A blindfold is pulled off a Russian military Officer. He looks around only to find himself tied to a tree with his mouth taped shut surrounded by forestry and darkness with the moonlight only illuminating the tall tree branches up above and nothing more. Only the sounds of wildlife and a flowing river can be heard around him.
A cigar is lit in front of him by a man squatting, wearing a long sleeve combat shirt drenched in sweat. Behind him lay a plate carrier kit and an assault rifle but it's too dark to make out the model. He can't identify the camo pattern of the man's shirt but he knows for sure it has a dark green hue. The cigar illuminates a damaged and aged face with gray facial hair. The Officer spotted a faint name tag imprinted on the man's chest, it read "Joseph".
"You're probably wondering why you're here... Don't worry though, that's not gonna matter when I'm done... And it's not like anyone's gonna find your body anyways", He brandishes a combat knife as he smokes the cigar. Joseph then turns on a bright lantern and places it on the ground beside them to illuminate the area.
The Officer starts looking all around him, confused as if he's trying to figure out a way to escape and starts shaking, finally realizing he's stuck. He starts desperately trying to speak, mumbling under the tape but Joseph slaps him, putting an end to the mumbling. The Officer continues to shake. Joseph then angrily grabs his chin and the Officer immediately stops shaking out of fear, already nervously sweating.
"Listen to me you little shit! Do you understand english? Вы понимаете английский?", Joseph raises his voice at him while firmly giving him the death stare. The Officer struggles to nod with Joseph's hand wrapped around his chin.
"Do you speak it? Вы говорите на нем?". The Officer mumbles and tries nodding again as he starts to cry and pout amid Joseph's grip. Joseph then vigorously rips off the tape.
"I don't know anything! I swe-!", The Officer's shout turns to mumbles as Joseph grabs his mouth. Joseph then stabs the Officer's right thigh. The mumbles immediately turn to a muffled scream as the Officer writhes in pain. Joseph removes his hand from the knife, leaving it in the Officer's thigh and places a finger on his lips.
"Sssshhhhh"... The muffled screaming slowly stops as the Officer starts to hyperventilate due to the stab wound.
"Listen to me very fucking carefully", Joseph whispers, "Everytime you say something I don't like... I'm gonna cut something off you... Understand?", Joseph sternly asks. The Officer nods as his face starts turning red and tears start flowing down his cheeks.
"Good.", Joseph grabs the knife and yanks it out of the Officer's thigh. The Officer screams out again, muffling through Joseph's hand. The muffled scream soon slows and calms down, allowing Joseph to speak.
"So when I take my hand off your mouth, you'll answer every question I ask you...", The Officer frantically nods again with his face red as a rose and tears now running onto Joseph's hand.
Joseph slowly removes his hand from the Officer's face. The Officer remains calm while still breathing heavily from the wound.
"I am looking for a man named Gavriil Kozlov. I'm sure you know who he is. But I wanna know where he is... I believe you know the answer to that...", Joseph asks calmly as he holds up a picture of an elderly man around the ages of 60 and 70 with blue eyes, white hair and a power donut haircut.
The Officer's eyes widen as he repeatedly looks at the picture and back to Joseph, realizing the stakes. The Officer begins to speak erratically, "I-I don't know... I've only worked with him a couple times an-", Joseph startings punching the Officer multiple times, breaking his nose. Blood starts to spew out of the Officer's now broken nose and onto his chin.