Artis sat in the solitary confinement cell. The room was small, dim and
some-what damp. He was muttering to himself in his native language, and
gesturing wildly with his hands. He was a large, powerfully built man. His
face was heavily lined. He had thick, dark eyebrows above dead eyes. His
hair was black, but it was graying at the temples.
Occasionally he got up from where he was sitting on the bed and paced the room like a caged animal. He moved with surprising grace for such a large man. He'd been stripped and searched, then been told to dress himself in a vile orange jumpsuit. His feet where bare, except for the thin white socks he wore.
Two men dressed in identical plain black uniforms stepped through the heavy metal door. Their movements where perfectly co-ordinated. They'd been very well trained.
"Come with us please." The taller of the two men said. The other man held the cell door open, giving them room to walk through after Artis' hands and feet had been cuffed together. The guard swung the door shut with a clang when they had passed.
Vaughn sat impatiently in the interviewing room. He tapped his fingers against the desk as he waited. He'd been waiting for almost ten minutes when Artis shuffled into the room, flanked by two guards.
"You have fifteen minutes, Agent Vaughn." One reminded him as they left, closing the heavy door behind him.
"How's Sydney?" Artis asked in a fake concerned voice.
"Alive. Which is more than you'll be if you touch her again." Vaughn said tightly.
Artis laughed, a bitter sound. "You think you can beat me?"
"I don't know. But I'm betting her father can." Vaughn said, watching his reaction. Artis had visibly paled at the mention of Jack Bristow. INow, that was interesting,/I Vaughn thought.
Vaughn paused for moment to let his words sink in, then continued in a business like voice, giving no indication of what he was feeling.
"Mr. Artis, you have information that we need. In return, we will let you go free. We will not prosecute you for the abduction of Agent Bristow." I And as soon as you leave the country, you'll be killed.IVaughn thought. His voice was cold and impersonal, but still polite. "If you don't tell us, then. well, I think you know what will happen to you."
He sat back in his chair to watch Artis' reaction. The guard knocked on the window, signaling that Vaughn had five minutes left.
"It 's up to you, Mr. Artis. Either you tell us where the sensor is and why you wanted it, in which case, we let you go. Or you can choose not to tell us, and you will be prosecuted. You may even face the death sentience."
Artis still said nothing. He stared at his hands as if he's never seen them before. Vaughn stood and tucked his chair neatly under the table.
"I'll leave you to think about it." He said as he walked past and out of the room.
Occasionally he got up from where he was sitting on the bed and paced the room like a caged animal. He moved with surprising grace for such a large man. He'd been stripped and searched, then been told to dress himself in a vile orange jumpsuit. His feet where bare, except for the thin white socks he wore.
Two men dressed in identical plain black uniforms stepped through the heavy metal door. Their movements where perfectly co-ordinated. They'd been very well trained.
"Come with us please." The taller of the two men said. The other man held the cell door open, giving them room to walk through after Artis' hands and feet had been cuffed together. The guard swung the door shut with a clang when they had passed.
Vaughn sat impatiently in the interviewing room. He tapped his fingers against the desk as he waited. He'd been waiting for almost ten minutes when Artis shuffled into the room, flanked by two guards.
"You have fifteen minutes, Agent Vaughn." One reminded him as they left, closing the heavy door behind him.
"How's Sydney?" Artis asked in a fake concerned voice.
"Alive. Which is more than you'll be if you touch her again." Vaughn said tightly.
Artis laughed, a bitter sound. "You think you can beat me?"
"I don't know. But I'm betting her father can." Vaughn said, watching his reaction. Artis had visibly paled at the mention of Jack Bristow. INow, that was interesting,/I Vaughn thought.
Vaughn paused for moment to let his words sink in, then continued in a business like voice, giving no indication of what he was feeling.
"Mr. Artis, you have information that we need. In return, we will let you go free. We will not prosecute you for the abduction of Agent Bristow." I And as soon as you leave the country, you'll be killed.IVaughn thought. His voice was cold and impersonal, but still polite. "If you don't tell us, then. well, I think you know what will happen to you."
He sat back in his chair to watch Artis' reaction. The guard knocked on the window, signaling that Vaughn had five minutes left.
"It 's up to you, Mr. Artis. Either you tell us where the sensor is and why you wanted it, in which case, we let you go. Or you can choose not to tell us, and you will be prosecuted. You may even face the death sentience."
Artis still said nothing. He stared at his hands as if he's never seen them before. Vaughn stood and tucked his chair neatly under the table.
"I'll leave you to think about it." He said as he walked past and out of the room.