*
Fahid Al Mady awoke into a slow, excruciating awareness. He groaned, realizing he could not move his hands, feet, or even his head. Feeling cold plastic crinkling underneath him. His eyes widened in amazement at the black lighted images of torture, dismemberment, and death all around him on the ceiling and walls within his vision. A strange melody played quietly in the background with an eerie harmony of rising crescendo and trailing off bells. Head pounding, Al Mady tried twisting his head, but the pain halted all movement, wrenching a cry from his lips.
Two black robed figures moved within his sight. An audibly distorted bass voice spoke from the smaller figure. “Hello, Fahid. I have a few questions to ask you.”
“Who…who are you? Where is the boat? How-”
Nick broke the middle finger on Fahid’s right hand, eliciting a scream. “I ask the questions. Here’s how we play this game. I ask a question. You answer it correctly, and I don’t break something. Give me lies or no answers, and I snap another finger. When I run out of fingers, I’ll move to your toes, and then if you’re still playing tough guy, I get the torch out. Now say yes or no as to whether you understand the rules.”
“Yes!”
“Good. The first answer will be easy. What are the names of the men you hired to torture and kill American Agent Shane Corso.”
“Who? I know-”
Nick broke the index finger on the same hand. The blood curdling scream went on for half a minute, quieting to pain wracked sobs. Nick repeated the question.
“Ansom Rahil… and Uthman Sadun!” Fahid sobbed openly, blubbering for mercy nowhere to be found in that room.
“How may I find those two men?”
“Ah… ah… wait! I need a moment!”
“San Diego!” Fahid cried out as Nick gripped another finger. “They… they are to meet the Shalimar at the end of this week!”
“Where are they staying and under what names?”
“The Hilton on Harbor Island Drive… under the names I gave you! Please… I can make you both rich… rich beyond imagining!”
“We will get to that soon enough. Excuse us for a moment.” Nick and Gus went into the next room and shut the door. Nick sat down at his open satellite laptop. He hacked into the Hilton registration records in moments. The two men named were sharing a room there. Nick then checked his mail drop for a message and acknowledgement from Carol. He grinned while reading the text message.
“What’s funny?”
“Carol is funny. Listen to this: ‘Bastard! I want Fahid in my hands yesterday along with the chip! This isn’t a game, you idiot. It’s national security!’ and no questions, Gus.”
“Shit! What do you do now?”
“Ask for the questions she wants answered,” Nick replied while typing. “I’ll also ask if she remembers us playing ‘Pressure Point’.”
“Do I want to know what that means?”
“Nope, but she’ll remember. Carol knows what it means.”
Five minutes later four questions without comment appeared at the drop. Nick spoke to the silent screen. “See how easy that was, Carol?”
Nick typed in an acknowledgement. He printed out the list of questions and stood up. “Let’s finish this, partner. Would you like to ask the questions?”
Gus took the list. “Sure. If the mention of this game you played with Carol turned her into your bitch, why didn’t you use it on Fahid?”
“I didn’t have any questions for Carol – only three days to make a statement without leaving any noticeable marks.”
“Jesus, Nick.” Gus followed the Terminator back into the interrogation room.
*
It was nearly eleven o’clock on Saturday morning before Gus drove toward Nick’s house. Nick had sent the answers to Carol’s questions. The first answer concerned the man who sold the ‘Hack Chip’ to Fahid, a traitor working for Los Alamos National Laboratory, named Pence Didricson. Second was how many other than Fahid knew the chip existed, which had been none after the deaths of Fahid’s accomplices at Fisherman’s Wharf. The third answer revealed the meeting in San Diego was in regard to a plan for the chip’s use and deployment. It was to be first cloned overseas. Chinese agents were to negotiate for the cloning assignment. The two torturers, Rahil and Sadun were to be Fahid’s personal bodyguards during the negotiations. The fourth question involved the man in the Saudi government backing the operation, and controlling Fahid. It was a Saudi military General Raji Ashoor. Carol acknowledged the answers with a curt thank you.