by C. G. Cooper
The smaller man struggled. He didn’t know how to respond. Unaccustomed to physical violence, Zheng pissed his pants as Dunn squeezed harder.
“I’ll ask you again, how do you know Nick Ponder?” he loosened his grasp just enough for Zheng to croak back.
“I…don’t…”
“Wrong answer, asshole.” Without warning, Dunn smacked him across the face. “Now tell me how you know Nick Ponder!”
Zheng looked to Dr. Higgins for help. To his surprise, the jolly doctor sat placidly. He actually looked like he was enjoying the exchange.
“You…can’t…do…”
Dunn answered with another slap that brought tears to Zheng’s eyes. “I can do whatever I want, you little traitor. Now you listen to me. What I’m doing right now is child’s play compared to what the Doc over there can do to you. You either answer me now or I let him have you.”
Zheng’s mind couldn’t comprehend what was happening. There were laws. He had rights. They couldn’t torture him, could they? His mind was clouding and he didn’t know how to respond. He wasn’t prepared for this.
“But…I don’t…”
Dunn answered the unfinished statement by slamming his forehead into Zheng’s nose. Bone and cartilage cracked as the small man crumpled to the ground and fell into unconsciousness.
+++
Ponder was still awake monitoring the deteriorating weather and hoping he wouldn’t get another message from his buyer. He’d have to get more creative with Patel. There was just too much riding on the transaction.
He opened up another tab on his internet browser and logged in to the email account he shared with Terrence Zheng. The last he’d heard from Zheng was that SSI was preparing for the FBI audit by working them overtime. Ponder didn’t care about how much the little Asian worked. He wanted to make sure they weren’t on his trail yet. After selling Neil, he didn’t give a shit who knew. Ponder would be long gone by then. Until that happened he might have to tie up some loose ends, like Terrence Zheng. The kid had been useful in getting Patel’s travel itinerary and giving him a heads-up about the teams that followed, but ultimately he was a liability. Ponder figured he’d probably have Zheng killed as a precaution. He’d done it before. The thought of killing another human was more a necessity for Ponder than a crime.
His internet connection was slow, so he waiting impatiently for the email server to load. Finally coming up on his screen, Ponder clicked on the Drafts folder. There was a message from Zheng.
My presence requested with four others by Dunn. I’ll let you know when I’m finished.
Ponder froze. The message was casual only because the little shit didn’t know who he was dealing with. Ponder knew Todd Dunn only by reputation. The former Ranger was regarded throughout the industry as a thorough operator. Dunn never cracked under pressure. He was as solid as they came.
Maybe there was a chance that they were still safe. Ponder quickly discarded the thought. He had to plan for the worst. Just as he was mulling over his options, his cell phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number but only a limited number of people knew where to reach him.
“Hello?”
“It’s me.”
Trapper!
“Where the hell have you been?”
“I’m at our house in the village.”
Ponder knew that meant Trapper was at their little safe house in Teton Village.
“What are you doing there?”
“We ran into a little distraction,” Trapper answered cryptically, always cautious about using even secure phones.
The hairs on the back of Ponder’s neck rose. “What kind of distraction?”
“Those friends we were looking out for invited us in for a little talk. I had to leave Lance so I could let you know.”
“How bad is it?” he asked.
“I think you’re about to have company.”
He gripped his cell phone to the point of breaking it. Nothing was going according to plan. It was time to salvage the situation.
“Can you get back here?”
“Not quickly.”
“What if I arrange a helo?”
“Sure.”
“Okay. I’ll call you back.”
Ponder ended the call and looked at Neil Patel’s sleeping form in the small video window of his computer screen. “Your friends aren’t gonna fuck this up for me.”
He picked up another phone and dialed the afterhours line for a helicopter pilot that owed him a few favors. Ponder had saved the guy’s helicopter company from creditors. In exchange, The Ponder Group had free use of the company’s helo.
After four rings the man picked up in a groggy voice. “Yeah?”
“It’s Ponder. I need you to fly one of my guys from Teton Village over to my place.”
“Can’t this wait until tomorrow?”
“No, it can’t. Now get your ass out of bed. My guy will be calling in a few minutes.”
Ponder slammed the phone down, picked up his cell phone and dialed the number Trapper had called from. He quickly gave his employee the phone number for the company owner and told him to get back as soon as possible. He’d need all the manpower he could get.
“Hey, boss, why don’t we just bug out for a while? We can take your new friend and get out of town.”
“I’m not running away. We’ll deal with these guys once and for all.”
Trapper knew better than to try to dissuade him. Once he made his mind up, that was it.
“Just don’t do anything until I get there, okay?” Trapper requested.
“Then hurry your ass up!”
Ponder threw his phone across the room where it crashed into the far wall and smashed into a hundred pieces. He calmed enough to think about the looming conflict. Part of him wanted to get the sale over with and leave. The fighter in him wanted to stick around and deal with the SSI problem. Maybe he could do both.
Grabbing another thick cigar, Ponder mentally ran through his options. He’d often dreamt about defending his castle against invading hordes. It looked like this might be his chance.
