A/N - I always like to take the time and respond to comments and questions. The twins are now 30 years old and the year is 2273. Thank you for the wonderful compliments. I really strive to incorporate all I can into the story. I want to ensure all the small details get their proper place. Sometimes it's tough to get the right story because characters contradict the story at times. Lanius is a great example. I hope the plot continues to engage you, my readers and that I do it all justice when it does come to the inevitable end. I have to admit, one of my favourite parts about writing this story is coming up with all new ways the Legion gets to torture people. Sick, I know. Thanks for the great tip about Grammarly. I did end up getting it. I also must admit that one of the greatest motivators for me to write is being heckled by all of you. Seeing you become impatient and want more really does work. It gives me motivation to push on and deliver so thank you all!
Chapter 54
Convincing Caesar to let the Frumentarii conduct this mission while the rest of the force was dealing with the Sons and Daughters had not been easy, but Aramis knew how to get what she wanted. The devious plan to seek out and assassinate Art Enigma was all she could think about and within the day, she and Vulpes had schemed an elaborate mission that would take them into the heart of NCR territory. Ultimately it was the simplicity, or impression of such that made Caesar approve the mission. They only needed a few men and if all went well, they'd be dealing a crushing blow to the NCR at the same time the Sons and Daughters would be wiped from existence. It was a victory on all fronts.
The light from Shady Sands is what the Frumentarii and their escorting Legionaries first saw reflecting on the clouds on the warm overcast night. They covered 5 miles more before they got close enough to see the city in view.
Aramis and her men took up a concealed position in the nearby mountains to observe the city but they were well enough away so not to be spotted. This also meant they couldn't see much either. It was the furthest west anyone had ever been and the sheer unfamiliarity is what made Aramis' skin prickle with anticipation.
She ordered a couple scouting missions to go forth, small teams in trader apparel so not to pull any unwanted attention. The threat was minimal. No one knew they were operating in the area after all; the Legion had never come this far west.
No one was permitted to pitch a tent or start any fires. They didn't want to alert anyone to their position here. They lay down their bedrolls on the hard rock and that was it.
Aramis found Vulpes laying on his bedroll staring up at the sky. She would have assumed he was looking up at the stars but there were none out this night because the cloud cover was too thick.
"I have a special mission for you," she told him.
Vulpes merely sat up.
"I need an NCR Trooper. Think you can bring me one?" she asked in a nonchalant tone.
It was rare for Vulpes to smile, but he did and without the excuse of time or exhaustion he got to his feet, gave a nod and walked off into the darkness.
XXX
It was dusk on the second day when Vulpes appeared back at their campsite.
"We got one," he told her as he approached dragging behind a single NCR Trooper.
Aramis turned and smirked. The man was on his hands and knees before her wearing the olive drab uniform she'd seen so many times before. She couldn't make out his rank but it didn't matter. By the way he quivered at her feet she could tell he was young and very afraid. He refused to look her in the eye through the dog skull mask she wore.
"What's your name?" she asked as she squatted down before him.
He didn't answer.
"Let me ease your fear. I don't plan on killing you," she began. "I need you to deliver a message for me. I'm just trying to be professional with you. Can you reciprocate?" she asked.
He turned his gaze and eyed her with suspicion.
"There's a man you may know. Goes by a code name if you will, Art Enigma. Are you familiar with him?" she asked.
The Trooper looked nervous.
"I've been told he's my counterpart. My name is Aramis, Commander of Caesar's Frumentarii. I'm not sure he knows who I am but maybe you could tell him that I look forward to a face-to-face meeting. We'll be in the area and I would really like a chance to look upon the face of my enemy before we burn your entire city to the ground," she said in an even tone.
The NCR Trooper looked up at Vulpes as if seeking validation to Aramis's offer.
Vulpes simply folded his arms over his chest.
"That's it?" the Trooped asked.
"That's it," Arams offered.
"Fine," he said as he got to his feet. Vulpes quickly grabbed him by the shoulder and kicked the back of his knee so he was back on the ground.
"I need Enigma to take me seriously," Aramis said as she turned her back to the Trooper. "I don't want him to think me weak."
She turned her head and nodded to Vulpes.
Vulpes pulled out his hunting knife and suddenly he pounced on the Trooper. There were savage screams and when Vulpes pulled away the NCR Trooper was screaming and holding his face.
"My eye! You fucking psycho why did you do that?!" he screamed.
Vulpes cleaned off his knife as Aramis looked down at the Trooper.
"You only need one eye to navigate these wastes. You only need one eye to deliver a message. Enigma will understand my tone better when he sees you," she said in an almost caring manner.
