by Clay Moore
Harminio looked at the room that he was in. There was a six-foot table. It seemed strong, and it was attached to the floor with angle brackets. There was a single chair on one side of the table. The other side had two chairs. Opposite the side, he entered was a large Mirror.
“Sit in the single chair,” said a voice through the loudspeaker. The command was repeated with more volume. Finally, Harminio sat in the single chair just to shut the sound up. He waited for his fate.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Debrief
TWO AGENTS NO WAITING
Harminio watched Dan walk into the interrogation room. Dan went to his seat and arranged the needles on the table. Brian dropped his heavy gloves on the table with a thunk. Brian sat down.
“We are not bound by the law as is the police. We have wider latitude. However, we follow the forms. Please listen to the charge under which you are here. Harminio Andrews, you are under arrest for espionage, a crime under which you may suffer the death penalty.”
Harminio sat nervously in his chair. His mouth was opening and shutting like a fish. “I tell you that it was Julie Brio who approached me.”
“He is lying,” said Brian. “I hate lying. May I punish him for lying?”
“I know how you are when lied to. You have my leave.” Brian cuffed Harminio to the table. Brian picked up the heavy gloves and put them on. Then he hit Harminio in the eye.
Julie jumped at the sound of the blow. Even Carla jumped at the sound. To look at Brian, you would not believe that he could punch so hard, even with the heavy gloves. Brian started talking again.
“I do not like to have to punch you. I can punch you all day long if I have to. Would you like that?”
Harminio shook his head brokenly.
“Then who do you work for?”
“I am not a spy.”
“Okay, are you an intelligence agent.”
“I did not conduct Espionage against Eridani. That bitch lies.”
Brian looked at Dan. “Durare?”
He took an envenomed needle containing Durare. Dan came at Harminio with the bagged needle. He tore it open . It is evident that Harminio knew what Durare was. The drug worked on the hesitation to answer questions. It loosened the will. Ask a question, and the subject would respond with a flow of words.
Dan showed the needle to Brian. There was more to this than a show for the client, as the person being asked questions was called. When there were two Interrogators, it was typical for both of them to okay the drug being used. The Quartermaster used a plastic topper with a color code. Durare was yellow.
Brian accepted the needle. Dan took it to Harminio. Then quick as lightning he jabbed Harminio. Durare took a few minutes before coming to full effectiveness. Dan broke the needle in half. Dan stepped on the lid unlock mechanism for the secure garbage can. The top rose. Dan tossed the needle into the room trash.
Brian watched Harminio coming under the effect of durare. Dan came over and spoke with Brian.
“I’ve worked with durare before.”
“Then lead on McDuff.”
Dan shoved Brian gently. Then he changed places with Brian.
Carla explained that the way the client is cuffed makes it hard to see Dan on the other side of the table. Dan began the interrogation in chief.
“Harminio, you were caught red-handed with top-secret documents of the Eridani Secret Service. What do you have to say to that?”
“If you caught me with the items, then I must have done it.”
“What technique would you use?”
“I would use a dupe to give me something.”
Brian looked at the mirror behind him and shook his head.
“Was that for Julie,” asked Carla.
“He’s just telling me that I am not a dupe.”
“Good, Special Agents that don’t take care of their people are not worth anything.
“What was the name of your dupe here.”
“Julie Brio.”
“Who do you work for?”
“I am freelance.”
“Who hired this done.”
“Anton Hecton, director of security, Planetary Interests,” Brian said some words to Dan who nodded assent. Then he opened the door to the observation room.
“Ma’am, we have everything. I recommend that he be held for another couple of months. At the end of that time, another Special Agent can to be made by killing him.”
“I will put your recommendation to the Intelligence sub-committee. I think that they may think the same way as you.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Put him back in one of the more permanent cells. He’s going to be there for a long time. You, Brian, If I remember right have a very successful woman in your apartment. See me tomorrow for debriefing. Kandace is waiting for you. Never keep a warm woman waiting.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
Brian opened the door and Told Dan that they were through.
Julie looked like she was going to be a bridesmaid and never the bride. They were joined by a Police Lieutenant who was Felicity’s second in command. Carla introduced her to the young man. Carla was pleased to see a smile on both Julie and the Lieutenant. Carla loved to make matches. She wondered what Brian would think if she told him she had Kandace at the Black Sands just to be seen by him.
DEBRIEF
Brian walked into the Director’s office suite. Carla’s personal Assistant pointed to the door. He nodded at her. Then he entered Carla’s office. Lately, Carla had been very busy. If what he was hearing was true, suddenly they had become a source of help for the members of the Alliance.
Brian stood behind the guest chair in front of her desk. Carla looked like she was sending documents to various people. Then she indicated the chair. Brian walked around the chair. He sat down. He watched her go through a form and selecting the things you wanted. Then she looked up and smiled at Brian.
“Brian, I noticed that you submitted your report at 1 AM this morning. I guess that Miss Kane kept you occupied until then.”
“Your guess would be excellent.”
“I also noted something. You seem to need to solve every problem that comes up during the mission. So far that had not caused any problems. So let’s go through the points of this Operation. The first part of this operation was Felicity’s problem. She called you to ask if you would like to come with her as they served a warrant. At that moment you placed yourself in a position to be there. You found it was Gold mining. You deputized the police officers.
