Stormy Seas by Ali Vali

Author:Ali Vali [Vali, Ali]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781635553000
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2019-04-10T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

“You’re wasting your time, amateur,” the translator told Walby. From the moment of his capture, Lowe Nam Chil had refused to speak English. But Walby suspected he spoke it fluently.

“The only thing captivity has done for you,” Walby said with a smile that he hoped didn’t hide his amusement, “is make you finally succeed at staying true to a diet.” Lowe did appear much slimmer than the last time Walby had questioned him. “That’ll make you really popular when I bunk you with someone who’s plenty lonely and waiting for those seventy-two virgins.”

Lowe spoke again, his tone harsh and laced with so much venom Walby didn’t need the translator to understand his intent. “He says he’s killed more people than you’ve ever met, sir,” the translator said.

“That’s true,” he said, knitting his fingers together and placing them on his knee. “I almost admire a man who can take what he’s dished out for so long. I’m sure you never expected the tables to be turned.”

“If what you’ve done is your idea of torture, you have little imagination,” the translator said after Lowe laughed at the short statement.

“We have standards, and we abide by them even though we understand people like you won’t return the courtesy. It’s not that we claim the moral high ground, but it’s the decent thing to do.”

“It’s your hypocritical decency that makes you weak,” Lowe said and waited for the translator to finish before slamming his hand down. “The world saw you for the cruel cowards you really are during the Gulf War.”

“Like you, I do things for the good of my country, and I sleep fine at night.” He glanced at the piece of sky he could see through the high window and exhaled. “Don’t think of that as me trying to explain myself.”

“Do I look like your priest then?” Lowe laughed, which only made him appear crueler.

“No. I was explaining why I think this job would be better done by someone more familiar with you.” Walby stood and headed for the door. Even with the air conditioning, Guantánamo Bay was oppressively hot and uncomfortable, since the cinderblock buildings heated up so much that the units couldn’t keep pace.

“You admit defeat so quickly?” The translator delivered the taunt in the same deadpan tone she always used, and he smiled, thinking how it lost the bite Lowe put into every exchange.

“I’m more of a supervisor who understands the importance of rewarding my employees,” he said, placing his hand on the knob.

“What does that mean?” It was such a paradox listening to Chil’s unhinged personality, followed by the translator’s monotone delivery. It was another technique of theirs since he personally knew the woman translating, and she was extremely animated, except when she was with someone like Chil. If they spoke English, the subject went a little nuts hearing that flat delivery of their words.

“You sound like you’re so proud of your life’s work, and to honor that, I want to introduce you to someone who’s familiar with it firsthand.

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