Vulpes pulled the Trooper to his feet.
"You'll want to hurry," Aramis added. "It's getting late."
XXX
Aramis stood at the top of the massive gorge looking down at the vast arid landscape below. A massive herd of wild Brahmin were grazing in the valley below. She heard the footsteps coming up behind her but didn't turn until she felt a tap on her shoulder. A young Scout stood before her casting a nervous gaze her way.
"What?" she demanded.
"News of the scouting mission you sent out," he said, his tone sounding panicked. "They uh … they didn't make it."
"Didn't make it? It's not like the terrain is that difficult, I gave them everything they needed. Why did they turn," she tried but he cut her off.
"No … I mean they're all dead," he corrected.
"Dead?!" she shouted, her head snapping to face him entirely. "How?"
"It appears they came into contact with someone. We think NCR troops. It was probably an ambush. We didn't get close enough to confirm," he told her.
Aramis' hand tightened into a fist.
"Didn't get close?" she said through clenched teeth as she looked over the edge of the gorge. Suddenly she grabbed the young Scout by the edge of his uniform and dragged him over to the edge. He could have fought against her but in doing so it would have guaranteed his death.
"Define close!" she yelled. "This close?" she asked as she turned them both around so his back was to the edge and she was pushing him backwards. She kept walking him back towards the edge. "This close? Maybe closer?"
"Commander! Please! I'm sorry! We didn't want to lose anymore…" he begged.
"You were afraid? Is that it?" she snarled and she took another step forward, forcing him back.
"The attack looked recent! We thought the NCR were still nearby!" he tried.
"Your skills can't take on a bunch of pathetic wannabe militia?!" her tone increasing.
"I'm sorry! We'll go back and get more information," the Scout cried out as his head kept looking back over his shoulder to see how close he was to the edge. His hands reached up and cupped over hers.
"Commander," a soft voice reached through to her.
Aramis turned her head to see Vulpes standing not too far away.
"I found those responsible for the ambush of our men," he informed her calmly.
Aramis turned and looked at the terrified Scout. She let him go and he instantly moved away from the edge.
"Where are they?" she uttered turning back to Vulpes.
"About 4 miles from here. They set up camp. It's another trap. They've taken a concealed and covered position nearby where they can still view there camp leaving only a trace amount behind for false luring," he told her.
"Go," Aramis mumbled looking at the Scout.
Without hesitation he ran off.
Aramis went to Vulpes.
"We take them all out in one go," she told him.
"What's your plan?"
"We play their game," Aramis said with a smirk.
XXX
That night six Legionaries made their way through the narrow chasm towards the small NCR decoy camp. Leading the group was the young Scout Aramis had nearly pushed over the ledge.
It was a familiar landscape, narrow dried-up riverbed with scaling cliffs on either side. Massive rocks and boulders littered the ground and gave them just enough cover.
Above the small party, Vulpes was rigging the det cord to the explosives they brought, enough pounds of TNT to fill the canyon and seal everyone in. When it was complete he signalled Aramis who stood on a ledge high above. She got down onto her stomach and watched … and waited.
As the group of Legionaries made their way through it seemed as though nothing was going to happen. When they were nearly at the edge of the camp there came a sudden crack that echoed off the walls of the cliff.
Suddenly the Scout crumped as his head came apart on the ground below. Sniper fire rang out and everything became chaotic. The Legionaries tried to fire back but their weapons weren't equipped to counter long-range sniper fire.
Aramis smirked.
The men turn and ran, seeking covering and trying to instigate suppressing fire while they made their retreat.
As expected, the NCR made their next move. They must have assumed this was the remaining Legionaries of the group they wiped out earlier. Surely to the NCR troops it would be easy to pick off the Legionaries and consider the whole mission a success. Aramis wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
She saw the NCR give up their cover in an attempt to pursue the fleeing Legionaries. They followed them through the narrow cliff and when they were in the right place, Aramis gave the signal.
The explosion was bigger than she expected and suddenly there were massive boulders falling down and filling the canyon with rock and dust. Everything became so hazy she couldn't see a thing but she knew it had been a success. Those who weren't crushed by the rocks were now cut off from their support on the other side.
Next came the rain of bullets. The Legionaries that had taken their own concealed positions in the cliffs now engaged the confused and weakened enemy below.
When the dust settled and the bullets ceased firing the damage was scored.
Six Legionaries dead – all the ones who'd been walking up the dried-up riverbed. Twenty-one NCR troopers lay sprawled on the ground. Blood was everywhere. She couldn't estimate the exact number of dead; many had been crushed under the rocks. This was a victory and she wanted all of Shady Sands to know it.
Vulpes stood beside her waiting patiently for her next direction.
