Fury From Within

Chapter Twelve

Speaking rapidly into his cell phone, Captain Isinov updated his commanding general on the situation with Sirna.

“Yes sir, our prisoner is awake as we speak. May I be so bold to recommend we alert our bomber forces to proceed to a stand-by status with a 3 hour alert?”

The General obviously concurred as he allowed the captain to continue.

“Comrade General, the medical staff has informed me that it will take several minutes for the drugs to have the desired effect and work its way through his system.”

After a short series of yes sir, no sir, Captain Isinov hung up the phone. He walked over to where Sirna lay restrained with metal hand and foot cuffs, awaiting the arrival of the staff doctor.

“How is our patient today?” Captain Isinov said, now wearing his full dress uniform, displaying 4 rows of service ribbons for combat military actions in Afghanistan, Angola and now Chechnya. He hoped to intimidate his prisoner in some perverse way.

Captain Isinov mocked Sirna’s conditions, laughing as he grabbed the leg restraints, pulling on the metal chain that held his legs affixed to the standard Government Issue hospital bed.

“Are you enjoying our Russian hospitality?”

The prisoner chose not to respond, staring overhead at the white tiled ceiling, redirecting and channeling his anger for the moment.

Captain Isinov moved around to the opposite side of his bed, taking time to smooth the white cotton sheet that Sirna lay upon. He sat down on the bed beside him.

Sirna closed his eyes for several seconds to garner some inner strength. The infidels had no idea their world was about to come crashing down about them. Opening his eyes, he stared at the captain as if he were the devil himself, focusing on the man’s narrow eyes for the first time noticing one was brown and the other blue. He knew it. A sign of the evil that lay within. If captured by one of his freedom fighters, they would pluck his eyes out then burn him alive.

“In a raspy voice, speaking for the first time since captured, Sirna said. “What do you want from me?”

Captain Isinov rose from the bed. “Ah, the man has a voice after all. A bit dry from the drugs that we have provided to you, but understandable.”

He walked over to where his medical assistant stood in the room’s doorway with an older, gray haired man. “Please come in Comrade Doctor. I would like to introduce you to our VIP,” he said sarcastically. “Introductions are in order. Mr. Sirna Miliruid, please meet the esteemed, Doctor Razinski, of our humble Medical Institute. Our Doctor Razinski works for the Russian military establishment here at the Institute, specializing in the technique of extracting information from prisoners such as yourself. He was kind enough to come here today to assist in our conversation. From what I hear he can be quite persuasive.”

The Captain eyed Sirna, waiting for his reaction. Sensing none he continued. “Doctor if you would be so kind as to lay your tools of the trade on the table, we can proceed.”

Sirna ignored the doctor as he dropped his black medical bag on the table. Wasting no time, Doctor Razinski started extracting odd shaped metal tools from inside the bag laying them on a table beside Sirna in a neat row according size. He smiled nervously down at Sirna. “Today is your lucky day Sirna Miliruid. You are to be the first test case for a new version of a truth serum we have developed right here at our Institute.”

The doctor turned to the captain with a questionable look upon his face: “That is if the Captain allows me to proceed?” He pointed to a needle and syringe. “Then again, he may have some other interesting ideas?”

The Captain had enough of the doctor’s toying. He needed to begin the process as soon as possible.

Captain Isinov brushed aside the petite doctor, approaching his display of tools, selecting a stainless steel surgical scalpel with a 1-centimeter blade. He held the scalpel up to the ceiling light, waiting until the stainless steel blade reflected its artificial rays into Sirna’s eye blinding him for a second or two.

“Thank-you doctor, that will all for the moment,” the Captain said.

“Sirna, I would like to start by asking you a few questions. Now, you can choose to ignore them, or you can provide me with the answers I require. It’s your decision.”

With blade in hand, Captain Isinov slowly sliced the green hospital robe that Sirna wore, cutting its thin fabric from his knees up to his chin.

Sirna started his evening prayer not knowing what time of the day it was, asking Allah to provide him with the strength to withstand the torture that would surely come.

Captain Isinov looked back to the doctor in disbelief.

