"I don't know anything..... God swear..!! let me go......!!
The suspect sobbed and yelled.
'Bang.!!!'
The suspect started screaming again in pain.
"SPEAK..!! Tell me the bloody truth! Where did you send the fucking weapons to?"
Keith heard Stephan's voice again from across the room. Keith was in a room downstairs in the FBI Terrorist Investigations Unit. True to Anil's words, the FBI seeked the help of the K12 unit to interrogate the suspect arrested in Jonestown.
"You are bloody shit trying to lose my patience..!..Tell the fucking truth..! where did you send them to? Who do you work for???"
Stephan roared in anger as he gave the suspect a few more blows with the whip strap in his hand. The suspect didn't say anything other than pleading that he didn't know anything.
Keith was in a large room. It had a few low light bulbs. There were no other items except a table, a few chairs, a surveillance camera and some equipments. There was a glass wall in the room. It divided the room into two. It had a glass door. The suspect was beyond the glass wall. His arms were lifted up and his upper body was bared. His body had welts and was bleeding from blows of Stephan's whip. In front of the glass wall was Keith, leaning against one wall. Gavin and Lucas were leaning against the wall with Keith. Anil and Nathan were standing right in front of the glass partition. Anil's face was straight and focused on the suspect beyond the glass. His hands were folded across his chest and he was motionless. To his right, Nathan was looking at the suspect with his hands in his pockets with a complicated face. Four military officers were also standing by the opposite wall in front of Keith.
One army officer came near Anil.
"Sir... it's been two hours now. Shall we release the suspect?"
asked the military officer. Anil quickly turned his head.
"Before that, you bring me the CCTV records! You were bunch of idiots who couldn't find the CCTV. ! Shame on that uniform, man!"
Anil vented his anger on the army officer.
"Sir...give me some more time...the CCTV records will be here soon!"
The military officer pleaded.
"Soon..?!! Soon..?!! My foot!!!"
Anil said through his mouth. At the same time, Stephan came out through the glass door. His face looked disappointed. Stephan threw the whip in his hand to the ground and sat on a chair near the wall.
"Gimme some water!"
Stephan requested. His face was red with anger and failure. A nearby army officer gave him a glass of water. Keith, who said nothing, was still leaning against the wall, with Gavin and Lucas waiting with broken hopes for what to do next. Anil, who was staring at the suspect, finally let out a long breath and called Nathan.
"Call Bishop!"
Anil's voice was light; But it was imperative. Nathan's face lit up. Keith straightened his body.
"Okay sir.. right away "
Nathan immediately took out his K-con cell phone and called Alex.
"Look, how even a corpse will open its mouth and speak now when Alex comes!"
Gavin whispered into Keith's ear. Keith looked at Gavin's face, unsure of what to say. Stephan was resting on chair reclining with his head down.
The suspect was still hanging by his hands, shouting and crying that he knew nothing.
Five minutes later, Alex came into their room. A chill ran down Keith's spine all at once. Alex's face was emotionless; Eyes were always looking evil; black thick eyebrows were sharp. The long sleeves of his shirt were folded up to the elbows. As soon as Alex entered the room, everything in the room seemed to be revived. Gavin nudged Lucas with his elbow. Lucas stood up, squinting his eyes.
"Ah.. Alex!"
A slight smile appeared on Nathan's face as he looked back at Alex as he entered the room. Keith saw Nathan gesturing as he placed his hand on Alex's shoulder. Alex stepped forward and glanced at the tools on the table in the room. Alex put two medical gloves on his hands and picked up something like a small scissor on the table.
"Bishop! You must keep that man alive. Understood?"
Anil said waving his index finger at Alex. Keith saw a creepy smile across Alex's lips. Keith realized that there was something unspoken in it. Without looking at anyone, Alex entered through the glass door where the suspect was.
"My blood heats up everytime I see his bloody pig tail!"
Anil said looking at Alex's half ponytailed hair.
The first thing Alex did when he entered the room was to pull the white curtains down which surrounding the glass room and cover the room. Then, walking over to the glass door, he glanced at Keith and closed the door. Keith stared at his gaze, eyes wide. Keith couldn't understand why he was shivering like a deer in cold weather every time Alex looked at him.
"Record voice only"
Nathan instructed a military officer who was there. Stephan folded his arms and legs, sitting on the chair.
