Alex tried to sleep but the whine of the helicopter was just too loud and the ride just too unnerving for him to completely relax. It was dark and stormy when the helicopter landed. Alex saw northing apart from the platform and the stairwell to the interior. The wind howled and the waves could be heard crashing below. He was shown directly into a makeshift surveillance suite, and with a technician and his minder as he watched the recordings of the interrogation so far.
The canteen was basic. Alex got a cup of black coffee, then his minder produced a plastic package of rations. "To your exact requirements, sir"
No names were used and Alex had just communicated through nods, shrugs and non-verbal means. He wore plain black clothes and had removed all personal items, which were in his locker back at HQ. Alex remained silent but overheard two others in the canteen gossiping that the Scorpia interrogation specialist had arrived. They had looked in his direction, but obviously due to his youth, they had discounted him. Alex took a good look at the tall blond thirty something who had accompanied him from Vauxhall. Alex in low russian not to be overheard asked "You do speak russian don't you?"
A curt "Da" was said, followed by a wide grin.
"Good" The agent had not introduced himself but was obviously here to act as an assistant as well as bodyguard. "Whoever instructed the subject on resistance to torture was good, very good. I would think they were probably trained at Malagosto."
"Do you think so?" questioned the other agent.
"Positive. I need an assistant to help, actually. Do you have any experience of non standard interrogation?"
A brief pained look crossed the man's face "Yes, I have been interrogated in a very real situation."
"Well the book is out of the window. I want to spook this guy good. Mind fuck him. Play hard and nasty. I am from now on Yassen's Chosen Stand-in and not some sad little intern at SIS. We are about to become the person who hurt you. Can you pull that off?"
"To get the sick fuck, yes"
Alex decided to introduce himself. "Cool, Call me Sasha."
The Agent smiled and he played along "Call me Dima."
Alex ate and explained in russian about Scorpia techniques and the scenario he was hoping would work. Pretending to be russian upped the ante as their was no quarter between militant Islamists and the Russian Federation or its predecessor the USSR.
Alex observed the subject in the interview room. He was manacled at both ankle and wrist to a fixed point. He looked like he had had no sleep and been questioned throughly, but still retained the smug arrogance of someone who thought he knew the system. With the use of Dr. Three's techniques of inflicting pain with no permanent damage to the subject, this young man was in for a rude awakening.
Alex strode in not caring about his slight limp. He sat and put down a thick file. The file on all known information of the subject. Alex did not look at his name, just concentrated on the medical details for the moment.
"Good morning, my name is Sasha, I am a specialist information technician, I am freelance. I work for who pays, it is nothing personal. My employers here wish information. I see you are a strong healthy young man."
The subject looked at Alex and made his first mistake he talked, well started to brag. "You're russian. I know all about russians, you are pigs."
Alex thought about his one time father, Alexei Sarov and his reminiscences of the Russian Occupation and darling Vladimir's death. "Really, so you know about Afghanistan? My father told me of it, too."
Alex then sat back and mused on the man staring back at him. He then spoke to his colleague, Dima in quick fluent russian, still observing the subject "I think we have just a small amount of work to break him, he has heard the Russian's played by very different rules than anyone in the west." From the small crease in the subjects brow and brief puzzled look on his face, he either spoke no russian or very little.
Alex smiled and continued, "Dima you have a knife?"
"Yes, boss."
Alex nodded keeping his face neutral "Cut off the subjects clothes, make a play of wielding the knife. You know, act like you want to cut him to pieces. No direct touching though."
Dima was quick, menacing and efficient. After his assistant had gone back to guard duty, Alex stood to take a closer look at the trussed up prisoner. He was well within his personal bubble. Too close, much too close for comfort. Alex briefly touched the man and smiled as the subject jumped.
His fingers lightly played on the man's bare shoulders, not overtly sexual but disquieting. Alex was here to take ownership of this man, to control and command. He had been handed complete power, it was a heady experience. Alex took a calming breath and sat back down giving the man a long look, taking all the details. Several bruises were noted, yellowing now, probably from his encounter with the two SAS men. There was no other signs of mistreatment. Alex's attention then went back to the open file. He read through the time and motion log kept for the subject. No mention of other than standard interrogation tactics. Two tries with sodium thiopental but not with other stimuli. Sleep depravation and disorientation would be continued but no more standardized methods.
Alex smiled and listed a few ground rules.
"I am here to loosen your tongue. I have no interest in what you have to say, your associates or your actions. Others will question you. I have been subcontracted because I may use certain less than ordinary methods."
The man with the badly disguised northern accent ranted "I have rights. You cannot torture me. I'm a British Citizen."
"Really, technically we are no longer in Britain" The small rock was an abandoned weather station located far into the north Atlantic in International waters. A private kingdom or prison. No state had any say over this place. "So, you have no rights here. So. shall we begin. I like stress positions, its always a fine way to start."
It had been twenty minutes and the man's legs were giving way. As the naked figure crashed to the floor Alex made no comment as Dima dragged the subject back to his chair. Alex sat and made careful notes in the log.
Alex could almost hear Yassen's dialogue to him, all those years ago on Cuba. The most important aspect of interrogation was to observe and to analyze your subject. The objective was not to be brutal, except when necessary. There was a beauty in brevity when dealing with your subject, make every move count, make every nuance you yourself made show exactly you were in control. Alex could see even know he was viewed as too young, inexperienced and probably as a bit soft by the subject. Alex would always speak in calm low tones, as Yassen had. Now it was time for the first power play, the subject needed to be shown the true face of fear. Dr. Three's techniques left minimal traces on the human body but with maximum impact.
"I wish to gauge your pain threshold." It was after this brief statement, Alex turned to Dima and again switched to russian. "You may wish to observe more closely."
...
The guards in the corridor outside heard the screams. After ten minutes the door opened and the two interrogators left the younger spoke saying, "Our guest need some refreshment, we will be back in 10 minutes."
"Does he need a doctor?" stated one of the guards.
"Oh no. He's still in one piece if thats what you are worried about."
The guard proceeded into the room to see the pale and shocked prisoner, naked with no obvious signs of damage except a few red marks on his skin.
...
As Alex drank a cup of coffee he was intercepted by the doctor in attendance. "What the hell did you do to that man? Your orders were not to physically injure him."
"You may visit your patient when we return to administer some truth serum, a half dosage, I think. The subject experienced pain but with only very minor actual physical contact." Alex stated not looking at the doctor.
His companion then added "Pressure point stimulation. Nerves were stimulated to inflict agony. I've heard rumours of such things but never seen it before. No outwards signs of harm. Most effective."