd like to have the shotgun and shells sometime today." " It's done." " And his sister's address in town." " What are you going to do?" " I'm going to rattle his cage." "And when he sticks his neck out, I'll nail him." "Yeah, he was here." "He left with a couple of tourists." " Any idea where they were going?" " No." "None." "Tell him, if he keeps doing what he was doing, someday he'll get into trouble." "He already did." " Will you be long?" " I hope not." "As soon as I'm dropped at the apartment, I'll have the car come straight back for you." "I don't know who killed Randolph and Karl." "Neither does Colonel Aristos." "They want me out of the country, Briggs, and so do you." "Don't deny it." "They think that by killing my people they can scare me away." "I don't know a goddamn thing about this." "Do your duty as one of America's snarling watchdogs and find out." " But the local police..." " I don't trust them." "Nor do I trust Colonel Aristos, and I only just barely trust you." "Unfortunately, I have no one else to turn to." " I'll get on it." " Yes, you do that." " Do you want to shower first?" " No, thank you." " Cillero?" " Get dressed." "Max, didn't you say you had a country place?" "Yes, at Lake Amatitlán." "South of the city." " Do you have a map?" " Sure, come with me." "Here, that's the village of Magdalena." "Right here is my place." "What's this over here?" "That's an abandoned mine." "That's perfect." "There's no way that Sarah can stay here." "Send her home as soon as possible." "You ought to go into hiding." "By now, they'll have connected you with me." "All right." "Max Ortiz." "He's a local." " It's your department, Victor." " I'll have him picked up." "Someone comes out of nowhere, turns Randolph into a meat pie then does Cillero." "Your sister vanishes without a trace." "Jesus, what the hell does it mean?" "Damn it, Briggs!" "Stop playing guessing games." "Karl, Cillero and Randolph deserved what they got for being so stupid." "All I care about is my sister." " Now get outside help." " My people can handle it." "Get outside help, Briggs!" "Holland?" "I've been wondering about something." "How does someone like my husband come to know someone like you?" "In your profession?" "Your husband had a big curiosity." "We knew each other for years." "There you go again, not telling me anything." "I'd like to know." "So would the Doctor, if he got his hands on you." "How much are you being paid for this?" "I'm not getting paid anything." "I used to chase money, but where I live now I have no use for it." "Where do you live?" "I live in a very peaceful place." "I can watch a sunset every evening." "Read by natural light until 10:00." "In the morning, I can shower with rainwater." "It's magic." "Seems so strange to me." "What does?" "Someone like you, who kills people, talking about peace and magic." "I guess they're away safely." "He has a summer place out at Lake Amatitlán." "They've got my sister there." " Get word to Paul Briggs, right away." " Yes, sir." "Hello?" "I have somebody here that belongs to you, Molloch." "How is she?" " Have you hurt her?" " Ask her." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Clement, it's me." " Are you all right, Claire?" " Clement, I'm sorry." "It was my fault." "I'm so sorry." "What do they want?" "That will be enough." "After all, I'm paying for this call." "If it's me you're after, you should have the courage to come and get me." "Don't flatter yourself, Molloch." "I'm after money." "Cold, hard cash." "How much?" "Let's say about half a million dollars." "Large and small bills." "What makes you think I have that kind of money?" "If you don't have it, you better find a way of getting it or you won't see your sister alive again." "Say goodbye to your brother." "Clement!" "Please, help me." "Help me, please." "Please, help me." "What do you say, Molloch?" "I'll need time." "A few more hours." "He knows we're here." "How could you tell?" "He didn't ask." "We've got visitors." "You drive." "I'll need my hands free." "Go towards them." "Towards them." "Phone Briggs!" "Stop!" "Oh, Jesus." "Tell that guy we don't mean any trouble, and we'll pay for the damages." "Tell him, we'd like to buy his truck." "How much?" "Tell him that if anyone comes around asking questions he doesn't know anything." "Let's find a place to bury the woman." "Where are we going?" "Right here." "It's a village called Magdalena, if this thing will make it." "It was the Doctor who wanted you called in on this." " What have you done?" " I sent men to the