When his prayers ended Sirna screamed aloud, “Allah Akbar.”

Captain Isinov jumped back in response, startled for the moment, quickly recovering as he moved the scalpel to within inches of Sirna’s eyes, allowing him to see the sharpness of the stainless steel blade.

“Enough with the pleasantries; let us start off with an easy question shall we? Where is the location of the Rebel Headquarters, Sirna?” He pushed the sharp end of the blade into the soft tissue above Sirna’s right eye, blood now flowed freely.

“I am not a monster, just a plain soldier like yourself. I only want to know certain pieces of information, and then I will leave you to your God.”

He moved the blade to the left eye. “Shall we start again? Let’s be reasonable men Sirna. Where is the location of the Rebel Headquarters?”

He waited several seconds before plunging the blade into the skin above the left eye.

A shriek escaped from Sirna’s lips, sounding as if he were a wounded animal. Crimson liquid covered both of his eyes now, his eyelids fluttering uncontrollably. He begged Allah to take him as he struggled against the chains that bound him to the metal-framed bed.

“Your god cannot help you here Sirna, only I can stop the pain.” He put his hand over Sirna’s mouth to stop his prayer from being heard. “Tell me what I want to know and I will see that you are sent to a proper medical facility for treatment.”

He scouted for a new instrument of pain, settling on a claw hammer. “They will repair the nerve damage above your eye so you can still lead a normal life.”

“I am not enjoying watching your life slowly drain away from you, Sirna.”

He grabbed Sirna’s right foot, pushing up his leg so the foot lay flat on the table. “Where is the location of the Rebel Headquarters? I will keep asking the same question over and over again. I will have no chose but to break every bone in your body very slowly if you do not respond.” He waited several seconds before seeing no response was forth coming, he brought the hammer to bear down on his large toe, the force of the blow undoubtedly shattering the bone into tiny fragments.

Sirna passed out from the excruciating pain.

Captain Isinov slapped the man repeatedly, trying to revive him. Seeing no response, he used the hammer to smash the remainder of his toes on the right foot.

“If he lives, he will never walk again.”

Captain Isinov placed the hammer gently back on the table where the doctor’s assorted tools lay, trying to control his anger, remembering how many of his countrymen have died due to rebels like Sirna.

“I don’t want to continue like this. It’s not right. I’m sinking to the level of this bastard. I am a professional soldier, not a murderer.”

“It is time for the new truth serum comrade doctor. This man is as tough as a Siberian plow horse.”

With that, he relinquished the reins of the interrogation to the doctor.

Doctor Razinski walked over to where his assortment of tools that lay spread on the table, selecting the plastic syringe and needle as his weapon of chose. He then searched his medical bag for the glass vial of serum, absentmindedly locating it in his lab coat pocket.

“Elusive little thing,” holding the vial up for the Captain to see. “This will relax our friend to the point of him experiencing no pain whatsoever. He will feel as though he were drifting on a cloud- bank. We will be able to start the interrogation within seconds of the cool liquid flowing into his veins.”

The captain smirked at the prospect of an interrogation without some type of pain being inflicted on a prisoner. “You have to make them feel something comrade doctor, so they will remember and tremble from your mere footsteps walking down the hall.”

The doctor nodded. “I would have agreed with you until this miracle drug came along and replaced our old sodium pentothal. With sodium pentothal, a prisoner could resist to a point where some type of torture might be necessary. Times change.”

Captain Isinov slapped Sirna across his blood-smeared face. Damn it, wake up you little shit!” He then proceeded to slap him only harder.

Sirna still lay unconscious upon the bed.

“Raising his hand for the fifth time, caught in mid-air by a thick-armed barrel of a man from behind, Captain Isinov reacted by swinging his left hand in the direction of the man. Again, the fist caught in mid-flight by the same powerful man.

Captain Isinov quickly realized his mistake. “Sir, my apologies,” he said, snapping to attention. “I was not aware it was you, General Poszk, please forgive me.”

As Commander in Chief of all Russian Special Forces, including the KARPOV Group, General Poszk was Captain Isinov’s boss. The General maintained the utmost respect for Captain Isinov even though he personally reduced him in rank three times over the past 14 years for conduct unbecoming an officer. Captain Isinov would have been Colonel Isinov with a good chance to receive his Generals strip if he had kept his nose clean.

