Chapter 366

There was a third Hummer in the caravan on the return trip to the capitol. The additional Hummer held the driver, three guards, and two prisoners. We were a pretty serious group on that return trip.

I am sure the two prisoners knew what was in store for them. The questions were few and obvious. The answers were likely to be both difficult to get, and difficult to accept, when they finally came. At that moment only the two of them knew where Williams went after that restaurant. Even they might not know where he was at that precise moment, but they knew where the trail began.

Back in the city the two men disappeared into the military headquarters. Not the one housing the generals, the ones housing the military barracks and the military prison.

Since the two of them were military, there would be no question of their rights being violated. They would be violated of necessity and custom. Torture is not an oddity in some parts of the world. Institutionalized torture might be. but only because it is not in favor as the worldwide norm these days.

Simon was headed back to gather intelligence in El Riola while I was cooling my heels in the waiting room of some Judge. The judge had to sign off on the torture. The structure of government wanted to be sure it wasn't being done just for fun. Well also not because the victim was screwing some officer's wife above his rank, or some such personal reason. If they could do it to these men without oversight today, then tomorrow they could be doing it to a sitting judge without oversight.

When we left the Judge's chambers, Olivia carried the warrant authorizing the torture. It seemed like an awful lot of crap just to slap an extension cord on his balls, but then it wasn't my call.

Olivia carried a warrant for only one of them. The arresting officer had decided which one would most like be the one to crack. He could be wrong and they might have to go back for the other one, but I doubted it seriously. For one thing soldier one knew there was nothing to prevent him being tortured to death, since there was a second one available for continued interrogation.

I entered the darkened observation room which was attached to the interrogation room. The prisoner was led into the chamber. Everything about that chamber where he found himself was designed to be functional and terrifying.

The chair was metal and welded in place. Before the prisoner was strapped to the chair a probe was inserted into his anus. The probe was attached to a piece of flexible white electrical wire. I was more than a little surprised that he didn't start talking right away. The prisoner was of course naked and wilted as well...

"The probe in his anus is the positive electrode. The chair of course is the ground." The military officer in charge had just confirmed what I had expected. I nodded my understanding and my lack of emotion.

"Trouper Estes, we are going to make this as painless as possible. You, Trouper Estes and you alone are responsible for the amount of pain which your must endure. In order to avoid all pain, you must simply answer all of the questions quickly and completely. Do you understand?" He paused a few seconds. When the trouper did not answer immediately the officer in charge hit the large red push button switch.

Estes screamed. "I will take that for a yes you now understand how this exercise works. So let's get started." With that he paused to consult with the file in front of him. "Did you abduct the American from the restaurant of his Hotel five days ago?"

The officer waited a couple of seconds, then hit the juice again. After only a second he killed the power. He waited a full minute before repeating the question. When the trouper didn't answer again, he hit the power switch yet again. The whole thing got repeated half a dozen times before the man finally broke. There was never any question whether he would or not. The question was only how much he would endure first. It was almost always the same, I knew that as well as the interrogator.

"That didn't take too long," the officer said to me smiling.

"I expect your perception of time would depend on whether you had that thing up your ass or not," I said shortly. I did not care for cold blooded torture. I understood its necessity and I was willing and able to use it, but I didn't approve. I also understood the necessity of a bank and I used them as well but I didn't like them either.

Interrogator: "Did you kidnap the American?"

Soldier: "Yes,"

Interrogator"Do you know where he is at this time?" Interrogator.

Soldier: "No, not exactly,"

Interrogator: "When did you last see the American?"

Soldier: "That same day. We left him with a comrade."

Interrogator: "Where did you leave him?"

Soldier: "At the comrade's apartment in the Pink House."

"That's the name of a lower class apartment complex on the edge of town." The interrogator explained, probably for my benefit.

Interrogator: "I want the apartment number."

Soldier: "202."

Interrogator: "And the name of the comrade?"

Soldier: "Juan is all I know."

My logic circuit did a quick assessment. Williams did not stay there long. In an apartment you can't do any serious questioning. It creates far too much interest from your neighbors. So they would have killed him or moved him somewhere else to determine his value. relative to a beating heart.

"So are you going to allow me to go on this raid?" I asked.

"Most likely it will be just an empty apartment by now. If there was anyone there two hours ago, they are gone now I would think." he said to me.

"Then there is no reason I can't go take a look for myself. You know I'm just doing my job, which at the moment is to keep you sucking on Lady Liberty's tit." I said rather rudely.

"I don't think I like your attitude," he said in mild annoyance.

"That's okay, I don't care for being excluded from the investigation. I would rather see it for myself, rather than have you spoon feed it to me. Something about truth, justice and all that other BS." I said.