by C. G. Cooper
“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.
“Stokes.”
“Cal, we just confirmed the kidnapper’s identity.”
“Is it who we thought?”
“Yes.”
“Good, thanks.”
“Hey, Cal?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s your next move?”
Dunn could hear the fierce determination in the Marine’s voice. “I’m going to get Neil back.”
Chapter 18
Teton Village, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
3:13am, September 28th
Cal gathered his men in the living room. Although most had just been awakened, he could feel the charged energy in the air. It was almost time to move. They waited expectantly for their young leader to speak.
“I just got confirmation from Dunn. The guy behind the kidnapping is a former soldier named Nick Ponder.”
There were murmurs around the room. Apparently some of the men knew who Ponder was, and by the sound of the comments, their opinions were not favorable.
“According to Travis, this asshole is real piece of work. He’s also downright deadly. Ponder has a habit of being connected with the wrong crowd. The two guys we brought in last night work for The Ponder Group. Unfortunately one of them got away, but that shouldn’t matter.”
Cal paused and looked around the room at his highly trained warriors. “Now, you know I’d never ask any one of you to do something that I wouldn’t do myself…so I’ll tell it to you straight. Once we find out where this Ponder guy lives, I’m going in there and taking him out. From what I’ve heard of the fucker, it probably should’ve been done a long time ago.”
He searched his men for any sense of unease, but all he saw was seething anger. “So here’s your chance. If you want out, tell me now. If you want in, pack your snow gear because we’re headed into the mountains.”
No one made a sound. The silence lingered until MSgt Trent spoke.
“Well, if Gaucho’s going, I’m going.”
“What are you talking about, Top?” asked Gaucho, confused about being called out.
“Hombre, I’ve been waitin’ to see you freeze your cojones off for years!” The men snickered at the comment. Once again the large Marine succeeded in keeping the mood light. Cal loved him for it.
“Fuck you, Top,” Gaucho replied with a grin.
+++
Thirty minutes later they were putting the finishing touches on their plan. The biggest problem was figuring out what to do with their prisoner.
“Let’s bring him along,” suggested Brian.
Cal didn’t like the idea. They’d have enough to worry about. Babysitting the overgrown child wasn’t exactly what he had in mind.
“I’ll take care of him, Cal.” Everyone looked at Daniel in surprise. “I don’t think he’s a bad guy and I don’t think he’ll give us any trouble.”
“I agree with Snake Eyes,” offered Gaucho. “If we leave him here we’ll have to leave two of our guys back too. Without any extra men coming from HQ, I think we need everybody we’ve got.”
Cal wasn’t sure. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Daniel’s judgment or skills. He knew the sniper could handle most men, but he would rather have the deadly warrior’s eyes looking for coming threats.
“If you think you can handle it…okay. But you make sure he knows that if he slows us down even a bit, I’ll tie his ass up and leave him on the mountain.”
Daniel knew his boss wasn’t that cruel, but he also knew Cal was deadly serious. He wouldn’t stop until Neil was rescued. Daniel needed to have to have a good talk with Lance.
Chapter 19
Camp Spartan, Arrington, TN
5:35am CST, September 28th
Travis Haden walked into the conference room. Dunn, Haines and Dr. Higgins looked up from their discussion.
“I just got word from Cal. They’re heading into the mountains soon.” He walked over to the coffee pot to fill his mug.
“What are they doing with their prisoner?” asked Dunn.
“He’s going along for the ride. Cal doesn’t think the guy will give them any trouble.”
“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” asked Haines.
Travis shrugged. “It’s Cal’s operation, and I won’t stand in his way. The good news is that by taking him the whole team will be together.” Travis took a sip of his coffee. “Do we know when the FBI investigators are arriving?”
As the point person for the audit, Haines answered. “They should be here at seven.”
Travis looked down at his watch. “That gives us just under two hours. I’m not worried about them finding anything with our contracts. Have we taken care of our little leak?”
“He’s on his way to his very own private cell in the middle of nowhere, Skipper,” responded Dunn. “Doc Higgins made a call and thirty minutes later a delivery van showed up at the gate and took the little shit out of here.”
“Are we covered in case the Bureau asks questions about Mr. Zheng’s whereabouts?”
“We’ve got the story all ironed out. He’s taken a leave of absence due to mental instability,” smirked Dunn, clearly not worried about the possibility of the story being dissected by the FBI.
“Good. Marge, who’s running the show for the FBI?”
“A man named Jack Malone. I’ve checked with my contacts and he’s got a good reputation within the Bureau. He’s a thorough investigator but well-liked by his peers. Agent Malone’s moved up the ladder swiftly over the last ten years. We’re not the first security contractor he’s audited. I don’t think he’ll be a problem.”
Travis was still worried. Why had the FBI chosen this very moment to investigate SSI?
“Have they given you any indication as to why we’re under the microscope?”
Haines shook her head. “Malone made it sound pretty routine. He even told me not to worry about it, that i
t’s just our turn.”
Something was wrong. Travis could feel it in his bones. “I want you to have their entire team monitored. Cell phones included.”
Dunn looked at his boss cautiously. “You sure that’s smart? What if they find out?”
“I’m not taking any chances right now, Todd. If they catch wind of it, tell them we monitor all non-SSI personnel. If they really press it, have them talk to me. Something stinks about this whole thing, and I’ll be damned if I let another rat into our house.”
It was a risky move, but they all knew he was right. The sooner the FBI left the better.
Chapter 20
Teton Village, Jackson Hole, WY
5:08am, September 28th
Cal’s team loaded into the SUVs. They were taking enough cold weather gear and rations to last at least a week. Cal hoped they wouldn’t have to test the duration.
The team would drive twenty minutes to the trailhead for Phelps Lake. To casual observers, the warriors would look like a group of hunters taking an extended trip into the Tetons. It wasn’t one of the normal routes for gamesmen to take but not completely out of the ordinary.
Lance Upshaw was equally fitted with gear. Luckily, SSI’s supply chief had sent some extra, just in case. Each man would carry a large mountaineering backpack with skis and snowshoes strapped to the outside. Due to the possibility of running into park rangers, they’d elected to bring along a mix of civilian hunting rifles and side arms. Each man also carried a collapsed H&K submachine gun in their packs. It wouldn’t be the best thing if they were ambushed, but they’d have to make do.
Every man would be carrying around one hundred pounds on his back. It wouldn’t be the easiest trek, but no one would complain. They’d all been through worse.
+++
Twenty minutes later, the caravan pulled into the dirt parking lot at the trailhead. The sun was starting to peak out over the mountain range. It was the last sunlight they’d probably see for days. On Cal’s last weather check it looked like the snowstorm would blow in around nine in the morning. It was imperative to make as much progress as possible before it hit.