Stripped Bare

Let's play at Cat and Mouse

As we both lay there, basking in the warmth of the sun whilst in each other's arms, an obtrusive beeping was heard, gradually getting louder by the minute. I looked for the offending device with the sole intention of switching it off in order to continue our pleasant reverie, only to find that it was Walid calling.

"Hi guys...sorry to break up whatever it was you guys have been up to, but uh...I think I'm being followed!" The big man swallowed hard, loud enough for me to hear it.

"What? Where the heck did you go off to? Damien asked you not to leave the premises!" I looked wildly into Damien's eyes as he quickly scrambled to get his clothes on, throwing mine my way.

"Okay, don't panic. Whatever you do, go to an area where there are lots of people...maybe a café somewhere. We'll come and get you, okay? Just sit tight, and keep this device on!" I grabbed my shorts and tee-shirt, pulling it over my head hastily.

Damien already had his loafers on, as I handed the device to him. He began to track Walid's whereabouts with it, as I yanked my sneakers on. We climbed the rock path back up to the main road and headed inland towards the market square.

It was not hard to spot a big, strapping 6'7" hulk like Walid and sure enough we spotted him, casually sipping his coffee outdoors at a small café. He caught my gaze and motioned discreetly to the two men seated two tables behind him. The gentlemen wore shades and sported casual clothing but it was evident that they had ear pieces on.

I recognized the prince's men immediately. I decided to play it cool as I approached Walid, casually sauntering up towards him. I nodded and pulled up a chair alongside, pretending to strike up a conversation with Walid. Damien, on the other hand, took out a device which resembled a small pipe. He placed it to his mouth and blew, sending out two miniature tranquilizer darts which flew directly into the men, injecting them individually. The darts swiftly put them to sleep instantly.

"Agent 2025, we've located their car and disabled it temporarily" I overheard another operative report to Damien.

"Good man, Fahey. Well, if the Prince wants to play, then so will we!" Damien grinned mischievously at us both. To our astonishment, both Agents Fahey and Mason came around the corner, emerging from the unmarked sedan, and quietly helped to whisk the two sleeping men away for questioning.

Fahey and Mason drove the men to an unmarked location. The three of us followed behind, with Damien at the wheel, while I made sure that no one else was tailing us. We ended up on the outskirts of a small town, with a few abandoned warehouses, and pulled up to one very dilapidated structure.

To our surprise, the warehouse back entrance gates began to ascend. Damien drove us inside, before the metal gates descended once again. We were briefly cloaked in darkness, until Damien got out of the driver's seat, motioning for us to do the same. A single click of a switch and a single lightbulb shone above us, indicating an elevator shaft, which had been cleverly concealed.

We soon found ourselves descending in an old elevator, to what level, I did not know. But once the elevator doors opened, an entirely different scenario greeted us, with brightly lit rooms and people moving from one room to another, sporting devices in their ears, while observing several large screens that loomed above us.

We were soon joined by Agents Fahey and Mason, who led us to where the interrogations were taking place. Each man was brought to a separate, dimly lit room, and sat down. Both men were monitored by a lie-detector machine while being brought out of sedation by a facilitator whose face was concealed by a mask.

Soon, the questioning began, and Fahey explained that the men had been administered with a truth serum, so, there was no way they could lie, but the machine was there to make sure.