When Neil Josten is finally captured by his father, Nathan Wesninski (The Butcher of Baltimore), it serves as the ultimate, brutal climax of the third book, The King's Men.The sequence begins after a riot breaks out during an away game. Neil sacrifices himself to his father's men to protect his teammates. He is bound, thrown into the back of a car, and driven straight to a basement in Baltimore.The Torture in BaltimoreInside the basement, Neil is reunited with his abusive father, Nathan, and his father's lead torturer, Lola Stuart.Physical Deconstruction: Nathan and Lola spend hours brutally torturing Neil. They use cleavers, knives, and irons to mutilate his body, specifically targeting his face, chest, and arms to erase his "Neil Josten" identity and force him back into being Nathaniel.Psychological Warfare: Nathan mocks Neil’s mother’s death and tells Neil that his life as a Palmetto Fox is officially over. Neil genuinely believes he is going to die in that basement, but he holds onto the memory of Andrew Minyard and the Foxes to keep from completely breaking.The Intervention of Ichirou MoriyamaThe torture is abruptly interrupted by the arrival of Ichirou Moriyama, the heir to the Moriyama crime syndicate.The Syndicate's Re-evaluation: Ichirou does not care about Nathan’s personal vendetta; he only cares about business and money.The Deal for Freedom: Because Neil previously made a secret deal with Ichirou—promising him a massive cut of his future pro-Exy earnings and his father's hidden millions—Ichirou decides that Neil is worth more to him alive than dead.The Execution of The Butcher: On Ichirou’s orders, Nathan Wesninski and Lola Stuart are executed right in front of Neil. Nathan's criminal empire is instantly dismantled, and Ichirou takes custody of Neil.The Aftermath and HomecomingIchirou has his personal doctors stitch Neil back together, though his face and body are left permanently scarred. Once he is stable enough to travel, Ichirou sends Neil back to South Carolina.When Neil arrives back at the airport, he is met by Coach Wymack and Andrew Minyard. The moment Neil realizes he is finally safe and that his father can never hurt him again, he allows himself to collapse into Andrew's care, cementing their unbreakable bond and setting up the Foxes' final push for the championship