place by the lake." "Last I heard, they were chasing the suspects to Hell." " How's the Doctor?" " Rattled." "He's taking it hard." "We're up against a pretty tough cookie." "I figure there's some terrorist outfit using the kidnapping to raise cash." "Either that or some turkey with more balls than brains is trying to get at the Doctor." "Shit." "I better get to a phone." "My man that just called in, found his partners burnt to a crisp in a field." " Where?" " Five hours down the road." "I don't think this damn thing is gonna make it." "This guy's a pro." "What?" "Pro?" "He's turned this place into a wrecking yard." " And he still got away with the sister." " Oh, Jesus." " How far is the next village?" " That's Magdalena." "One of those sleepy little mañana places, about 100 kilometres." "Let's go." "Come on." "We're leaving." "Here's something to eat." "One of these could heat Cincinnati for a month." "Doesn't it ever get to you, Holland?" "Even a little?" "Don't you sometimes want to just scrub your hands raw?" "Just to wash the death off them." "I don't think about it the way you think about it." "I don't know if I can go on much longer." "You said you wanted to see for yourself." "You wanted to be there when he was finished." "I think maybe I've had enough." "All this killing." "The blood." "Rhiana, you had a choice before." "You don't have a choice now." "Eat some of this." "Did anyone ever tell you, you talk in your sleep?" "What did I say?" "Ask him what happened." "He said they were very young." "Soldiers took them away." "He says the bodies were badly mutilated." "It happens often." "Tell him we're on his side." "Ask him if there's a telephone in town we can use." "He says he has a café." "We can use his telephone." "Come on." " Want a beer?" " Beer would be nice." "Well, it doesn't look closed to me." "Bring us a couple of beers." "It's hot!" "What do you do, recycle the stuff from the john?" "You're in my friend's house, show some respect, or get the hell out!" "Let's stop blowing the smoke." "You've got what we want." "We'll pay." "I only deal with Molloch." "Where is he?" "Fuck him." "What do you care?" "Just so long as you get the money, right?" "That's being smart." "Now let's talk about a more reasonable price." "You know, I was thinking, I'd like to have a Mercedes and a little ranch in Malibu." "And maybe a hairdresser place up there in Aspen, you know what I mean?" "My client's willing to go $200,000, tops." "What?" "You expect me to rent?" "Look, we're talking serious business." "Shut up, asshole!" "It's not money you want, is it, Holland?" "You're too smart for the job, Cannell." "Do you know a couple of slugs named Briggs and Cannell?" " You've killed them." " It was stupid of you." "Don't do it again." "Where's my sister?" "She's not suffering." "Now, let's get on with the transaction and stop all this screwing around." "I'm ready." "First, I going to warn you." "This time you come on your own." "Southwest of you is a village called Magdalena." "Before the village, there's a mining road off to the right." "Take it." "It'll bring you up in front of an opal mine." "I'll meet you there." "Max told me that these mines were abandoned." "They have permission to look for opals." "Sometimes, they get lucky." "Maybe they could come back." "Ask them to leave and come back tomorrow." "They won't." "This is the only way they make money to feed their families." "There's a car coming." "There's a very dangerous man coming in that car." "There might be gunfire." "Are you really going to shoot him?" "That's why we're here, isn't it?" "Claire." "Over here, Molloch." "Sarah!" "Oh, Mummy." "He's got Sarah." "It's gonna be all right." "As long as he believes we have his sister, she'll be all right." "I can't see you, but I trust you can see me." "You now know I have the child." "I regret what may seem excessively cruel." "Please understand, you forced me to do it." "I will do anything necessary to get my sister back." "Do you hear me?" "It's me you want, isn't it?" "Not the money." "Is my life worth the child's life?" "A fair exchange." "The child for my sister." "What are you going to do?" "Well?" "Where is she?" "Where is she?" "She's safe." "She isn't here, is she?" "Is she?" "She's here!" "Clement!" "Claire!" "Where are you?" "Where have they got you?" "Help me, please." "Please." "Claire?" "Close the window." "Bring me my sister, or I'll kill the child!" "Paco!" "Paco, help me!" "You bring my sister this instant or he'll shoot her." "Bring me my sister this instant."