Interrogator
Summary:
Interrogator's time in Africa
Interrogator's History Part 4, Africa[]
The small airplane touched down on the dark, dirt runway. The pilot just opened the door and threw out the bags. Interrogator grabbed Killer and exited. The pilot closed the door and immediately took off.
Picking up his bags, Interrogator looked around. He spotted a pay phone by the hangar, sighed, and pulled out his credit card. He dialed Serji's phone number and waited, dismayed at the static on the line.
“General Serji Kirstov.”
“Serji, that asshole Head Warden sent me to Africa!”
Interrogator heard Serji light a cigarette before he said, “Interrogator, do you know what time it is in Moscow? Irrelevant. Africa, huh? I can't help you. All I can tell you is what I heard General Alexander Markov said once to my father. 'A smart hound can hunt anywhere, so long as he keeps his nose to the wind'.”
Interrogator sighed sadly, “Thanks General. I'll keep you posted.”
“Call me if the situation changes. Good night.”
Interrogator hung up the phone and gathered his bags. An hour later an old, dusty jeep pulled up. A tall, lanky African man with an old British Calvary Sword got out and looked Interrogator over. He pulled out a photograph and a manila envelope. After looking at the picture he smiled at Interrogator and handed him the envelope.
Interrogator took the envelope, broke the seal and tried to read the contents. He shook his head when he realized it was written in the native language.
"Do you speak Russian," Interrogator asked the driver.
The driver's smile never left his face as he said, "I went to a missionary school, so I can speak English. Reading, I am not so good at as my father sold me to the Boss at a young age."
"Who is the Boss," asked interrogator?
The driver continued to smile as he translated the letter, "Interrogator, you may call me the Boss. I am the dictator of all I see. You have been assigned to lead my security team. Sefu here is to be your aide and translator. I expect to see you shortly."
"Pleased to meet you, Sefu," said interrogator as he held out his hand.
Sefu shook it and said, "Pleased to meet you as well, Interrogator. We must hurry, the Boss is an impatient man
Sefu helped Interrogator load his bags into the back seat of the jeep. Interrogator got in the passenger side and sat with Killer on his lap.
“Sefu means 'Sword', because of the blade I carry. I hope you can fight better than the last Boss' head of security.”
Interrogator replied, “I can defend myself pretty well, Sefu.”
Sefu nodded, started the jeep, and drove to the Boss' camp.
Boss' camp[]
They arrived at the camss'p. Sefu parked the jeep with some other rag tag vehicles and led Interrogator to the Bo tent. Everybody was sleeping. Interrogator put down his bags by the sleeping bag Sefu motioned was his.
Sefu whispered, “I sleep next to you. If you need anything, just wake me.”
“Do I get my own tent in the morning?”
Interrogator settled into his sleeping bag with Killer purring, and stared at the ceiling until dawn, the heat oppressive.
The Boss woke first, yawned, and looked at the newcomer. He raised one eyebrow
when he saw the cat. He yelled and everyone awoke. Sefu smiled at Interrogator and
went to the piss trench, petting the Siamese cat before he went. They all came back and
stared at Interrogator, who had found the coffee and filled his thermos.
The Boss spoke and Sefu translated, “Do you know how to use all the weapons you carry?”
Interrogator looked at the Boss and nodded.
“Good.”
They ate a quick breakfast and packed up the camp.
The Boss got in the back of the jeep Sefu had driven Interrogator to camp in and
motioned Interrogator to sit beside him. They headed out.
FIVE YEARS LATER
Machine guns barked, and Interrogator ducked. Sefu was beside him, smiling as usual. Interrogator
had forgotten the name of this town. They all looked the same to him. They took cover
behind the ruins of a taxi. Interrogator looked towards the Boss, who was ordering
everyone forward. Killer looked up at him and he removed one hand from the assault rifle to pet
the cat.
“I should be thankful. All we have to do is take the Governor's mansion and I'm done here. I'll finally be free.”
