Pink Lemonade Ch. 03

"What's up here on this pole?" I asked, shining a bright light on the telephone pole about 35 feet in front of the BMW. "Looks like some scuffing, but not too much."

"Hardly visible, sir." said Hicks. "We didn't even notice."

"Christina?" I called out to my Crime Lab expert. "Check out this pole. I don't think a vehicle ran into it, but I think one was slowly driven up to it to touch it. That would make it look like an accident."

"What do you think happened here, sir?" asked Lt. Masters. Everyone, even Katherine and her assistant, were looking at me with undivided attention and pure wonderment.

"She stopped here, all of a sudden." I said. "She apparently got out of her car, leaving it running, leaving her purse... which has a gun in it, I might add. Ergo, she did not feel that she was in danger when she stopped the car and got out."

"So," I continued, "what made her stop and get out? I am thinking of a simulated car crash of some kind. We've seen those before, have we not, Captain Ross?"

"Yes sir." Cindy replied, seeing where I was going with this.

"I would even suspect," I said, "that the vehicle was a van. She rushes up, is captured, thrown into that van with her cellphone thrown out so we can't trace her, and they drive off. Sergeant Irwin! Knock on doors! See if anyone saw this, or saw an unusual van in the area. Senator, what time did Ms. Ajmani leave your home?"

"Ten thirty." replied Katherine.

"That gives you guys a timeframe, Sergeant." I said. "Get going." Irwin and other officers scrambled off to implement the task.

"Damn, the Iron Crowbar is good." whispered Katherine.

Cindy looked at her and whispered back "Made you wet for him, didn't it?" Katherine's eyes widened as she turned to stare at Cindy. Cindy just looked back with a half-smile and a gleam in her eye...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Priya was very groggy but she realized that she was being carried over someone's shoulder. The mask over her head prevented her from seeing, hearing or even smelling anything. Her hands were secured behind her with a plastic zip-tie.

"Uhh!" she gasped as whoever was carrying her dumped her onto what felt like a gurney. Hands pushed her sideways to cut the tie off her hands, but then her hands were quickly secured to the sides of the gurney. The back was elevated somewhat, so she was semi-reclined.

The mask was pulled off her head. She saw the ceiling of what looked like a warehouse, but no people. As she raised her head to look up, another mask was placed on her head, this one just a mask for the eyes like a sleeping mask.

"Where am I?" she called out. "Who's there?"

She heard an old woman's voice reply "We are the ones who ask the questions here, young lady, not you."

"Why am I here?" Priya demanded.

"Tell us," said the voice, "who gave you the information about Jonas Oldeeds's assassination?"

"Fuck you." said Priya.

"Young lady," said the voice, quietly but with menace, "you should learn to control the filth of your tongue. I have two men here that want to fuck you. They will rape you to death right now if I let them, and then you will truly find out what 'fuck you' means. Now, tell me what I want to know."

"You can go straight to hell!" Priya said defiantly.

"Doctor," said the old voice, "I believe we will need to use stronger methods." Priya heard no answer, but a moment later she felt a hand in a latex glove grab her arm, then a hypodermic syringe needle pierce her skin. A small amount of liquid was injected into her arm.

"Now, young lady," said the old voice, "tell us what we want to know..."

Priya felt herself slipping into a semi-consciousness. She seemed to be having dreams. She was seeing herself at the KSTD studios and in the newsrooms, then she was in bed with Todd on top of her, deeply fucking her with his huge, hard weapon of lust. Bright colors were flashing in her head, then she realized that the mask had been taken off her face, and the multicolored lights were real, as if she were on a disco dance floor...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"She's succumbing." said Diana, standing next to Laura.

"Yes." Laura whispered, keeping her voice barely audible. "The drugs are working."

They were not alone in the warehouse. CIA Agents Griswold and Gagnon were watching from a distance away. Laura's assistant Gayle Roberts was acting as a nurse and Laura's assistant, with a surgical mask over her face. Dr. Casey B. Walker, the counter-intelligence officer, came up and said "How much longer?"

"Not long, Doctor." Laura said, her voice sharp and acidic.

"You don't approve of what we are doing, Doctor?" Walker asked, his own voice unfriendly.

"Watch yourself, Doctor." Diana hissed at Walker. "This is my operation, not yours."

"We'll see about that." hissed Walker. "This bitch is a clear and present threat to two of our agents, though I am beginning to question the loyalty of one of them."

"Indeed," Laura said, keeping her voice calm, "you should question my loyalty. I told you to let my husband handle this."

"And he failed." said Walker.

"As did your idiots in threatening KSTD if they didn't drop it." hissed Laura. "You got their hackles up and made them push back."

"I'll hear no more of this." Walker said. "Get me the information I need."

"And then what?" Laura asked.

"You know what." said Walker.

"Yes, and that is exactly what you must not do." interjected Diana. "If you kill this woman, you'll bring holy hell down on my agents and everything we've done to work with Universities everywhere."

"I don't give a shit about that." said Walker. "My job is to protect this nation and the Company from external or internal threats. We have a dangerous threat here and now."

"Say one more word." Laura said to Walker, "and I will have you shot dead. Either here or in Washington, but you will shut your fucking mouth now. You, sir are the danger to us right now."

Walker did not reply; he was staring at Laura, knowing that she could and would make good on the threat she had just made to him, but also knowing that her statement was based upon a failing loyalty to the Company, the Institution to which he held a religious quality of loyalty. That she did not have that same level of loyalty deeply embittered him.

"Doctor," Diana said to Laura, "I think your subject is ready."

Earphones had been placed in Priya's ears, and Laura spoke into a microphone that would alter her voice then transmit the words into Priya's head. Laura spoke a recitation that was well-known to aid the administered drugs into rendering the subject easily amenable to questioning.

"Who told you about the Jonas Oldeeds assassination?" asked Laura.

"Henry... Henry... Wargrave." murmured Priya.

"When did he tell you?" asked Laura's altered voice.

"His... lawyer... gave... me... a... letter..." whispered Priya, "... after his... death..."

"Where is that letter?" Laura asked.

"At... KSTD... locked... up... lots... of... copies... made..." Priya mumbled.

"What did the letter say?" whispered Diana into the microphone.

"Said... check... flight... manifests... cities... at time... of... killings... of enemy... agents..." said Priya.

"Whose name did the letter say?" whispered Diana.

"Three... names... Allgood... Fredricson... Muscone..." mumbled Priya.

"And the Oldeeds shooting?" asked Laura.

"Town... Fitness... Centers... Henry... told... Ferrell... Ikea..." said Priya.

Laura backed off with Diana and whispered "Don knew that when Ikea tried to find the rifle at Ward Harvester. The rifle is destroyed."

"Yes, but the story is out." said Diana. "And you're right; killing this woman won't suppress the story. Too many people at KSTD know."

Casey B. Walker had been pacing about 60 feet away. He now came up. "Okay, what else do we need to know? Let's get this wrapped up."

Laura went over to ask one final question. "Priya, who told you about the Jack Burke tapes?" she asked.

"Todd... Todd Burke..." whispered Priya. Laura reeled in shock...

To be continued.