“All the information we received showed us that it was one of two mines. The other was next to the Children of the Wind. They’ve complained about the mining. We knew that to be our target. The Emir told us about the Children of the Wind. That is why we sent you to start with the Children of the Wind.
“You took the Children of the Wind under your wing. When the miners started to push, you pushed back harder. Then you did that sequence of infiltration where you killed the miners. That was well done. By the time we showed up, you were already in possession. Then we lost our director, and I had to take charge. You also pushed the enemy, that fat mining engineer.
“Other elements moved him around until your ship was ready. Then when you were ready and on your way. We allowed him to escape us.”
“I wondered why Dag did not shoot him right there. Then I realized a lot of uppers were there. He was trying to get his choice of where to live to give him credit. He wanted so much to be an upper,” said Brian.
“Alphacent is social aspirations. Most people are keeping one eye on their bank balance, and the other eye on the apartment on the upper floor,” said Carla.
“Now you make the acquaintance of Dona. I imagine she was attractive because you spent the night with her in her room.”
“She was beautiful. Too bad she bugged my room.”
“You did the right thing. I was wondering if the needle projector would work. I guess we can add that to the things you’ve accomplished. Another
thing I wanted down was getting Mister Bosch on our side. You not only captured him you got his brother as well. Two for one! Very good.”
“You killed the Mining Engineer using the needle projector. Not only poison, but he fell backward over a railing. He dropped a thousand feet. The exciting thing is that coroner's report did not mention poison. The Mining Engineer must have brushed the needle aside in falling.
“The next target was Dag Dankly You got a bright idea there. So you practically stole money from the golfers. That was wonderful, because Dag invited you to his casino to play Texas Hold ‘Em, or as you call it in your report Texas Hold Up.
“Your ship’s AI was instrumental. She gave you the information, and you used it. You must have put a considerable crimp in his spending account. That was why he took your offer to buy all the gold. Then you orchestrated the timing so that it looked solid, and then zero. You used the Bosch brothers again. They managed to transport all that gold to the Medium Freighter. Then they took off as fast as they could.
“Now comes the hard part for you. You kill two of Dag’s Guards on the causeway to the smelter. Dag runs away. He must have wondered why he was not dead. You follow Dag to his house. You kill the two guards out front almost as an afterthought. You find Dag’s panic room, but his home is too new. The panic room door is a standard door. The Panic room door will be installed the next day. You were able to shoot the door open. Then kill Dag.
“This is the part that interests me. You use your fighting knife as a handle by plunging it in Dag's chest. Then you drag him to the landing pad. Vendella sees you pull his lifeless body out of the house. Then you put a very personal stamp on this. You emasculate the body and put his genitalia in his mouth. A subtle bit of work. What does it mean?”
“Thus with all rapists.”
Carla was proud of Brian. He had a solid moral core. She no longer had to worry about sending him out. He would represent Eridani and the Eridani Secret Service well.
“I have tidings from the Emir. He gives you his personal thanks.”
“I thank the emir.”
“On the way that you worked Operation Gold Rush, You will have much greater latitude. Remember to come in at least once a week to read the situation reports.
“Ma’am, could I have a copy of the report that we sell. Deliver it to my Slate, please.”
“I will do it. I’ll have it sent to all Special Agents. Now how did you like working with your recruiter.”
“I’ve known that it was Dan about my second week here. I know why you don’t let recruiters tell you who they are. I’m past that. It was fun working with someone with the same skill sets as I.”
“His words exactly.”
“If we keep to one of us per mission than we can cover more problems.
“What do you think about Planetary Interests as the problem source.”
“Andrea Martin is the little sister of Joshua Martin. Josh was able to take his Mercenary fleet to Eridani at a crucial time. Andrea remained on Alphacent. She probably has a problem with Eridani. Yes, Planetary Interests has a problem with Eridani. Gold could be one way to hamper Eridani. That much gold and a decent die for striking off Eridani bullion and you could put less than .999 fine coins out. That could cause inflationary pressure on gold and the bullion coin.”
“Then we should consider Planetary Interests as an enemy?”
“I agree.”
“So do all of the other Special Agents. Go home, play Golf with Kandace and the others. Watch for a message from me. Read the morning Intelligence Paper. You’ve got two weeks while they upgrade the computer system. Make use of that time.”
Brian Butler will return in Ofana
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Clay Moore lives in Houston, Texas. His house consists of a cat, two aquariums and his partner, Pam.
Most days you can see him writing his books. On the days that he is not writing his books he is preparing them for publication.
He is a retired computer instructor. He has taught mathematics, programming, networking, and working with various servers. He is a veteran of the US Navy. This is where he learned to operate Nuclear Reactors.
Clay has always been writing. He wrote by hand at nine years old, and with his mother's manual typewriter, and his own electric typewriter which he beat into the ground with his stories. He did not have much time during college or his time in the Navy to do much writing. He just filled spiral notebooks with characters and plots.
The genres show that Clay loves his spy action Science Fiction and cyberpunk.