Sefu smiled at him. Sefu was always smiling, Interrogator had found. Even when he was learning how to interrogate prisoners. Inside his helmet, Interrogator smiled back at him. Sefu had been fascinated at the way he just talked to the prisoners and they gave him the information he wanted. Interrogator was happy that Sefu was an intelligent, patient student who wasn't afraid to ask questions. It was Sefu who convinced everyone that Interrogator knew magic and that they shouldn't try to catch and eat Killer.
Interrogator realized the Boss was glaring at him, and Sefu nodded to a doorway a few yards beyond the taxi. Interrogator returned the nod, gripped the rifle, and nodded back.
Firing, Sefu and him ran to the doorway, Killer on their heels.
Interrogator was happy whoever lived there had fled, even if it was only to the basement. The Boss soon joined them in the house. He began looking through the cabinets for food.
“Shit!” The Boss yelled. “No food!”
“They knew we were coming, Boss.” Interrogator reasoned calmly.
Sefu kept firing from the doorway.
"If there are three problems I have with this Boss, they are his insecurity, his cowardice,and his insistance on risking the lives of others so he may stay out of danger," Interrogator thought.
The radio squawked. The Boss listened intently and then barked his orders into the radio.
Interrogator sighed as Sefu translated from the doorway, "The mansion is heavily fortified."
"Yes," thought Interrogator. "it is also well stocked, has its own well, and has its own generator. We learned that from the prisoners.
Sefu stopped firing and wiped his face with a handkerchief Interrogator had given him. After all the noise of battle, the silence was heavy. The Boss snorted and sat on a beaten chair. Interrogator watched Killer stalk a rat.
"At least Killer will not starve," thought his master.
Interrogator strode into the bathroom, shut the door, removed his helmet, and wiped his face. He quickly ate a protein bar, donned his helmet and exited the bathroom. He noticed Killer looked angry and looked at the Boss. There was a rat sized bulge in his pocket.
“What kind of...person...steals from a cat,” Interrogator thought, surprised!
Sefu just winked at him and slipped Killer a piece of jerky. Interrogator sighed.
“If I take anything out of this country, it's going to be Sefu. He deserves better
than to be some petty warlord's driver for the rest of his life.”
The Boss rose and left the house. The rest followed him. The Boss stopped two blocks away from the Governor's mansion and entered a better looking house.
Interrogator smelled food cooking inside. Sefu licked his lips and followed the Boss in. Interrogator noticed a cross on the wall. He snorted.
“Another victory for the Catholic God.” He thought sarcastically.
The Boss sat at the dining room table, with the rest of the High Command.
Interrogator took his place at the table. A full plate was put before him, and he handed it to Sefu, who took it gratefully and went into the kitchen to eat.
Interrogator received the usual dirty looks for doing so, thinking, "It is my ration, I may do with it as I please."
An aide unrolled a map and placed it on the table after everyone had finished eating. Interrogator studied the map with the rest.
“We will have to gas them out. We will starve and run out of water before they do,” he thought.
Interrogator listened and waited for the Boss to ask his opinion, as usual. When the Boss finally looked at him and grunted, Interrogator was ready.
“We will have to gas them out. They are too well defended otherwise, and they hose down the building frequently so we can't set it on fire.”
The Boss nodded and smiled. He gave orders and they prepared for the morning's attack. Interrogator followed the rest off the High Command into the living room and they laid down for the night. There was a loud squeaking noise and he smiled. Killer had gotten another rat. Killer dragged his prey between the smiling Sefu and Interrogator and ate.
Interrogator looked at Sefu. “How DOES he smile in his sleep?”
THE NEXT MORNING
Dawn came. Interrogator was behind a barrier on the front lines when Sefu strode
up with Killer at his heels. Interrogator adjusted the magnification on his helmet's
visuals and turned to Sefu.
“Good morning, Sefu.”
Sefu's smile grew wider as he exclaimed “Good morning! I wish I could get away with as little sleep as you do!”
