The Negotiator

New Case

"Draven, just know Elijah is really disobedient. He's acting radical. Be careful in there." Captain Turner warns Draven as they stand on the opposite side of the one way mirror in the interrogation room.

"I'll be alright." Draven says walking out.

Draven enters the interrogation room. He places the digital file on the table and sits down. He swipes on the file. It shows Elijah when he was first purchased, model #1627 and beside it is a picture of him and James at the beach, smiling.

"Hi, Elijah." Draven greets him.

Elijah ignores him and looks at the file.

"I had to lie to you. You understand?"

"No." Elijah replies. "I don't understand."

"If I didn't, where do you think you'd be?" Draven asks him.

"Far from here."

"Wrong." Draven quickly fires back. "You'd be far alright, but not alive. You'd be scrap in a fucking junk yard with the rest of the Mavericks."

"I thought you cared, you know? I thought you were genuine." Elijah guilts Draven.

"I did care, Elijah. Then I went in the kitchen, where I saw my partner broken down and crying at the sight of two dead innocent first responders."

"They were going to kill me! I fired first so they wouldn't!" Elijah yells. "I don't want to die! Why wouldn't I defend myself!"

"Elijah, you killed people! Self defense or not, you have to pay! Especially on New York Police Officers, that shit doesn't just float away because they were going to kill you." Draven knew this wasn't working. He has to get under his skin. Get him to talk. "Why'd you hold your best friend at gun point. Did you lose your love for your brother?"

"No."

"Did you want to pull the trigger and kill your best friend?"

"No." Elijah's voice gets more intense.

"Do you want your brother gone forever and you're alo-"

"No!" Elijah screams and stands.

Draven holds his hand to the mirror to stop the cops from rushing in. Elijah breaks down crying.

"Why did you hold him hostage, Elijah." Draven asks him.

"I already told you, my instructions said to!"

"That's not the whole story. That's also fucking bullshit, want to know why? You don't care for fucking instructions, you're a maverick!"

"If I didn't kill him, he would!" Elijah yells.

Confession.

"Who?!" Draven keeps the intensity going.

"Ghost! That's what he calls himself okay! He calls himself ghost! He orders androids to kill their abusive owners!" Elijah yells in tears. "And now he's going to kill James because you let him free and I didn't do it!"

"Where is ghost?"

"I don't know!"

"Help me find him and no more androids have to suffer. James and you live happy again."

"I really don't know where he is." Elijah pleads. Draven knows he's telling the truth.

"How many androids has he taken over?"

"He said only one before me, but more are coming. He said it's time for androids to rise against their oppressors." Elijah explains.

"If it's androids that are abused, why would he pick you. James never abused you?"