"Hide our dead, but display theirs," she ordered.
Vulpes only nodded and before night fell the Legion men had been carried off but the NCR men had been dragged onto the top of each boulder and splayed on top. When the sun would rise their bodies would bake in the sun, their blood painting the rocks.
Surely this would draw him out. It had to, Aramis thought. Dex couldn't hide in the walls of that city forever.
They crouched down behind several large boulders and rocks.
"Is there just the one?" Vulpes asked.
"Looks to be," Aramis replied quietly.
"We can go around, if there's more we can avoid…" he tried but she cut him off.
"No, hand me the rifle." Aramis ordered.
Vulpes passed her his own hunting rifle.
Aramis took an aimed shot, breathed slowly and lined up her sights. When she had her shot she eased the trigger in and the explosion from the chamber rang out. The NCR Trooper fell to the ground. Aramis waited for anything or anyone else to appear. There was nothing. He was just a single scout, hardly worth the bullet.
In Shady Sands, the entire High Command was buzzing about the massacre right outside their walls. To make the situation worse, a mutilated Trooper had come stumbling back into the base, barely alive insisting that Aramis himself was the one bringing down this carnage. Dex felt a surge in hostility when the Trooper claimed that Aramis was calling him out personally. Dex was familiar with the Commander's work. There was a rather large file that consisted of much of the brutal slayings and actions the Commander seemed to be a part of and yet so very little detail about the man behind the dog skull mask. Dex wouldn't allow this monster from the desert to get the upper hand and he certainly was not about to be outplayed.
One evening Dex ventured alone into the more seedy area of Shady Sands. Around him were filth and debauchery as women and men prostituted for caps or drugs. The slums smelled like raw sewage and in a dark corridor between two large building, two men shared the street delicacy that was rat meat.
Dex approached the two men, ignoring one and facing the other.
"I have a job for you ... same payment as before," Dex began.
The man's weathered face twisted into a smile, revealing a mouth of many missing teeth. His fingernails were stained a deep yellow and he smelled as bad as he looked. The man stared at Dex with wild blue eyes and pupils so tiny they were barely visible.
"I need you to spread a rumour. Tell all who care to hear that you've heard the head of NCR Intelligence is held up in in a safe house across from the Stockyard," Dex concluded.
"That's it?" the junkie asked.
"That's it," Dex affirmed.
"What for?" the junkie inquired.
"No questions," Dex scoffed.
There was a moment of silence before the junkie's smile widened.
"Always a pleasure. Your story will get out," the junkie promised.
With nothing more to discuss, Dex left the men to enjoy their meal.
XXX
The following night, Dex returned to the junkie.
"Word got out?" Dex asked.
"To whoever cared to listen to my rambling," the junkie confirmed.
Dex smirked and said,
"Guess I promised you something, huh?"
Disgusting yellowed fingernails attached to leathery fingers reached out, expecting payment.
Dex was quick to deliver. He gave the man twice the amount he initially promised.
The junkie's eyes went wide with utter delight.
"See, we're not all bad," Dex affirmed. "It's strong stuff, medical-grade. Don't take it all at once," he warned but as he said those final words he smiled.
He departed the foul alley and returned to the base located in the heart of the city. Just before midnight, he ordered one of his men to go back to the slums and retrieve the junkie. Sure enough less than thirty minutes later, two Rangers returned dragging the completely inebriated junkie.
"This is who you wanted?" one of the Troopers asked.
"That's the one. Come on, we're headed across town," Dex ordered.
In the cover of darkness, the four men packed onto a small six-wheeled all-terrain vehicle. They placed the overdosed and barely breathing junkie into the back and covered him with a blanket so as not to be seen. They manoeuvred through the streets towards the safehouse and once close, triggered the small garage door to open with a fob and pulled in. Concealed inside, Dex put into motion the next part of the plan.
"Put him in my bed will you? Looks like he needs to sleep this one-off," Dex ordered in a teasing tone as a sly smirk played on his face.
The two Troopers didn't argue as they followed Dex to the small bedroom within the safe house and helped ease the comatose junkie into the bed. Dex pulled the covers over the man before he turned off the light and left.
Aramis peered through the simple glass window. She lifted it to see if it was unlocked and to her utter shock it was. This was almost too easy to the point where it wasn't fun. She knew better than to take this advantage for granted. Dex was highly skilled and to afford him any lead could possibly result in her failure or death. This had to be quick. She wouldn't have any satisfaction in him knowing anything more than he already did.
The execution would be swift.