He placed his hand around Captain Isinov’s shoulders, leading him out of earshot from the doctor and his medical assistant. “Captain Yuri Isinov, why don’t we allow the good doctor to apply his medical treatment to the prisoner and see if he will be more cooperative? I might need someone of your expertise to lead the attack on the Rebel Headquarters when this is finished. We need this prisoner alive and well. No more slicing and dicing, okay? We might be able to use him in a prisoner exchange for some of our boys.

Captain Isinov knew he reacted partly out of his frustration. He wanted to end the war himself and saw this prisoner as his golden opportunity to do so. “Comrade General, I must apologize for my behavior. I know how much you have protected my career. You could have chosen to dismiss someone like myself many years back, and I thank you for not doing so.” He looked the General straight in the eye, and then took his hand in friendship.

“All right then, let’s get back to work,” the General said, slapping him on the back, both walking back to where the prisoner lay motionless.

“Comrade Doctor, is our prisoner ready to unburden himself with the details of the remaining rebel secrets?”

Doctor Razinski stood beside the general, monitoring the pulse of his weary patient. He had provided the truth serum to Sirna only 2 minutes before watching as it quickly took its desired effect.

“General, the time has come; he should be under the drugs influence. You may proceed with your questioning at any time.”

The General motioned Captain Isinov to take up a position on the opposite side of the hospital bed, in the process casually dismissing the doctor and his medical assistant from the room. They then stood solemnly at Sirna’s bedside, waiting to hear the metallic click of the door closing.

“Do you know anything about the man we have here, Yuri? Any details on his life? Anything private?”

“Yes sir,” he said, reaching into his dress shirt, pulling out a yellow piece of paper that looked to be removed from someone’s legal pad. “We have a one page dossier on our man, all of it documented and verified by our FSB.”

The general quickly scanned the sheet before handing it back to the captain. “Very good. Ask him a few personal questions to see if we are on the right track. This will be our test case to see if he is telling us the truth.”

Captain Isinov briefly consulted the sheet of paper looking for some easy questions. “Sirna can you hear me?”

A soft “Yes” was his response.

“Where were you born, Sirna?” said Captain Isinov as he leaned over him, carefully wiping the blood from around his eyes, allowing him to briefly view his captors.

Sirna lay motionless on the bed. A feeling that he was completely at rest suddenly overwhelmed him. He had never experienced such a feeling. It felt as though his body were floating on a cloud. The only thing that troubled him was the fact that he was not in control of his body; it was choosing its own path. Is this paradise? Was he already dead and preparing to meet Allah? Yes, it had to be. Only Allah could make such words want to flow so freely from his mouth.

“I was born in the village of Kirnez, oh great one,” Sirna said, a smile appearing on his face thinking Allah was standing over him. Captain Isinov nodded to the general.

He continued. “Sirna, what position do you presently occupy in the Rebel Army?”

“I am presently the Eastern District Commander in Chechnya.”

The general signaled for the captain to proceed with the tougher questions, wanting answers before anything happened to Sirna in his weakened state. The serum was known to cause heart attacks in some patients.

“Sirna, when captured by the Russian soldiers you were coming from your headquarters. Can you tell us the location of your headquarters?”

Sirna hesitated as he struggled with the answer, grunting and straining against the chains on his hands and legs, sweating profusely, finally relenting when his head eased back unto the pillow. The floating effect had stopped. “From the spot of capture, it was close to 4 and ½ kilometers south by south east,” he spat out in disgust.

General Poszk removed a detailed ordinance map from his briefcase, spreading it out on the same table occupied by the doctor’s instruments. “The red x marks where we captured him, so that would place the headquarters right about here,” pointing to the Nakyata Pass. “Show this map to him; get him to pinpoint the location of the Headquarters.”

The captain wiped the blood from Sirns’s eyes then held the detailed map up for Sirna to see. “Sirna, can you show us the location on this map? We need to know the Headquarters position.”