Chapter 16
Camp Spartan, Arrington, TN
2:36am CST, September 28th
When Terrence Zheng finally awoke, he found himself strapped to a hospital gurney. His arms and legs were secured with Velcro restraints. He tried to lift his head and almost screamed in pain. His face throbbed from the vicious head butt administered by Todd Dunn. Zheng took a couple steadying breaths and looked up slowly.
They’d moved him into another room. It was similar to the first but as he looked around, Zheng saw a variety of medical equipment neatly arranged on two wheeled tables. Next to the tables were three IV stands.
“I see you’re awake, Terrence,” Dr. Higgins’s voice came over the speaker system. “I’ll be right in.”
Part of Zheng hoped it was all a bad dream. Maybe the FBI or even Nick Ponder would come running through the door and rescue him. He let his mind wander until Higgins entered through the room’s only door. He was attired in black scrubs and almost looked like a contestant on Top Chef except for the face shield he had propped on the top of his head.
“I’m sorry about Mr. Dunn’s little transgression. I got you cleaned up as best I could.”
“That man is a lunatic! When I get out of here…”
“Shhh,” Higgins ordered with a finger to his lips. “You might want to watch what you say. Mr. Dunn is still listening.” He pointed to the one-way window.
“But I haven’t done anything wrong!”
Higgins shook his head as if disappointed.
“We both know that’s not true, Terrence.”
“You don’t know…”
“Oh but I will, Terrence,” Higgins replied with an almost embarrassed shrug. “Do you know what I do at SSI, Terrence?”
“You…uh…you’re a shrink or something.”
“That’s partially true. While my job does require me to attend to the mental well-being of SSI employees, my background is actually
in interrogation.”
Zheng strained to look back at the doctor.
“Oh, I’m sorry. How rude of me.” Dr. Higgins moved to the side of the gurney and reached underneath. Something clicked and Zheng flinched as he heard the electric hum. The stretcher slowly tilted forward so that he was no longer lying flat.
“Is that better?” Higgins asked.
Zheng nodded through fear-filled eyes.
“So, as I was saying, my background is in interrogation. I rather hate the word but it is quite accurate.” Dr. Higgins adjusted his glasses as he walked over to one of the IV stands.
“You see, I spent the first part of my career with the Central Intelligence Agency. When they wanted someone to talk, they flew me in. You can’t imagine how many countries I’ve been too. Now, I only tell you this so that we might save time.”
“What…what do you mean?”
“One way or another you will tell us what we want to know. Most people think they can resist divulging the truth. I think it’s because they watch too many movies. Well, that’s simply not true. Everyone talks. It’s just a matter of when.”
Zheng couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He’d seen the chubby doctor around the campus on many occasions. Higgins looked more like a jolly uncle than what he’d just described. He was always chatting with SSI employees and telling the latest jokes he’d heard. Zheng just couldn’t get it through his head that there could be any other reality.
“Doctor, I really don’t know what I’m doing here. I work on the computer systems and that’s it. I’m not even…”
He realized Higgins wasn’t listening. Instead, he was preparing the various IVs and instruments, and moving them closer to the gurney. Dr. Higgins finally turned back to Zheng.
“I’ve been working on a very special recipe. I haven’t had a chance to try it out on a human subject, so this will be perfect timing.”
Zheng’s eyes went wide as Higgins swabbed his arm and inserted the IV needle. “Now, this won’t hurt as long as you don’t struggle. Allow the drugs to work their way into your system.” He turned the dial on the IV, and Zheng felt the cold flow of liquid entering his blood stream.
“I’ll let that run for a few minutes, and then I’ll be back in to talk to you.”
“Don’t leave me in here!” Zheng screamed in panic.
Higgins ignored the outburst and left the room to consult with Dunn. He was sure they’d have their answers soon.
+++
“Have you found anything on his phone?” Dr. Higgins asked Dunn.
“No. I’ve got one of the other computer guys taking a look at it now. Looks like Mr. Zheng might have loaded it with some extra security features.”
Higgins had expected as much. This new breed of youth was comfortable manipulating technology. Besides, he wasn’t sure they’d get any more out of the phone than through the interrogation.
“I’ll give him ten minutes and the solution should be fully in his system. Is there anything else you’d like me to ask?”
“Just what we discussed before. I need to get Cal as much intel as I can. There’s a big snowstorm about to blow into Wyoming, so we need to work fast.”
“I always do, my boy.”
“We do need to figure out what to do with the kid once we’re done questioning him.”
SSI had never had to put away any of its own employees before. It wasn’t possible to just dump him on the local police department. Zheng knew too much. Dunn also didn’t want to kill the guy. They weren’t murderers.
“Let me see if I can make a call to some of my old friends at the Agency. I’m sure they can find a space for our friend in one of their maximum security cells.”
Dunn liked the idea. If they could pull a few strings, Zheng would never see the light of day again. It’s what he deserved for selling out Neil and the company.
“Go ahead and do that. In the meantime, we’ll hold him here until this whole thing with Neil gets resolved.”
Higgins agreed and left the room to make the phone call. Dunn looked into Zheng’s holding room. We better get some answers soon.