Silently she opened the window and slid into the room. Everything was dark but she could make out the silhouette of a lump in bed and saw it rise and fall slowly as he expired heavy snores. She peered through the holes of the dog skull as she stood over the mass. She saw hands resting to the side of the bed, outside the sheets but his face was covered by most of the blanket he lay beneath.
Unsheathing her hunting knife, she surveyed the necessary sweet spot to deliver a silent kill. Quickly, she pulled back the blankets, put a hand over his mouth and brought the knife straight down on the neck. Cutting the trachea was the priority. No screams that way. After the first stab, she was able to get four more centre chest before she moved her hand off his face but when her eye adjusted to the man's features she made a startling discovery.
This wasn't Art Enigma. This was the Junkie she got her information from.
And this was a trap.
Before she could make a dash back for the window the door flew open and there was a blinding light and bang. Aramis was completely disoriented. Her ears were ringing as she stumbled around the room trying to catch her bearing.
Suddenly she was brought to the ground by a massive body, that wretched her arms back and put her into firm locking zap straps.
Caught. That was the only thing that crossed her mind at that very moment.
Her head was pounding from the flashbang but her eyes were adjusting back and she saw the familiar silhouette of a man before her. Art Enigma, the man she now knew as Dex was standing with a twisted grin splaying wide across his face. She'd never seen him smile like that.
"Aramis?" he asked.
Aramis said nothing. This was bad. This was worse then bad this was a catastrophe. Panic began to set in. What was she going to say? What was she going to do?!
"I expected ... bigger," Dex told her, sounding disappointed. "Interesting plan," he further berated. "Sorry, it didn't work. Not only did I get you but also we have one less shitrat in the city. Win win."
Dex moved back into the doorway of the room. "Get him up and to booking cells," he ordered.
The two Rangers pulled her up to her feet. Aramis felt as though her legs were made of string and incapable of becoming rigid.
"Get this fucking thing off your head," she heard the Ranger on her left say and before she could protest he pulled the skull off her face.
The colour in Dex's face disappeared. His jaw fell open as instant recognition swept in. Aramis dropped her eyes so no to look at him.
"What the fuck is this?!" he suddenly shouted and before she knew what was happening Dex flew across the room, took her by the throat and out of the grasp of the two Rangers and had her pinned to the wall behind her, his face inches from her own.
Aramis gasped.
His eyes were wide and scrutinizing, as he looked her body up and down.
"They put you up to this?! Really?! You?!" he yelled in her face.
Aramis didn't say a word.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" he yelled some more.
He thrashed her back against the wall, hard, her head bouncing off the brick.
"Answer me!" he hollered.
But she didn't.
He let her go and paced around the room for a couple of seconds before continuing his verbal onslaught.
"You think this is a joke?! How fucked in the head are you that you dress up like a Legionary and now you've murdered someone thinking it was me! I knew you were a dumb bitch but this … this is insane. You are fucking insane," he thrashed.
Aramis barely lifted a brow. She refused to give him any satisfaction in getting a reaction from her.
"What should we do with her, Sir?" one of the Rangers asked.
"Black Site Echo," he said abruptly.
"Sir?" the same Ranger questioned.
"You heard me. Take her to Echo. Surely the real Aramis will wonder where his little pet went and we can deal with him soon enough," Dex ordered.
The two Rangers exchanged glances but didn't rebut their order. They each took Aramis under one arm and scooped her to her feet. They put earmuffs over her head and a black hood over her face. Everything was dark and silent as she was led out of the room and to somewhere unknown.
So Dex thought this was all just a ploy. Surely she'd be out of here in no time. So long as she maintained her silence he would think this was just a disguise meant to lead him away from the alleged real Aramis. Sure, she killed some junkie but no one would care in the end. Even if they did, she could probably escape this place without much effort.
When she was finally halted her hood and earmuffs were removed. She was in a very small room with a concrete slab for a bed and another concrete square in the corner with a hole cut out for a washroom. All in all, not the worst place she could be. The light was the only thing that was a bit on the extreme. Piercing white lights that were so bright that even when she closed her eyes she saw the light penetrate through her lids. Aramis sat on the bed and waited. Surely they'd be back to question her soon but that didn't happen. In fact, things only got much, much worse.
XXX
She didn't know how long she'd been awake. It felt like days but maybe it was hours, she didn't know. The lights never went out. Throughout the time in this box, a speaker in her room amplified the noises of people screaming or babies crying. It must have been sound clips they played on repeat because she started to recognize the pattern in the sound bytes. If she tried to sleep or collapsed from exhaustion someone, she wasn't sure who because they were always in full black and wore goggles over their eyes would come in and smack her until she was awake.
Finally, there came a point when Dex entered the room appearing quite casual. She was sitting on her bed and glared at him. It hurt her eyes to gaze at him this way but she wanted him to see her resilience.
