Chapter IX

Questions Asked

As Alan and Vernon are talking about what had transpired in the mayor’s office by the main doors, they are interrupted by Charlie and Dmitri walking up to them.

“We can't get any information about that old transport hub. All archive references to it are gone.” Charlie said as Alan walks through the front doors.

“Are you sure.” Alan asked, how could a building that had stood for almost four-hundred years not have a single reference, as if it had never existed in the first place.

“Positive, we double checked as well.” Charlie said

“What about our guest.” Dmitri asked, he had been pushing for a week to let him interrogate him, but so far hadn’t got anywhere with his requests. As Dmitri makes his suggestion Dave walks into the room.

“What about him?” Alan said but he could already see where this was going.

“Well, maybe he'll tell us the layout of their base.” Dmitri said, he was almost certain that he did and that all this research was doing nothing whilst they had a gold mine of information downstairs.

“I doubt it, they would rather kill themselves than talk.” Alan said as Dmitri cracks his knuckles before responding.

“Give me five minutes with him, and then he'll talk.” Dmitri responded.

“We're not torturing him.” Alan said. Observing this and realising that he might be able to help, Dave looks down at the ground, before looking up, sighing and address the group.

“Dad.” Dave said and the four turn around to look at Dave, who was already starting to regret his decision. However, Dmitri nods which convinces him to carry on.

“What is it son?” Alan asked, although he knew immediately that it was not going to be good news whatever it was. The last time that Dave had come to him looking as he did now, he had lost one of his cars when the then nine-year-old had taken it for a ride without his knowledge.

“I've got information about how Dmitri caught the man downstairs.” Dave said very quickly as if by speaking fast he could avoid the punishment that he knew would come. Charlie raises her eyebrow, Vernon looks at the ground and sighs, whilst Alan puts his hand over his eyes before looking back at Dave.

“Right, let's have the worst it then.” Alan said gesturing for Dave to come forward which he did, although it was more like he was shuffling forward so that he could find a space that was close enough whilst still being out of both his father’s, and Vernon’s reach, until he was within a few feet of them.

“Dmitri didn't just fancy some fresh air that night, we went out after me.” Dave said looking at the ground. As he always did when he was nervous, as to avoid the eye contact that would make his misdemeanour a lot worse than it already was.

“I see.” Alan said calmly, he was waiting for the real meat of his son’s story, but what came next did shock him.

“That man tried to take me, but Dmitri stopped him.” Dave said continuing to look at his trainers, as they were less likely to get mad at him right at this moment in time.

“Take you.” Alan said, taking a step forward at this with Dave moving instinctively back a few in response determined to keep as much distance as possible without seeming to be being rude about it. However before he could even respond to the question, the next words came from Dmitri.

“Aye, they were in the process of kidnapping him before I intervened.” Dmitri said, thinking that the kid had been tortured enough and decided to step in. But Alan had other ideas as he takes a deep sigh before gesturing for Dave to come forward.

“How long has this been going on for, hmm, I mean you sneaking out at night?” Alan asked, as Dave returned to his previous position of looking at his feet.

“Three months.” Dave said, looking up for the first time throughout the interrogation. Alan ran his hand through his hair before returning to Dave.

“You and I are going to have words about this later. You understand.” Alan said as Dave nods before leaving. He then turns to Dmitri with fiery look in his eyes that took Dmitri of guard. “If I leave you with our guest, can you get him to talk.” Alan said, his teeth gritted.

“I'll get him to sing.” Dmitri said as he tried to hide his smile and his good mood, as unlike Alan this was the best news he had had all week.

“Then get going.” Alan said, not failing to notice the way his colleagues voice had become upturned and happy all of a sudden, and as Dmitri leaves and Vernon walks up to Alan, who had also seen the look in his eyes.

“Don't be too hard on the lad will you. Or Dmitri.” Vernon said, adding the ex-soldier as an afterthought. Alan walks over to the window and sits down on a chair looking out, he looked wearier than Vernon had ever seen him. A danger sign if ever the old butler had seen one.

“War was easier than kids.” Alan said, smiling faintly at this.