Interrogator nodded and said, “Everything has a price.”
Sefu laughed and said, “I have something for you!”
Interrogator held out his hand and Sefu handed him a pamphlet.
“Cobra and You,” Interrogator read the title.
Sefu nodded and motioned for him to continue reading. Interrogator did.
“Thank you, Sefu. This bears thought.”
“No problem. I know you don't like it here. This seems like your kind of place.”
“No, Sefu, OUR kind of place. I'm taking you with me, wherever I decide to go. You deserve better.”
Sefu stopped smiling and actually looked serious.
“Y-you mean it? You will really take me with you?”
“Sefu, you are an orphan. More importantly, you are an intelligent, patient, optimist who is willing to learn.”
A tear fell from Sefu's eye.
“The Boss will never let me go...”
“The Boss will do anything for the right price. I am a rich man.”
The smile returned, brighter than before. Interrogator clapped him on the shoulder and they waited for the rest of the High Command to meet them.
The others never came.
Interrogator caught a flash, high on the horizon. It was the sun glinting off of flying metal. He grabbed Sefu and Killer.
Killer uttered an annoyed 'meow', and Sefu was trying to free himself. Interrogator released them both when they got to the jeep.
“Start driving.” Interrogator commanded as loud as he possibly could, getting into the passenger side as Killer jumped into his lap.
Sefu got in the driver's seat, and floored it.
Interrogator got on the radio.
“We have incoming air force from the west. I suggest everyone flees that way and tries to avoid any ground forces that may be accompanying them.”
He pulled the radio off the dashboard and threw it out of the jeep. Sefu's eyes were wide as he drove west.
“Why did you throw away the radio?” Sefu asked.
“”Because, it would be considered evidence if we are caught. I would also suggest we get rid of anything that would associate us with the Boss and his army.”
Sefu nodded and began pulling the patches off his shirt. He took off his dog tags and threw everything out of the jeep. Interrogator nodded.
“Now what?”
Interrogator opened his backpack and pulled out two African robes. He put on the one with the deep hood and gave the other to Sefu.
“Put this on as a disguise.”
Sefu stopped the jeep and put on the robe. Looking calmer, he got back in and kept driving.
Sefu smiled at Interrogator, “Do you always think of everything?”
“I try, Sefu, I try.”
The jeep ran out of gas about an hour later. Interrogator got out of the jeep with Sefu, who shrugged. Together, they pushed the jeep into the ditch beside the road. They started walking.
The planes had long since passed over head when they encountered the ground forces. They both kept their heads down and Interrogator kept Killer folded in the robes long, baggy sleeves. Thankfully, all they got were dirty looks and spit on. When they had past, Sefu turned and smiled at Interrogator. He made sure they were out of sight before he released Killer to walk beside them.
“We're free, Sefu, free.”
Sefu broke into a short dance.
“Now what, Interrogator?”
Interrogator pulled out the pamphlet and read it again.
“I will try to call Russia when we get to a pay phone, and see what my Comrade says. If Russia does not work, we might as well try Cobra. It says they are looking for doctors, and I will tell them you are my aide and bodyguard.”
Sefu nodded and smiled his widest smile.
“You DO think of everything.”
“You helped by giving me the back up plan.”
It took them a week to reach the nearest pay phone.
Interrogator made the call to Russia while Sefu talked with the locals. They met at the town's only bar.
Interrogator sighed and sat in the corner booth with Sefu. Sefu faced the door, sipping a beer, as Interrogator sipped his coffee. Killer drank from a bowl of milk.
“No luck, Sefu. Certain Russians are still rather angry at me.”
Interrogator pulled out the Cobra pamphlet and placed it on the table between them. Sefu nodded. They both stared at it.
Sefu finally said, “So Cobra it is.”
They rented a room above the bar and went to sleep.
THE NEXT DAY
They woke the next day, and waited for the bus to the coast. It was crowded and
reeked, but it got them there. From there, they got on a freighter to Florida.
Miami.