"I've been given permission to use enhanced interrogation techniques to get information out of you. I'm going to ask some simple questions … and I want you to answer them truthfully. If I feel you're not being truthful or you refuse to answer then I will leave the room and bad things will happen to you. You have the power to stop these bad things by cooperating. This will continue until you cooperate with this investigation. Am I clear?" he asked in a direct tone.
Aramis did not respond to this but she was intrigued to know what methods they used. Aramis had endured plenty of trials and tribulations. She'd built up her resiliency to these tactics. They wouldn't break her.
Dex began.
"What's your name?"
Aramis didn't speak.
With that Dex slapped her, open-handed, clean across the face.
Aramis was stunned and recoiled back slightly.
"What's your name?" he asked again.
Aramis didn't answer.
Again, he slapped her.
"Tell me your name," he demanded.
When she didn't answer he got up and retrieved the black hood and earmuffs from the bag at his feet. He put the earmuffs and hood on her and led her out of the cell.
When he removed the muffs and hood she was in a new room. It was white like her cell but the walls here weren't concrete from what she could tell. Dex then taped a pillow around her neck not uttering a word.
He then slammed her hard against the wall. Her head bounced off and there was a loud crash sound. Everything was spinning and she couldn't collect her bearings. The reverberation shook her to her core and she was left struggling to stay on her feet. Now she understood the pillow, it was to prevent her neck from snapping when he did this.
"I already know your name so you may as well answer this simple question. Things are only going to get harder for you. You have the power to make the pain stop," he told her calmly.
Aramis stayed quiet. He bounced her head off the wall a couple more times before she was led back into her room under the black hood and left in her cell unattended. The room was spinning but when she tried to close her eyes the light burned through her lids. Even then, they cranked the sounds of people screaming and babies crying so that there was no way she could sleep.
When she was brought food she refused to eat it.
It didn't matter because she was overpowered by four individuals who held her down while she was given an IV for fluids and forced to eat through a tube they shoved down her throat. They wouldn't let her die, and they wouldn't let her sleep.
The days were a blur. She couldn't pull any information from anything. Time was of no concept to her now. It was quite some time before Dex came to see her again.
"Do you want the noise to stop?" he asked.
"Yes," Aramis replied bitterly.
"Than just tell me your name," he added.
"Eyre," Aramis lied.
With that, the noise stopped almost instantly.
"I'll let you sleep for a bit. If you continue to work with me then this will be easy, otherwise, we'll have to keep going in the manner you've clearly expressed is not of value to anyone," he said.
With that, he left and the lights were dimmed so Aramis could sleep without being blinded or deafened.
She collapsed on the concrete slab and lay there for a moment.
This was a whole new level of interrogation that she was not aware of. This was purely psychological and she could feel herself losing.
XXX
How long Dex let her sleep she didn't know but she woke up feeling more rested even when he swung open her cell door and pulled her to her feet. Once again she was led out in the dark and brought to a room where she was put to sit in a chair and handcuffed so she could not move from that spot.
Dex sat in a chair across from her; a desk was the only thing between them.
"Eyre, who sent you here to kill me?" he asked.
Aramis didn't answer. She figured this out. She could go a few days of their tactics then just when she felt herself break she'd give them just enough for them to give her what she needed to continue this game. So long as she only gave them useless or bullshit information she'd get through this.
"Eyre we're prepared to take things to the next level if we have to. We don't want to do this. No one enjoys it but you have the information we need and we're prepared to do what we have to do in order to extract it," he said.
"You do enjoy this don't you?" Aramis asked, trying to turn things over on him.
"Eyre, who sent you here to kill me?" he asked again.
Aramis pulled against the handcuffs to test their strength.
Dex rose from his chair and once again slapped her across the face. It stung her face but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of crying out.
"I'm curious how a whore got mixed up with the Legion. I assume it was drugs but maybe you just needed the money. I suppose they already had you in their pocket when we first met. That would explain your outward hostility," he went on. "Tell me, how did the Legion turn you into their little puppet whore?"
"What day is it?" Aramis asked.
Dex didn't answer.
"If you tell me what day it is then I will answer a question," she stated.
"Answer first and I will tell you," Dex countered.
"Aramis sent me," Aramis said. It was the honest truth. He didn't need to know that she really was Aramis.
"Thursday," Dex offered.
"Thursday the what?" Aramis wanted to know.
"Who is Aramis?" Dex asked.
"The Commander of the Frumentarii," she said plainly. "Now what day?"
"Seventeenth," he uttered.
"Is it still May?" she asked.