+++
Dr. Higgins strolled back into Zheng’s room, this time with the face shield down. You never knew when someone might like to spit in your face.
“How are you feeling, Terrence?”
Zheng couldn’t respond for a moment. He’d been surprised to find that no pain accompanied the IV’s injection. In fact, instead of feeling worse, he almost felt euphoric.
“I’m feeling pretty damn good, Doctor!”
Higgins smiled warmly. He never knew why some interrogators insisted on administering pain to make suspects talk. Through the miracle of modern medicine, there were now easier ways. Over the years, Higgins had learned to manipulate men with the use of a variety of intoxicating tools. He’d learned to vary his doses based on not only the physical characteristics of the subject, but also their temperament. Like an expert anesthesia practitioner, Higgins knew exactly how to manipulate the body to get a desired effect. He felt it was better to have a compliant and happy subject, and mixed his drugs accordingly. Let them gnash and scream later. His job was to find the answer in the quickest and most humane way possible.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Terrence. Now, are you ready to answer some of my questions?”
A small part of Zheng screamed alarm, but the thought was swiftly pushed aside by the swirl of the potent drug. “I’m happy to help in any way I can,” he answered.
“Good. Let’s start with some easy questions, shall we?”
Zheng nodded eagerly. For some reason he had an overwhelming urge to help. He wanted to tell the truth. The real story of his life felt like it was going to burst out of his lungs. Why had he been so defensive earlier? Dr. Higgins only wanted to help him, right?
“First, your name is Terrence Zheng, correct?”
“Yes, but my friends call me Z.”
“Ah. You don’t mind if I still call your Terrence, do you?”
“Nope.”
“How long have you worked for SSI, Terrence?”
“I think for about a year.”
“And what is it you do at SSI?”
“I help maintain the company’s network security.”
“Do you do any work for our clients?”
“I’ve done some consulting with the Department of Defense.”
“And what was the nature of the consulting?”
“They’re trying to beef up their new Cyber Command. If you ask me, they’re way behind the power curve.”
“What do you mean, Terrence?”
Zheng laughed out loud. “I could out-hack any of those guys.”
“So you’re a hacker, Terrence?”
“Yeah, I’ve been breaking into stuff since I was a kid.”
“I assume it always came easy for you?”
“Yeah. I think the first time I hacked into someone’s computer was when I was, like, eight years old. My dad wouldn’t let me play games on his PC, so I learned how to break in.”
“How would you rate your skills as compared to your peers?”
Zheng thought about his answer. He wanted to be as precise as he could for the kind doctor. “I’m not saying I’m the best in the world. The best guys spend all their time hacking. I’m more of a part-timer.”
Higgins had a hunch he wanted to work out. “How would you say your skills compare to say…Neil Patel?”
Zheng’s face scrunched up, and then he smiled proudly. “I’m better.”
Higgins wasn’t so sure. He’d heard from numerous friends that Patel could possibly be one of the world’s elite computer geniuses. He hadn’t heard of a single system Neil couldn’t break into. Higgins was starting to feel that Zheng had a highly inflated opinion of himself. Was that a possible motive? He’d be testing the potency of his drug mixture, but Higgins was all about experimentation.
“Why do you feel you’re better than Neil?”
“I’m younger and
I know the newest ways to get around things,” Zheng stated.
“So you feel that you could do Neil’s job better than he does?”
Warning bells once again sounded in the recesses of Zheng’s mind. Was he supposed to answer that question? As before, the drugs swept away any doubt.
“I definitely think I can do the job better.”
It was time to ask the most damning question. Higgins was now sure that the young man would answer truthfully. Although he wanted the answer, he still dreaded it.
“Is that why you helped Nick Ponder kidnap Neil?”
Zheng answered without hesitating. “Yes.”
Chapter 17
Camp Spartan, Arrington, TN
3:56am CST, September 28th
After almost an hour of questioning, Dunn and Higgins felt like they had everything they needed. Zheng’s motive had been power. He didn’t really need the money. Even though Zheng was set to make a pretty penny from Ponder, it was the possibility of taking down a man like Neil that had truly motivated him. For him it was a challenge similar to breaking into his father’s computer the first time.
Dunn cursed the young upstart for his stupidity.
“How long will he be doped up like that, Doc?” Dunn asked.
“He should be coming out of it soon. Do you think what we learned will help get Neil back?”
“The biggest thing we needed was to confirm that Ponder was behind it. That guy is a real piece of work. If the FBI wasn’t coming tomorrow, I’d be going out there myself. As it is, we won’t be able to send Cal any more help what with the storm and the FBI audit.”
“Don’t you mean today?”
“What?”
“The FBI is coming TODAY, Todd.”
Dunn looked at his watch and groaned. “Shit. I’ve gotta go. Can you take care of our young friend there?”
“Consider it handled. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to assist with the investigation.”
“You’ve already done more than you know, Doc. Thanks again.”
Dunn left in a hurry. The first person he had to call was Cal. He’d love to know that their target was confirmed. Dunn placed the call as he rushed to the stairwell.