"Кто твой начальник?"
It was Alex's deep voice.
Keith could recognize that language. It was Russian.
"Please let me go. I don't know anything. This is unfair. Why are you doing this to me?"
Pleading of the suspect was heard.
"Кто твой начальник?"
Alex asked the same thing again.
"My wife must be waiting for me... please let me go.....AAAAAAAA!!!"
The suspect started screaming loudly in pain at the same time, shaking Keith's body. Keith immediately looked at the faces of Anil, Nathan and Stephan. They did not show any strangeness.
"Я спражаю еще раз. Кто твой начальник? Где оружие?"
Alex's voice was heard again
"God save me...AAAAAAAA...!!!"
The suspect's screams of pain were loud enough to echo through the walls of the room. Despite years of training, Keith's heart was shaking every time he got heard someone else's pain. The suspect's scream was enough to send goosebumps. Keith wondered what Alex was doing in the room. Keith was reminded of the torture faced by officers who fell into the hands of terrorists.
How could Alex be barbaric? ...
Alex didn't say anything after that, instead Keith could only hear the suspect's screams.
"Я якуду... Я все распаку... NOVASKI.. NOVASKI.!"
To everyone's surprise, the suspect revealed a series of Russian words!
Anil clenched his fist and let out a triumphant sound.. Stephan began to applaud... Nathan smiled as usual.. Gavin and Lucas also shook each other's hands and made a victory gesture... Keith felt proud of Alex's proficiency. He felt like hugging Alex.
Alex can do things no one else can..
He is my duty partner..
So it is not suitable to hugging..?
Although he is not obeying anyone...
Although not subject to anyone's command.. Anyone except his own will...
It was crystal clear to Keith why Anil and Coleman were still keeping Alex in K12 unit.
Coming out of the room, Alex took his gloves off and threw them on the floor. The four military officers in the room immediately ran to the suspect's room. Keith saw Nathan come forward and pat Alex on the shoulder. But the emotionless expression on Alex's face did not change.
"Novaski.. the one who is going to be a torment for us!"
Nathan said and he also went to the suspect's room.
Keith knew exactly who Nowsky was. He was the second in command of the extremist group called White Snakes, which was a headache for the American government and the Russian government. The FBI and forces launched several operations to capture him, but he managed to escape each time.
"Jeffrey.! Peterson.!. Both of you take a military team and get the woman called his wife. It is very sure that she is not anyone's wife..!! Ah.. take a lady officer with you!"
Anil ordered Lucas and Gavin. Obeying the command, Lucas and Gavin quickly left the room. Keith looked at Alex; He was leaning against the table near the wall in front of Keith. Alex took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with his black lighter.
"Bishop.!!! I have told you hundreds of times not to smoke inside the building.... Up! Up!"
Irritated Anil jumped on Alex, pointing his index finger towards the ceiling of the room. Not paying much attention to Anil's berate, Alex put his lighter back in his pocket and left the room with the cigarette on his lips.
"Sir...isn't it too much you blame him?"
Stephan asked. Keith wholeheartedly agreed. As soon as Keith opened his mouth to add his own opinion to it, Anil also shouted at Stephan.
"Not too much! ...should have done more! Brooks you are also taking the side of that devil!"
Realizing that the posibility of a fight breaking out between Anil and Stephan in a moment, Keith immediately jumped forward,
"Ah.. It would be better if we go and find the henchmen of Novsky?"
Keith tried to divert the attention of both of them.
"Yeah yeah... Brooks you go and have a look at it with Evans."
Saying that, Anil also went to the suspect's room. Keith, who was watching Anil go, suddenly;
"Stephan I'll be back in a minute!"
Keith left the room before Stephan could reply.
Keith ran straight to the elevator. Getting down from the top floor, Keith opened the door on the right side and climbed up the stairs. Anil must have said 'up' to the roof part here. There was a large space for landing helicopters and a part where signal towers were installed. The row of rafts ended with another gate. Opening it as well, Keith entered a large empty area. That was the part of this building where helicopters land. Keith's eyes looked around to find Alex. But there was no sign of him. From there, Keith ran to the part where the signal towers were installed on the left. Keith's eyes were very worried; The head moved from side to side. Keith's eyes caught sight of the familiar figure of the signal tower line sitting on a concrete embankment. Keith's feet, which ran back and forth, stopped at the same time. The heart began to beat faster. Keith stared at him for a moment.