"Who does the Commander work for?" he inquired.
"Do you always ask dumb questions you already know the answer to? You know it's Caesar," she mocked.
"Obviously it's still May, you've been here six days," he teased.
That's it? Six days? Hell, it's felt like a month.
Dex smirked and said,
"And you're going to be here for much longer.
XXX
This is how the first two months went. Aramis held strong for days and just when she couldn't go any further she'd give them just a bit of useless information, enough to keep them from escalating the methods and also enough for them to give her a break in order to gather her strength to carry on.
One day Dex started their interrogation in a similar manner but Aramis could tell a change in his demeanour.
"Eyre, I'm afraid there have been some incidents involving the Legionaries and NCR troops. It seems they aren't too happy you're in here. A lot of people are dying on both sides and I believe you have information that is useful to us and could help put an end to this senseless violence. Because of these circumstances, I've deemed it necessary to take your sessions to the next stage. As always, you have the power to stop this," he said like a mentor preparing his acolyte for some big objective.
Aramis felt weak, uneasy and admittedly afraid.
She was led into a new room. This one had a simple metal table that in the centre that was on a slant. She was strapped onto the table with her head lower than the rest of her body.
Dex and another man entered the room. She never knew the other people who came with Dex. They were always fully blacked out in gear that covered them from head to tow.
"This is known as waterboarding, Eyre. It's an old but very effective method. It may not seem too terrible but I assure you, it's very unpleasant. Let's begin."
A damp cloth was placed on Aramis's face and water was poured over her nose and mouth. The burning sensation that filled her head was excruciating as her sinuses filled with water. She tried to cough to clear the water but nothing worked. Her eyes strained and she tried to whip her head from side to side to avoid the stream. After a few seconds that felt like minutes, the pouring stopped and she struggled to expel the water from her nasal passages. The water was then poured again. The horrible sensation returned and Aramis couldn't help but yell out in anguish. She felt as though she were drowning and yet it lasted forever.
After she had in total five pours of water on her face she was tilted up so that she could get the water out. It all felt horrible. Her muscles ached, her eyes burned, her brain felt as though someone was ripping it in two. It was the worst physical discomfort she'd ever felt in her life.
She was crying, and she didn't care.
"It's not pleasant. I tried to warn you," Dex said, sounding empathetic. "Eyre, I don't like doing this. Despite what you may already think of me I don't enjoy watching people go through this. I don't want to keep going but my superiors want answers and they think you have them. If you cooperate then the waterboarding will stop."
Aramis said nothing.
The table was leaned back down and the session continued.
When it was finally over she was led back to her room, stripped naked and left in her cell. Every few hours or so someone would come into her room, take her body temperature than leave. She wasn't sure how long she was left like this. As usual, the noises blasted over the loudspeaker and all Aramis could do was sit in a corner, tuck her knees into her chest and cry.
It was Eyre's the third session of waterboarding when Dex made headway. He had tilted up the table for her to expel all the fluid from her sinuses when she looked at him through bloodshot eyes and told him to ask her a question.
Dex had amassed great respect for Eyre. She'd held out longer than anyone he'd ever interrogated before. It was beyond impressive that she'd resisted for so long. He and his partner unfastened her straps and wrapped a blanket around her. She was shivering and her teeth rattled like thrown dice on a marble stone. He knew she wasn't in any real danger. Through a closed-circuit television a massive staff of medical personnel and psychologists were watching everything. If ever things went too far, anyone could have stopped him.
But no one did … so he never stopped.
This time, however, he would break protocol. He'd never done it before but surely no one would dare voice a concern or rat him out for what he did next.
He led Eyre back to the conversation room and sat her down in the chair, handcuffing her in place. He then went up and turned off all the cameras and the recording equipment before taking a seat before her. NCR citizens had rights. She was not a citizen of the NCR so therefore she didn't and thus, he could do whatever he wanted.
"Eyre, why are we receiving threats from the Legion to hand over Aramis?" he asked.
Aramis looked at him, her eyes were still bloodshot. There was some froth in the corners of her mouth leftover from the excessive coughing.
This was the question that was on everyone's mind.
Last night four Troopers had been murdered in a brutally horrific way. They'd been tortured before their throats were cut and with their blood, on the wall of the barracks, someone had written out,
"GIVE US BACK ARAMIS OR MORE WILL DIE WORSE THAN THEM"
This left all the NCR in Shady Sands wondering why the Legion thought that the NCR had their Frumentarii Commander. Only Dex began to play with possibilities that seemed too farfetched to be true.
"Because Aramis is here," Eyre muttered.
Dex leaned forward and asked,
"Who is Aramis?"