“If you want, I can talk to the lad.” Vernon said, he knew that Alan had never been one for the fatherly discussions and didn’t want him to mess it up, as Dave was unlike his older brother in the sense that he would do something just to prove that he could, so any attempt to stop him going back out at night would do nothing but encourage him to do just that.

“No, I'll do it. I'm just going to let him think about it for a while.” Alan said.

An hour later, Dave lies down on his bed, starting to get a little bored of waiting for the shouting to inevitably start. Then there is a tap on his door, but Dave ignores it choosing to continue his examination of the ceiling. But was distracted by a second, sharper knock that this time followed by his father’s calm voice.

“David, open the door.” Alan said, through the locked door he sounded tired, and for the briefest of moments Dave contemplates remaining on his bed, before realising that if his father really wanted to get in, then his door was unlikely to stop him. So, he gets up off his bed and picks up the knife that Dmitri gave him before unlocking and opening the door where Alan is standing. He noticed that his father had the same tired expression on his face, as if something other than the current situation was troubling him. “May I come in?” Alan said, it was a request not a demand Dave noted. He nods and Alan walks in. Alan closes the door and turns around noticing the knife in Dave's hand and his firm tone returns. “Whose knife is that?” Alan asked looking and wondering how in the gods name had Dave managed to get a weapon, as it went against the agreement that he and Vernon had made after the previous incident’s that Dave had been involved in even without a weapon, and that he was to under no circumstances be allowed so much as a fork without supervision.

“It's mine.” Dave said stubbornly, he was not going to give up the fact that Dmitri had given him the weapon as Dmitri had clearly not given up his secret.

“Give it to me.” Alan said, and this time it wasn’t a request, the open hand in front of Dave proved that fact. Dave reluctantly hands over the knife and Alan inspects it. “I recognise this type of blade, it's an Imperial Army standard issue blade. How did you get this?” Alan asked and when Dave says nothing he continues. “This is no toy, Dave. Not something you should be playing around with.” Alan finished, hoping that his plan would work.

“I wasn't playing.” Dave said sharply and Alan walks over and sits on the bed, moving of said bed, the only book in the room; ’THE LAST EXPEDITION OF DE’LUCUR.’ The account of a famous explorer’s journey to The Unknown Lands, an explorer who was something of a hero to David. And Alan could only hope that his son would not suffer the same fate. But he put that aside for the moment as he gestures for Dave to sit with him, which he does albeit apprehensively looking at his father as Alan holds the knife continuing to examine it.

“What do you want with this then?” Alan asked as he fumbled with the weapon in his hand. It wasn’t anything special, although he knew that in Dmitri’s hand it could be just as dangerous as any gun. Although he would be having words with the captain about arming his son behind his back, as despite his son’s refusal to say who had given it to him, Alan knew that it was Dmitri who had given up the weapon.

“I want to use it.” Dave said, his words were serious enough, however the effect was ruined by his still unbroken voice which squeaked slightly under the pressure of what he was saying.

“And who were you planning on gutting David. Our guest downstairs perhaps. Do you know the first thing about blades?” Alan asked.

“Aim for the heart.” Dave said, being the only thing in the moment that he could think to say. At this Alan chuckles, at least he knew who had given his eleven-year-old son the knife.

“That's the essence of it I suppose. David, this whole exploring thing of yours...” Alan starts but Dave interrupts before he can stop himself.

“I'm not going to stop.” Dave said stubbornly and Alan sighs, he had guested that this would be the response.

“Dave, you have a wildness in you, just like my brother.” Alan said, of all his son’s Dave was the most like his long dead brother, most in appearance and in attitude towards life. Including disobeying of any kind of authority, that was at least until his own father had died.

“Is that a bad thing?” Dave asked looking up at Alan. He had barely known his uncle Gerrard with him dying when he was only eight. Alan pauses more a second thinking carefully about the answer.

“No, Gerard was resourceful and skilled, but also dead before his time. If you are set on this, then you have to be a lot more careful.” Alan said in all seriousness. Dave only nods and Alan gets up to leave, he walks towards the door before turning back around and putting the knife on the bed. Dave looks up at his dad when he does this.

