The room was dark, not even enough light to make out the outline of the room. He could taste the mold in the air and feel the cold wet slime on the stone floor under him. His arms and legs had been bound behind him before he was dumped into the dark room.
"Matthew Mann, Master Sergeant, JT1011369." he said quietly to himself. He knew what was coming; he would be interrogated, tortured and likely killed. He didn't have much information they would want, save the location of the next operation. Two teams of highly-trained men were on their way. If he could keep his mouth shut, those men would succeed. If he was weak, he would be sentencing those men to die in an ambush. "They will not die." he said with cold hard conviction.
The grating screech of metal on metal heralded the return of his captors. Adrenaline flooded his veins. The air burned his nose and copper coated the back of his throat. Light sliced through the darkness and into Matthew's eyes. He was blinded and pain lanced through his head. A large gloved hand closed around his arm. The restraints on his ankles loosened and he was jerked to standing with a sickening crack of his left shoulder. Before he could feel the pain of it, he was being propelled forward. A tentative flexing of his muscles confirmed that the shoulder was stiff but not injured.
Blurry images began to register as his eyes adjusted. Two large masses of olive drab walked next to him. The bear paw that was propelling him forward belonged to an ugly brute to his right. The man was a couple of inches shorted than Matthew but nearly twice as wide. The face was set in a grimace that made him look like a perverse and malformed cherub, twisted features on the round face.
The man on Matthew's left was leaner and wiry and wore a smug grin with his rat-like features. Rat-man met Matthew's eyes and snorted arrogantly. A fresh thrill of adrenaline coursed through Matthew, this time accompanied by the burning desire to head-butt Rat-man. If The Bear slackened his grip, even slightly, Matthew wouldn't hesitate to break Rat-man's nose.
The walk along the gray, featureless, stone hallway was short and The Bear tossed Matthew into an open door. This room held an odd assortment of old furniture. There was a straight-backed chair in the center of the room. Facing it, was a worn leather arm chair. Next to the armchair was an elegant mahogany side table with a drawer. On it sat a clipboard, a stack of papers, and a menacing looking bundle of leather.
Rat-man lifted Matthew into the straight-backed metal chain and shackled him to it. Matthew looked around the room. Examining the curious mixture of furniture. A long steel table stretched behind him, he couldn't see much of it but he could make out a round, curved bump in the shadow under the table. A large grandfather clock stood next to the wall. Twelve o'clock, the face displayed. There were no windows in the dark grey walls and Matthew was trying to reason out whether it was noon or midnight and whether he'd been held for a few hours or a few days. He hadn't been given food or water and while his mouth was dry, he was still lucid, hours then, it must be midnight.
The loud rhythmic clap clap clap of boots told Matthew that someone else had entered the room from an unseen door. This new person was lighter, significantly less body mass than himself, Rat-man, or The Bear. The steps were quick and determined, confident. "Well, well, well, look at this fine specimen of soldier! Master Sergeant Mann? Isn't it?" a smooth sultry voice chuckled. Matthew could hear a slight accent.
"Yes ma'am. Master Sergeant Matthew Mann, JT1011369."
"Master Sergeant Mann, have you been treated well as our guest?" The woman sauntered into view. Matthew choked. She looked as if she'd stepped out of a cold-war photograph. She wore a white button-down blouse with flared sleeves pulled tight to her wrists with crisp, rigid cuffs. She had a long thin navy blue tie with a half-windsor knot. She wore a figure-hugging pair of navy pants that flared at the hip and tapered into thick black boots. She wore an over-sized captain's hat that cast a shadow over piercing green eyes.
"Just fine ma'am." Matthew said, setting his jaw. The woman's eyes glinted with amusement as she sat leisurely in the large armchair.
"Have you had anything to eat?" she asked, her voice thick with stifled laughter.
"No ma'am, we haven't had time for that." Matthew said jovially. The woman's eyes flashed again and a wide grin spread across her face. The woman gestured and Rat-man scurried out.
"The men you were captured with are not your compatriots. They are Italian spies. You were stationed with them as a requirement of your treaty with NATO. Your loyalties are with the soldiers in the planned attack." She watched his face. "Oh yes, we know about the upcoming attack." Matthew's face registered a moment of surprise then reset in defiance.
"It would seem you have more information than I do." Matthew said confidently. A cruel smile twisted the woman's face. She looked both beautiful and terrible.
Rat-man returned with a tray of food. He set the tray down on the steel table. With another gesture, Matthew's chair was moved and his hands were released. The Bear had moved him to the table.
"Eat," the woman said. Matthew looked at the food dubiously but there wasn't much he could do. Whether or not the food was drugged, he was at their mercy. He ate quickly and swallowed the whole cup of milk in one gulp. The Bear slid Matthew's chair back in place and chained his arms behind him. The woman rose gracefully and strode forward.
"Such a handsome boy!" She purred as she traced his cheek with her finger. "Are you a good soldier Master Sergeant Mann? Loyal, brave? Do you follow orders, handsome soldier?" The question was a taunt and Matthew kept his tongue. The woman presses her hand into his upper thigh.
"You can see that my choices are very limited. A good boy would have his rewards here." she whispered in his ear. She straightened up and slapped his face. "I will not be so kind if you do not answer my questions." She returned to perch on the arm of the leather chair.
"What did you know of the spies' mission," her voice got harder.
"Our mission was not a spy mission," he answered simply.
"So you knew what they were doing?"
"That was heavy handed," Matthew said, "Master Sergeant Mann, JT1011369." He watched her grimace. She hadn't expected him to be so aware. Her face quickly reset in a cruel smile.
"You aren't a stupid man. You know what they were after."
"Master Sergeant..."
"Yes, yes, yes, you aren't going to talk to me." She smiled in genuine amusement. Matthew couldn't help but react, she was beautiful.
"If you cooperate with me, you get not only your reward, but I'll let you contact your attacking forces and warn them. They don't have to die." Her voice was kind and pleading. "Just tell me about those Italians, you can be the hero you want to be. Those spies were nothing, they set you up." She opened her mouth to continue but there was a light tap at an unseen door. She gestured and The Bear moved away.
"I'm sorry Captain Wagner," the messenger said. The woman, Captain Wagner, clapped quickly away. Rat-man and The Bear followed her.
Matthew ignored the ache in his shoulder and started looking for a way to escape. He shifted his weight, trying to scoot the chair. He'd managed to get a foot from the side table when he heard her quick footsteps. Her low chuckle sent a fresh dose of adrenaline through him.
"Every good soldier's duty to escape," she laughed.