Eyre lowered her gaze and uttered,
"I am."
Dex scratched the stubble on his chin. How was this possible?
"How could you be the Frumentarii Commander?" he went on.
There seemed to be hesitation in her. He hoped they'd broken her enough that she'd carry on.
"They don't know," she admitted to him.
"How?" he pressed.
She smirked ever so slightly.
"Everyone always wants to know how," she managed to get out.
"Go on," he said.
"They just never caught on. I hide it, some know, but not all. We keep it a secret," she told him.
"Other Legionaries know?" he asked.
She nodded.
"How long have you been doing this?" he asked.
She was silent for a while before she answered,
"At least twenty-something years."
Dex struggled to keep his composure. How could she have done this? It had to be impossible. There's no way she could have fooled so many and gotten to where she was purely on merit but the more impossible it seemed, the more possible it became. She'd endured the interrogation far longer than anyone else had. She built up resistance well beyond the scope of many.
It was fascinating if not terrifying all at the same time.
He felt his curiosity spiked. He knew he should have turned the cameras back on but he didn't.
"Does Caesar know?" he went on.
Eyre shook her head.
"The Legate?" he asked.
Eyre shrugged.
"You convinced the Malpais Legate not to kill you and continue your work?" he asked. "Even I have to admit you had me fooled. I'm impressed," Dex told her. "Do you prefer I call you Aramis then?"
He had to keep this relationship going. She was conversing with him openly. He didn't want her to wall up again.
She nodded to his question.
He felt a bit lost. He'd structured this entire interrogation based on a civilian woman who demonstrated unbelievable resilience to interrogation. Now he was actually dealing with his equal in his enemies' ranks.
"I have some bad news for you though," Aramis suddenly spoke up.
"If you think I have information of value to you, you're mistaken. I've spent the majority of the last year in New Canaan far away from the Legion and out of the loop of all operations. I don't know where anyone is or what any of the plans are. Had you captured me a year ago, you'd have had legion intel handed to you on a platter, but you may as well have caught a basic Recruit because that's all I'm worth right now," she said.
Dex pondered this for a moment. It was true. She'd been in New Canaan for a year. He'd heard the rumour mill from Ty and the other boys of the security team.
"Why did you come here to kill me?" he decided to investigate.
Her eyes narrowed in on him.
"I knew my position was getting your attention and it was only a matter of time before you'd come after me," she told him. "Plus, I don't like you."
Dex had to admit that was reasonable, if not slightly petty.
"Seems like things didn't quite go the way you intended," he said.
Aramis said nothing in response to this.
"I have to admit it was pretty brutal watching you stab that junkie through the surveillance monitor without even the slightest bit of hesitation," he said.
Aramis just shrugged.
"Is killing that easy for you?" he probed.
"Is it for you?" she turned back around.
"Sometimes," he admitted.
She eyed him as if that was the obvious response.
"What happened to keep you in New Canaan for so long?" he questioned.
It seemed like he'd pressed too hard because she stiffened up and looked over her shoulder.
"I've answered enough. I think you owe me some rest," she said.
Dex folded his arms over his chest and leaned back into the chair.
Without uttering another word he stood up, unshackled her from the chair and covered her head and ears back up before leading her back to her cell. He placed her inside, removed the cuffs and covers and exited the cell without speaking another word.
When he returned to the surveillance room he wasn't surprised to see a lot of curious stares but no one spoke a word.
"That's it for tonight. Just the usual monitors," Dex ordered. The team departed apart for two on the security detail. Dex had to process all the information he now had so he retired to his own personal room at the black site to sleep on his new wealth of information.
XXX
The next session for extraction took place the next morning. Aramis was handcuffed to the chair and Dex entered the room.
She seemed well rested for once. They'd allowed her to sleep for 6 hours but she'd been told it had been nine. This would put her in a better mood and feel more compliant, hopefully.
Dex sat in the chair across from her.
Neither spoke for a few seconds. Instead, Aramis looked around the room at all the cameras.
Without speaking Dex rose from his chair and once again turned off all the cameras.
This seemed to please her and when he sat she immediately started talking again.
"What will happen to me now?" she asked. "Surely you'll use this information to shed doubt in the ranks and drive a rift through the Legion."
"I haven't decided on anything yet, besides the only two people who know of you alias are the two people in this room," he told her.
"Why haven't you told anyone else?" she asked.
He wondered this himself at that moment. He'd barely had a day to process this information and he wanted to be sure it was utilized in the most effective manner though he knew he'd have to let his highers know soon.
"We have a rapport. I want you to be able to trust me. Now that you're in our protection I'm hopeful this develops into a mutually beneficial relationship. We'll need your help to bring down Caesar and his Legion," he said when suddenly an idea came to his mind.
