| From: | Paul J. Adam Shadowtk@********.demon.co.uk |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Holding Cell |
| Date: | Wed, 16 Feb 2000 22:56:40 +0000 |
>>>>>[I think we got his attention.
+++++begin video
The camera is behind a two-way mirror, looking into an empty room with
flat off-white walls. It contains a table (bolted to the concrete floor), a
cheap chair (likewise secured) and a handsome man in an excellently-
tailored if somewhat dusty and rumpled suit, who's chained to the chair.
He looks up as two soldiers enter. Similar, in that both wear UCAS
battledress trousers and grey T-shirts, carry paired pistols in shoulder
harnesses, have long hair worn in Amerind style.
Different, in that one's male, pale-skinned, black-haired (though the grey
is getting a firm hold) and of lean, wiry build: the other is female,
copper-hued and auburn-haired, and both fearsomely feminine and
dangerously muscular.
"Oh, boy, the Lynch double-act. Save it until my lawyer gets here." Cesare
snorts.
"Save what, Lucky?" Lynch asks. "We're just here to listen to you talk. Or
maybe scream."
"I _like_ screams." Lilith smirks. "And he said 'lawyer'. He doesn't get
it,
does he?"
"Yeah, yeah, I got the right to remain silent and I got the right to counsel.
I know it, you know it -"
"And you lost that right when you took up with Malone." Lilith gives her
husband a glance: he takes a flat metal case and a Zippo from a hip
pocket, lights two cigarettes and hands her one. "This isn't a criminal
case, Lucky. This is a military matter. Malone is a foreign sponsor of
terrorist activity in the UCAS. You know how hard that lets us land on him
and his people? Including you?"
"That's bullshit!"
"That's the truth, Lucky. Malone lives in his pretty castle in Vegas. He pays
for people to kill UCAS citizens, runs BTLs and guns into the UCAS,
contracts for the murder of UCAS law-enforcement officers. That's pretty
terrorst as far as the court's concerned. And guess what? You're a co-
conspirator." Lynch blows smoke, trying to get a ring but managing a
ragged, upside-down 'U'.
"And you can't make a damn thing stick in court." Cesare keeps his
composure.
"For organised crime shit? No, we can't. But for espionage and treason?
You bet your ass we can nail you, Lucky. We get all sorts of latitude to
hunt out treason."
"Treason against the United Canadian and American States shall consist
only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving
them aid and comfort." Lynch recites. "You were Malone's lapdog and you
killed our citizens. Fits the description to a T. Go directly to Death Row,
do not appeal, do not collect two hundred dollars."
"Bulldrek." Cesare insists.
"Nope. You haven't even been arrested yet. You're a captured enemy and
your status has yet to be determined. If you claim you're a UCAS citizen
then you're a traitor. If you claim you're _not_ UCAS then you're a spy.
Treason or espionage, Lucky, they're both capital crimes." Lilith blows
smoke in his face.
"You can't make it stick."
"We can. We have. We will. You saw the news, Lucky, there was no gun
battle and there were no survivors and that means the only people who
know you exist here are us and Seamus." Lynch grinds out his cigarette.
Cesare sneers. "Which means?" It would be more convincing if the harsh
lights weren't catching the sudden sheen of sweat on his brow.
"You know a lot. Enough that, if you talk, it would buy your life. Enough
that Malone would pay a lot to silence you." Lilith replies.
"He wouldn't."
"Think about that. Then tell me again." Lilith presses.
Cesare pauses. And even he can't keep the sudden nausea from showing
on his face. It's far cheaper to kill him, than to rescue him.
"But... you..."
"Lucky, word will get out that you didn't talk so we made it easy. If you
help us, we can help you. And we _can_ help. Forget Malone's drek about
how he can get to anyone anywhere. Think how often we've both been
dead. We look pretty good for corpses, don't we?" Lilith pushes her
advantage home. "But, you get jack until you pick your side. Either take
your chances as a capital criminal, or help us. Seamus will try to kill you
either way. One way, he's saving us money. The other, he's losing us a
prime asset. You're a smart guy, _you_ figure it out."
Cesare stares at the floor. "I want some time to think. And I want some
coffee."
"Coffee, you get all you want. Time? You haven't got much of that, Lucky.
Don't waste any." Lynch throws over his shoulder as he leaves.
+++++end video
Before, I'd have said he wouldn't talk. Now... we managed to get his
attention. Maybe fifty-fifty.
One thing's for sure - I'll bet Lucky's one of Malone's five contracts. You
and us for the others. Who's the fifth? Hart?]<<<<<
-- Major L R W Lynch <22:56:49/02-16-61>
Special Operations Command
