The Blinding

Chapter 30 - Loyaan

I couldn't believe my luck when I found him. With such an inept search team, I had contemplated giving up and returning home. Yet there he was, right before our eyes, embracing the sardonic receptionist. What was even luckier was when she uttered his name, "Be safe, Samakaab."
We moved swiftly. I informed the others, and we apprehended him the moment he stepped out the door. It was evident that he intended to leave the city, and I thanked the stars once again for this fortuitous turn of events.
We had rendered him unconscious, and his lifeless form lay there. We were now beyond the borders of the slums, and we quickly assembled a makeshift shelter around an acacia tree. I paced outside it. He was our prisoner, and yes, possibly a threat. But his involvement with the Council was driven by noble intentions. Being part of the Council for Magicians was no less an act of treason to him than my service in the army was to me. The complexity here lay in the use of torture. It might prove necessary. If he matched the description provided by the spy, he would sooner die than divulge the intelligence we sought. I returned to the tent.
"We will not resort to torture," I commanded, "do you understand?"
While Zahi and Dahir saluted and responded with a firm "yes, sir," the shifter, now back in his human form, expressed his dissent with a snarl. "With all due respect," he spat, "I disagree. He won't talk without forceful persuasion."
"With all due respect," I retorted, "he's unlikely to speak no matter the tactics employed. We must think strategically. Our abduction was hostile enough. If we make it clear that we won't harm him as long as he cooperates, he may be more inclined to reveal something, even if it isn't the exact information we're after. The Council has operated in secrecy for years. Even the smallest morsel of information could serve our cause."
Though he didn't seem pleased with the plan, he remained silent, choosing instead to mumble to himself. I mentally noted to accidentally step on his cat's tail later.
We began planning our interrogation. Zahi and I would take the lead, with Zahi attempting to appeal to Samakaab's emotions in a friendly manner, while I would play the aggressor, applying pressure to extract a response. Dahir and the shifter would keep watch, with the shifter maintaining his cat disguise.
It wasn't long before Samakaab began to regain consciousness. As soon as he realized where he was, he attempted to leap up, but it was futile. We had secured his feet to the tree and bound his hands together. He squirmed in an attempt to break free.
"No need for that," I informed him casually. "You won't escape those restraints."
"You might as well kill me or release me," he said, surprisingly composed. "I have nothing to tell you."
I was impressed by his ability to maintain his composure, despite his previous frantic escape attempts.
"We won't hurt you if you just tell us what we need to know," Zahi said softly, extending a cup of water. "Here, drink. You must be thirsty."
Samakaab regarded the cup suspiciously. "No, thank you."
"Your loss," replied Zahi, taking a swig from the cup.
"Enough!" I boomed. "You will tell us everything—about the Council, about this Elmi character, everything!"
Samakaab sat unflinching, and my awe grew at his indifference. Samakaab hadn't even blinked upon hearing that we knew about Elmi. It seemed that the Council had trained its soldiers well. Not all of them, surely, I thought, recalling the spy.
"Let's not shout. I'm sure he'll give us what we need, won't you, Samakaab?" said Zahi, offering support. He was a skilled liar, I had to give him that.
"What do you know?" I asked forcefully, getting as close to his face as I could.
He ignored me, and I repeated the question. Once again, there was no response. This wasn't going to be easy.
"Tell us, or you die!" I yelled, my face inches from his.
"Give him some space. He can't answer in that state," said Zahi softly, staying in character.
I paced the room, doing my best to appear exasperated. It wasn't difficult; the situation itself was maddening. Inflicting harm might be in our best interest, but I had to postpone it for as long as possible.
"Now, we won't harm you if you just tell us where Elmi is, or have you found him already?" Zahi said, raising an eyebrow. "I think not. If you had, you wouldn't be loitering around the motel. No, I believe you discovered his whereabouts today, and that's where you were headed. Am I right?"
Even I was surprised at how perceptive Zahi had been. I scrutinized Samakaab closely, searching for any sign of a tell, and there it was—a slight twitch in his hand, a widening of his eyes, as if even he had noticed his mistake. Yet still, he made no move to reveal his thoughts.
The air grew hot, and sweat trickled down Samakaab's face. With Zahi's words, it was clear that he had become fearful of how much we knew. I wondered if he had deduced that there was a spy within his precious Council. If so, he understood that whether or not he made it out of here, his fate was sealed.
Our questioning continued, and as expected, he didn't utter a word. The day drew to a close, and I sent Dahir to fetch some food. I tossed a plate to Samakaab, who waited hungrily until the rest of us had eaten before grabbing his own.
We left him alone with Zahi keeping watch for the night. The shifter, still in cat form, somehow managed to convey an irritated look in its bright eyes. He didn't have to be human to express his feelings. Tomorrow, we would have to resort to violence. So be it. I could no longer assuage my conscience while still fulfilling my mission. Still, I dreaded the idea, and the anxiety it brought kept me awake longer than it should have. I sighed, repeating the Warrior oath until finally sleep overcame me.