It was Alex with his left leg folded over the concrete wall he was sitting on and his left hand resting on that knee. The cigarette rested between his long fingers; Cigarette smoke came out of his mouth; His eyes were focused on the tall buildings of Washington in the distance. His long neck-length hair came loose from the ponytail, dancing stubbornly in the wind.
Keith didn't know why he had come to find Alex, but Keith wanted to see him. Keith's heart, disturbed by the search for Alex, became even more alarmed when he saw Alex. Knowing that Alex had not seen his arrival, Keith slowly approached Alex. Keith's heart rate increased with each step closer to him.
Alex suddenly looked at Keith and then looked away. Keith realized that Alex didn't much care about his arrival. Keith slowly approached Alex and sat next to him on the concrete wall where Alex was sitting. Alex didn't respond and continued to smoke his cigarette and gaze at the buildings in the distance. Keith also said nothing. After about a minute, Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered it to Keith.
"Thanks.. but I don't smoke"
Keith refused with a kind smile. Without saying anything, Alex put his cigarette pack back in his pocket. Keith turned his head to look at Alex. His jaw was sharp and extended; viewed from the side, the glorious height of his nose was clearly visible; The lip that holds the cigarette was thin; His upper lip was slightly raised compared to his lower lip. There was a kind of sexiness of it. His lips were pink like a lady. Keith had heard that nicotine discolor lips, but that seemed irrelevant to Alex. Keith wondered why his lips, who had never smoke a cigarette, were not as gorgeous as Alex's.
"What...!?"
Alex asked Keith at once.
"No, I was just thinking... sometimes mentally ill ones are useful as well, right?"
Keith said through gritted teeth. Alex's face turned evil. Looking at Keith, he exhaled the cloud of cigarette smoke through his nose instead of his mouth.
"Wouldn't it be better if you don't end up with a mentally ill man and go elsewhere, find someone else to be with???"
Alex said in a calm yet contemptuous voice.
"Shh..."
Keith made a sound and grinned again.
"I said before... I have never worked with a mentally ill person before so I am doing this partnership to get that experience"
Keith started to laugh.
But Alex didn't laugh. Instead, he gritted his teeth in anger.
"DON'T BOIL MY BLOOD AND GET LOST SOMEWHERE ELSE..!!!"
Alex said aiming his right hand which was holding the cigarette, to the sky.
Keith stifled his laughter.
Keith, with a serious face, stood up and stood in front of Alex with his arms folded across his chest.
"Alex.. why can't you be a normal person?"
Keith asked with a genuine questioning tone.
"What the heck is abnormal about me??"
Alex asked, taking another puff of smoke.
"Everything! Everything is abnormal!"
Keith said, nodding his head.
"THEN WHY DON'T YOU FIND A NORMAL MAN AND DO THE FUCKING PARTNERSHIP WITHOUT WAKING MY FUCKING HACKELS UP HERE..?!! ..YOU HAVE BECOME SUCH A BLOODY NUISANCE..!!"
Alex said furiously, slapping his forehead with his left hand.
"So, when did I mention that I don't want to work with someone abnormal?"
Keith said with a slow laugh.
Without thinking twice, Keith bowed to Alex's face.
"I like abnormality! Being normal is so boring!"
said in a hoarse voice.
Alex glared at Keith, but Keith stared straight into Alex's black eyes. Those eyes were blacker than charcoal; a trench with no bottom was visible; dangerous, but it was exciting and seductive. Keith's attention was suddenly interrupted by his K-con phone pulsating.
"Where the hell have you been like a ghost??? We need to wrap mess up right now... I'm worn out ."
Stephan's plaintive voice was heard through the mobile phone.
"Okay, okay.. coming now!"
Keith put his phone back in his pocket.
"I can't keep talking to a madman all the day.. I have to do my duty... so see you later!"
Keith said with a smile on his face and left.
"Don't even come back to see me later!"
Keith heard the fury deep voice of Alex behind him.
"Why not, I'm coming back for sure!"
Keith said intently making Alex even more angry.
"Evanssss!.."
Keith heard Alex's screams in the distance.
"EVEN IF YOU DISAPPEAR, I'LL FIND YOU!!"
Keith let out a shrill laugh that Alex could hear.
to be continued
©Diran Athularachchi