*Back to Turkey and Joseph*

I went to the bookstore Jared had mentioned. I was quite pleased, for such a small bookstore, it seemed to have a few ancient texts that not even the Chroniclers had. I would have to mention that to the Librarians later, so they could come down here to see if they wanted anything. However, first things first, and that was gaining a profile on this Jassir fellow. Jared had told me a bit about him to be sure, but one never knows their prey truly until they have had a chance to look upon them in their own territory. I walked into the library and I could see the fear in the man's eyes as he turned around to see who I was. He obviously feared I was from the organization he had been associating with. However, he quickly realized I wasn't and turned to business again. "Good evening," he told me, "Welcome to Jassir's Bookstore of Wonders sir, is there anything I can help you find?"

I gave him a friendly smile answering, "No no no, I am just looking around for now. If something catches my eye, I will let you know sir." I pretended to browse, looking around to see if he kept the book on my village in the open. An hour of searching revealed nothing though, and it began to get dark as I had come at sunset. If all was going to plan, Jared should be paying some local teens to do some rioting and vandalism. I didn't like using people like that, but it was necessary.

I got the beep on my mobile from Jared as he sent a quick burst with one word, "Begin." Silently pulling out a custom gas powered tranquilizer pistol, I waited until Jassir's back was turned, and shot him. Probably weighing about 300 pounds, the man fell like a brick. I put him into a sack and sped across the streets before none were wiser to the safe house Jared had in the town. I will admit I banged him up a bit on the way there though, while he wasn't heavy for me, it was an awkward burden to carry for him being so ungainly. Tying him down the standard restraints, it only took about another hour of waiting as me and Jared stared at our prisoner in silence when Mr. Schans came knocking. We immediately let him in and he begins to pull out various compounds to help in our interrogation. "Hello William," I greeted, "William this is Jared, Jared this is William, and that guy asleep over there is Jassir. Shall we wake him up gentlemen? I think he has napped long enough and answers are needed."

Mr. Schans injected a stimulant into Jassir to counteract the tranquilizer that was just wearing off. Jassir groggily opened his eyes, which were flooded with light from the bare bulb in the room shining above him. We watched as he put the pieces together of his capture. I could smell the fear on him as he realized there was no easy way of getting out of this.

Shouting he demanded, "Who are you people? What do you want with a simple book store owner like me? What the hell…" He broke off as William injected him with the first compound, one to make him more suggestible. I put on what Jane likes to call my Batman voice, but to be fair; I came up with it long before those movies. Gravelly I answered his demands, "Who we are doesn't much matter to you Jassir. What we want from you are answers. And what the hell that was that my associate here put into you is going to help me get those answers willingly or not." Jassir's foul sweat became stronger as he perspired, I truly don't think the guy showered as often as he should, and if he did, he needed to wash himself better.

Trembling, he said, "Why would you think I, a bookstore owner would know anything? All the information is in my books, and if you let me go I am sure we can work out some deal…"

"NO DEALS," I growled, "I need answers, this isn't a bargaining table you imbecile, this is an interrogation, now this can be easy. You tell us all about the activities you have had with Gentek and Blackwatch, and we let you go. Or I let my associate here get to work. He is a master at his art of breaking people. By the end of it, I will know who your first crush was and your bank account numbers. You can leave here with some or no dignity. Make your choice."

Jassir was shaken now, and hesitantly said, "It-it-it's not that simple, I tell you and they could make me disappear. That American group is worse than any intelligence agency I have heard of. They could easily make you and I disappear…" I laughed menacingly, "No go Jassir, I am much better at hiding than they are." I nodded to William who plunged another syringe into Jassir. In the coldest voice I had I whispered to him, "Let the pain wring the truth from you Jassir, the pain that you shall feel from the dark." I closed the light on him and let him scream for 15 minutes as the chemical William made burned inside of him. It was quick acting and quick to dissolve. I would let William go at him with more physical tools, but I didn't want him to have any memory recall triggers from this event.

*Mr. Sachs POV*

Watching my chemical take effect, I tallied a few notes at the patient's reaction. I was pleased to see it lasted just as long as it should of, proving my calculations for a man of his girth hadn't been off. I turned on the light again as the fire in his bones subsided saying, "It would be wise to be agreeable with my associate here. If you think this is bad, you should have heard what he wanted me to bring to our little chat. I was the one who advised something without such scarring effects. Wouldn't want to make you an eunuch out of you now would we?"

The casual tone I had of snipping off what no man wants snipped, seemed to be the final straw as his posture slumped. I devised that now he was broken and looked at Joseph meaningfully to begin his questioning while I looked for any signs of lying. While the man had been in pain, I put electrode pads on him for my lie detector that I had. However, I was around before these confounded devices and I trusted my own detailed analysis of Jassir that I had done on the way to Turkey to help me see if he told the truth.

I heard Joseph questioning, "How did you get involved with such a dangerous group in the first place?"

Jassir blubbered out between the tears, "I was *sniffle* in my store one day just doing some basic organization for my books when a man in a very nice suit comes into my establishment. I of course immediately jump on the chance to help such a well-dressed customer. He took out an old manuscript he had, with a few vague references to a village plague. Being the scholar that I am, I remembered that I had recently received a scroll about a plague in a village near this location as well. My suspicions were confirmed when he asked if I had any material that could in any way relate to this manuscript. He offered me a lump sum of $20,000 dollars for such a thing. I was immediately jubilant over such a sum and showed him the scroll I had. He smiled and handed over the money without even trying to bargain, then left. A few days later, he comes back to ask if I had any old maps of the area from the first A.D. millennia. I did, and showed them to him eagerly, especially with his promise of more money. By that time, the villagers had seen men in gasmasks and scientists on the outskirts of town. He looked at a little village or two on the map then went there with his people the next day. I was hoping that they found what they were looking for because if so, the man had promised me another $20,000 for my services. A few days later the man comes to me and says that they were partially successful, and offers $7500, giving me a number to contact for the rest of the money later. The men stayed here a few weeks longer, trying to find more of whatever it was they had uncovered, but they were unsuccessful apparently and left a week ago."

*Joseph POV*

This was BAD. I had thought that they would only have a few days to look at the virus before I would go in to take care of it, but if they had weeks with even a partial sample…I turned to Mr. Schans who shook his head when I gave him the questioning look to see if the man was lying. I certainly felt no inclination that he had been as you could tell the wretch just wanted out.

I asked him, "Do you still have this number?"

Jassir replied, "Oh yes sir I do, it is still on my mobile phone though the man told me not to contact him again once I got my money, which he paid me already. The number is 646-841-0974. After all the long distance of course."

I looked at this man, who I wanted to kill for his folly, but he had no idea of knowing the danger he had put the world in. I whispered to Mr. Schans, "Inject him with the serum, I don't want any memories from this at all. Jared already left, being too squeamish to bear the prolonged screaming, and being the professional he is, has already set it up like he has been knocked on the head and the cash register broken into." Mr. Schans nodded, injected Jassir, who fell asleep as his brain was being deleted of the past 10 to 20 hours. Some brain problems were probable for such an unhealthy man, but there was no getting around it. I rapped him on the head slightly to finish the décor to our deception and hefted him back to his place where I strewed him upon the floor.

As I got back to my hotel, I thanked Mr. Schans who left for Germany again, and Jared who went home to his wife. Long goodbyes were a luxury I could no longer afford. Looking up the area code of the number I had found it to be in New York City. My next destination was clear.