Warlords by William H. Weber

Author:William H. Weber [Weber, William H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: prepper, post-apocalyptic, emp, survival, survival fiction
Publisher: Alamo
Published: 2014-11-28T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

The observation room was cleared except for John and Ray. Through the two-way mirror, they watched as Moss and two others waterboarded Huan, a mild form of torture which involved holding a person on their back, placing a cloth over their face and dousing them with water. Although it wouldn’t leave any lasting physical effect, the sensation of drowning would be overwhelming.

“It’s a real disgusting thing to do to a woman,” Ray said, arms crossed over his chest.

Inside, John echoed those same feelings. Perhaps he even felt more strongly than that. “I wonder if you’d be saying the same thing if she were a man?”

Ray looked at him. “I suppose I wouldn’t.”

“Woman or not, she’s a soldier, Ray. A soldier who may have important information our boys at the front can use. If she knows something that could turn the tide, would you still object?”

Ray didn’t reply, probably because he hated admitting that sometimes horrible decisions needed to be made. In war, there wasn’t room for wishful thinking. There was only winning or losing.

Some people in town saw Ray’s idealism as a sign of weakness, but truth be told, that was what John liked about the man and one of the reasons he’d made him vice mayor. He wasn’t looking for someone who would parrot his own views. Even a government the size of the one in Oneida needed some form of checks and balances.

“Maybe you should be in there doing it yourself,” Ray jabbed.

John frowned. “You think I’m being a coward, is that it? That I’m getting Moss to do my dirty work? What you’re forgetting, Ray, is that I’ve built a rapport with Huan. It might not seem like much, but once she’s been broken, it’ll make a world of difference. I’m the anaesthetic that will make all her pain go away. In a moment, I’ll rush in there and reprimand Moss for going too far, ordering him to stop, even threatening to arrest him. She’ll hate Moss for what he’s done and a tiny part of her will thank me for stepping in. I’ll make her feel safe. Not completely, but maybe just enough to open up.”

John didn’t wait around to see if Ray had started to see the issue clearly yet. He left and burst into the interrogation room, performing the role of good cop just as he had described. Feigning anger and humiliation, Moss and the two men helping him stormed out, leaving John to remove the wet cloth over Huan’s face. He lifted her—discovering in the process that even soaking wet, she was surprisingly light—and sat her back on the chair, cuffing her hands to metal rings on the table. She fought to catch her breath, coughing and gagging.

“I never meant for that to happen,” he lied. “I’d asked my colleague to question you vigorously, not torture you. We’re going to find you some clothes to change into.”

Huan sat shivering before him, wheezing in and out. She resembled less a porcelain doll now than she did a wet cat.

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