"What if we let you go, allowed you to return to the Legion and continue being the Frumentarii Commander?" he asked.
Aramis raised a brow.
"We … well I, know your secret and should you prove to be a loyal informant I will keep this secret and you'll be allowed to carry on just as you were. Should at any point you decide to go against my direction, I'll expose you and you'll be at the mercy of Caesar and the entire Legion," he said.
Aramis's face turned white before it flushed red.
"No," she said plainly.
"The alternative is execution," Dex refuted.
"I won't expose my brothers to tactics that would see you and your NCR slaughter them," she snapped harshly. "You'll have to kill me because I won't turn on them."
"Maybe I wasn't forthcoming enough," Dex began. "It's not us who will execute you. I will strip you naked and carve the words 'here is your Aramis' into your flesh than deliver you back to your Legion. I expect they will pass their own judgement on you and I won't lose a minute of sleep over any of it," he said casually.
There was nothing but silence now. Aramis's face continued to beam a brilliant shade of red and he could see the sweat form along her brow.
"I won't be your puppet," Aramis finally got out.
He had to admire her loyalty but it was also masking her idiocy for defending the tyrant and his minions.
"Tell me, what would Caesar do to those who also know about your secret? I doubt the Legate is the only one. There will be an inquiry no doubt," he told her.
"They will deny any knowledge," Aramis rebutted.
"And calm, rational, gullible Caesar will believe them," Dex uttered.
Aramis's upper lip quivered.
"Aramis you don't have many options. You will work for me now or you and those you care about will meet a fate worse than I'm sure even you can think up," he said in a callus tone.
"I'm tired," Aramis grumbled.
"I will permit you to sleep on this discussion and you will have an answer for me tomorrow at this exact time," he said.
Aramis didn't respond with a word or a gesture.
Dex stood up and turned the TVs back on, covered her head once more and walked her back to her cell with two armed escorts.
Once he departed her room his partner, Calvin, greeted him.
Calvin had a background in psychology as well. He grew up far north of Shady Sands in a place where the terrain was much tougher and harsher. He served with the NCR for nearly a dozen years before being selected for the intelligence team. It's not that he possessed any outstanding brilliance; he was smart there was no doubt but the man was resilient and he had topped his class in conduct after capture by holding out the longest in just about every exercise. It only made sense that he would become an instructor shortly thereafter and now here he was at Black Site Echo. He was a tall man, around 6'4, black skin and a full mouth. Despite the low level of physical exertion in this job, he kept himself in shape by running often and lifting weights with many of the security guards. Dex enjoyed working with him. Calvin was always professional and good at his job.
"That's two sessions now that we won't be able to account for," Calvin warned.
"I know, but I got exactly what we need to turn her," Dex defended as the two of them walked to the café that served the Black Site.
"Everyone is thinking you got more than words out of that girl. You should hear the rumours flying," Calvin teased.
"Really? They think I would go to such a level?" Dex argued back, his tone rising.
Calvin smirked and said,
"No, but they like to imagine you would. Makes their indiscretions seem not as depraved."
Dex rolled his eyes.
"So what did we get out of her?" Calvin asked.
"I'll know for sure tomorrow but if all goes well, the Legion will be finished by the end of the month," Dex replied.
Calvin looked stunned as his jaw fell open.
"There's no way one woman can aid in the destruction in the entire Legion," Calvin mocked.
"You'll see," Dex said with a smirk.
In her cell, Aramis sat on her bed staring at the white wall in front of her. How could she have been so stupid? She'd walked right into this trap and now everything was falling apart around her. She'd be forced to betray her men in order to save the lives of those who mattered more to her. There was no way out of this … unless …
She looked to the wall directly in front of her with a new set of eyes. A way out. That's all she needed.
Without hesitation, she stood up and ran headfirst into the wall. There was a loud smash as she felt her skin break away and left behind was a large red smear on the white paint. Her head throbbed and pounded but she would not let up. She didn't give herself time to think. She didn't want to allow her mind to change to survival mode and talk herself out of this. She had to do it. It was the only way.
She backed up and ran into the wall again. There was another /THUD/ and more blood splattered the wall. This time there was a crack too and she felt her vision slip. She was struggling to keep a normal gait so she opted to just bang her head repeatedly against the wall as tears cascaded down her face.
She could hear yells from outside her cell door. There wasn't much time.
/ SMASH / SMASH / SMASH / she repeatedly threw her head against the wall until finally, she collapsed on the ground. She made out a pair of boots standing before her and the murmuring of undetectable words before everything closed in around her and the world became dark and silent.