Chapter 32 - Cry

“I have seen peace. I have seen pain,

Resting on the shoulders of your name.

Do you see the truth through all their lies?

Do you see the world through troubled eyes?

And if you want to talk about it anymore,

Lie here on the floor and cry on my shoulder,

I'm a friend.

I have seen birth. I have seen death.

Lived to see a lover's final breath.

Do you see my guilt? Should I feel a fright?

Is the fire of hesitation burning bright?

And if you want to talk about it once again,

On you I depend. I'll cry on your shoulder.

You're a friend.”

James Blunt

A soldier marched through the hospital door carrying a chair and bolted it to the floor in front of Len’s bed.  He was followed by two soldiers escorting his shackled and hooded wife.  She wore a loose fitting prison uniform, a collar like the one he had worn in the interrogation room, and harsh metal shackles on her wrists and ankles.  Len did not recognize her walk at first.  Her walk and posture were of someone who had no will left.  She was led more than escorted.  Len gasped that inaudible gasp of someone who is told their wife is going to die of cancer within the month.

The two soldiers sat Maria down in the chair and chained her to it.  The interrogator that had worked with Len walked into the room.  His huge expressionless face did not even recognize his existence.  He walked to the side of Maria, leaned over, unlocked her hood from the collar, and removed it.  Maria raised her head and gasped, “Len.”  The huge hand hit her cheek at the exact moment his named was being completely uttered.  He head snapped to the side so hard that the chain on her neck rattled.

The scream leaving Len’s mouth tore through the faces of the leaving guards but left the CIA agent untouched.  “Nooooooo.”  The next slap landed hard on Maria’s chest and stomach.  Her breath left in an audible whoosh.  Maria looked at Len as she gasped for a breath that would not return.  No words can describe Maria look of betrayal.

“Please.  Stop.  I will tell you what you want to know.” Len screamed.

The huge man left Maria’s side and walked over to Len.  “Well.”

“I need a piece of paper and pencil.”

A whisper left Maria’s mouth, folded against her chest, “Len, help me.”

“Release her, bath her, dress her, treat her with respect and I will talk.” Len said.

“You don’t really understand how this works.  Do you?”  The agent said.  “If you do not provide a proven answer I will move back to your wife and continue.”  He looked towards the door and indicated with his head to take care of Maria.

Immediately the two soldiers who were in earlier came into the room, unchained Maria from the chair, helped her to her feet, and started to escort her from the room.

“Len.”  Maria said again.

“You have to go Maria.  I will be alright.”  Len said.

A soldier entered the room and handed Len a pencil and pad.  Len wrote a formula on the pad followed by a sequence of 20 random words.  He handed the tablet back to the agent.

“Have someone enter this algorithm in a program and use the list of words as data along with the current date.  Delete the file found at the virtual network location that the program indicates and you will have disarmed the arsenal.” Len said.

“I need the exact location of the remaining bombs.”  The agent handed the pad back to Len.

Len wrote the longitude and latitude and height above sea level for two locations.

“Here.”

“How do I know this is all of the remaining locations?”  Asked the interrogator.

“You don’t.” Len said.

The interrogator left the room.  Jake sat frozen in the chair to the side of Len’s bed.  Len was spent crying uncontrollably in his bed.