Sirna felt groggy from the drug’s effects, trying to focus on the map as the captain eagerly held it for him. He tried to fight the impulse to speak aloud but his tongue and brain were working in defiance. “In the valley of Nakyata and partially buried in a cliff. It has a rock outcropping that resembles a rams ear.”

“The rams ear?” repeated Captain Isinov, looking at the map himself, walking around the bed with the map and over to the general. “If we go south 4½ kilometers it would bring us to this location.” His finger traced along the route. “It would obviously be somewhere off the trail over here in the mountainous area bordered by the tree line. The valley of Nakyata, that is right here, 1 kilometer from the trail.”

“Here, right here,” the General said excitedly. “It resembles an ear of a sheep or ram, right here.” He pointed to the spot on the map for the captain to observe before thrusting the map in front of Sirna for concurrence.

The captain wiped the blood from above Sirna’s eyes allowing him to view the map. “Yes, that is the position.” He could not distinguish if it were Allah or the devil who now controlled his tongue.

Still not satisfied, the general continued. “We are not complete here, Yuri. This man still has more information to provide us.” He picked up the yellow piece of paper in his search for additional questions.

“May I proceed with some questions of my own sir?” Captain Isinov said.

“By all means Yuri, please.”

“Thank-you sir,” said Captain Isinov before turning his attention to the captive. “Sirna, when the Russian officer captured you, where were you heading? What was your mission?”

“That man was evil,” Sirna spit out, again straining against the chains that bound him to the bed. “He killed my brother in front of my own eyes. The heavens cannot hold me. I will seek revenge upon that man!”

“It is okay my friend,” he replied. “He will soon have to pay his own price. Please answer the question I posed to you.”

Sirna smiled. “I was leading a patrol to the front lines of our glorious troops to inform them of our impending victory.” He relaxed as he thought he was still walking amongst his troops. “We have procured two weapons of mass destruction and are in the process of using them against our enemies. Victory will soon be ours.”

The general dropped the cigarette he was lighting along with its accompanying lighter onto the floor, allowing the hollow metallic click of the lighter to resonate throughout the room. A look of shock graced his face. “Did I hear him correctly? Did he just say a weapon of mass destruction?”

“No sir, he said weapons.”

“Ask him for more details Yuri, quickly before he comes around and the drug’s effect wears off.”

Captain Isinov once again wiped the blood from around Sirna’s eyes, causing him to mumble a slight “thank-you” in response.

“Sirna, what are you referring to when you say weapons of mass destruction?”

Sirna laughed aloud as if a spirit had taken hold of his badly bruised body. Looking first to Captain Isinov, then to the general, eying both as if they were the last to know about the secret mission.

“I speak of the two nuclear weapons our comrades have secured in the United States.”

The general’s eyes went wide. “Where are the exact locations of the weapons and who has them Sirna?”

“One of our brave freedom fighters has found two nuclear weapons. He will use them to destroy Washington DC and Philadelphia.”

Sirna started foaming about the mouth, convulsions setting in.

The general tried to hold Sirna down on the bed, Sirna strained against the chains. “Get the doctor in here!” he shouted.

The doctor ran over to where the general held Sirna down. “This man is experiencing a massive coronary,” he glanced at his medical assistant, knowing the drug was to blame.

“Katherine, get the electric paddles from Room 2! Hurry!”

“A potent but evil side effect,” the doctor said in-between counting and pressing down heavily on Sirna’s now silent chest. He stopped after several minutes to seek a pulse, pressing two fingers against Sirna’s neck searching for the main artery. He shook his head as he looked at the general.

“You tried your best, comrade doctor,” the General said in response. “We have all the information we require.”

The General and Captain Isinov bid a hastily retreat from the room. Once they were clear, the general looked up and down the hallway before speaking. “The bombing will begin in several hours, followed up by a surgical insertion of KARPOV and regular army soldiers.”

Captain Isinov suddenly realized he would be missing one of the last, important battles of the war.

The General nodded to him. “For you, I have another mission, which if successful, could save a potential conflict between Russia and our old adversary.”

Ever the obedient soldier, Captain Isinov stared straight ahead, ready for his new orders.

“You are going to the United States.”