“I can keep it.” Dave asked a smile on his face, not daring to believe it. But Alan smiled and nodded at his son’s eager question.

“Just try not to stab your brothers, no matter what provocation they give you. Plus if I took it away, Vernon would most likely find a rocket launcher in your room to replace it by the end of the week.” Alan said and Dave smiles as his dad leaves the room closing the door behind him.

Whilst Alan was having his little chat with Dave. Dmitri walks into the cell where Patrick is sitting at the table, and determined that the captive was about to have the worst experience of his life.

“Another visit, it seems like you're my last friend.” Patrick said smiling, his broken jaw showing as the missing teeth were thrust into full and gory display. ‘Well he won’t be doing that for much longer.’ Dmitri thought as he stood above him, wondering where exactly to start on the man who represented all of his childhood trauma.

“Right then, you and I are going to play a little game. You tell me what I want to know, or you start losing body parts.” Dmitri said his voice rising an octave with the excitement on his upcoming revenge, as he mentally continued deciding which part he was going to remove to begin with. And finally deciding, he nods to the two BOT’s and gestures at Patrick’s hand. Two BOT's walk towards the prisoner, and hold down Patrick hand over the table. As Dmitri takes out a small knife from his pocket. “Now. There's an abandoned transport hub that I saw one of your cars going into. What is there?” Dmitri asked, he already had a good idea, but this was no longer business anymore. This was personal.

“You can torture me all you want, but if I tell you. Then I’ll have nothing.” Patrick said and starts to laugh, it was a genuine laugh as well; however, he quickly looks dismayed when before too long Dmitri joins in on the joke a cruel smile creasing the captain’s face.

“Very well.” Dmitri said still chortling slightly at the man’s stupidity, wondering how Patrick had not figured out why he was down here with him already.

“Whaaaat?” Patrick said, he seemed to be finally gauging what was happening here, but before he could continue, Dmitri who seemed to be no longer listening to his victim, turns around to the BOT's his unwilling audience for this therapy session.

“You know, when I was kidnapped by the group that this man is a part of, I was tortured daily. The usual stuff, waterboarding and burnings.” Dmitri said, it was unclear if he was really talking to the BOT’s, or mentally trying to justify what he was about to do. Either way Patrick intervenes his little monologue, trying to stall what was rapidly seeming like the inevitable.

“That was merely training, Mr Jones. Training.” Patrick said with a jovial grin, which is not returned. A look of fear past over Patrick’s face as he realised the amount of shit he was in at this moment. He tried to back up away from the table, but the BOT’s held him firmly in place as Dmitri comes in close, almost to the point that they were nose to nose.

“Well, you know all I could think of during the... Training. Is what I would do to my tormentors if I ever escaped and got hold of one. I would spend hours thinking on it. Whilst you subjected me to the tank.” Dmitri said in all seriousness, but cracking a sadistic smile of his own towards the end. As Patrick looks around the room starting to sweat profusely Dmitri returns to the previous topic. “Now, let's start with your little finger, you don't need that do you? No? Good.” Dmitri said and this time he did smile throughout the sentence. He then takes the knife and cuts off the little finger on Patrick’s right hand. “Now, what is at the abandoned transport hub?” Dmitri asked as he pulled of the finger and placed the blade underneath it so that it started to slowly drip blood.

“Alright. Alright. I’ll tell you anything.” Patrick sobbed looking up at Dmitri but seeing no mercy in his eyes. But as he continues to sob, Dmitri brings the blade up and slices another finger, this time the index on his left hand, off with one cut. As the blood begins to spew out at about the same rate as the screams. Dmitri takes one look at his captive and continues on.

“I know you will.” Dmitri said as he swung the hammer back and forth in his hand so that it passed dangerously close to Patricks face, before continuing with his new and surprisingly therapeutic sport. “But not just yet.” Dmitri finished, as he smiles and finalises on his next target, and swinging the hammer down.

“Er... What?” Patrick said in confusion as Dmitri smiles before the hammer falls on Patrick’s hand and breaking his already mutilated right hand. And with that Dmitri continues his interrogation. With Patrick's screams being heard throughout the whole cave.