Door Number 5

"I'd advise you to just tell us what we wanna know, John," the soft almost sweet sounding voice of the Sargent suggested, "otherwise; this could get pretty ugly."

"My name is John Edward Oakley," John answered in a thick stern voice. "My serial number is!"

A serial number isn't what I wanna hear Mr. Oakley!" The drill Sargent interrupted loudly as he motioned for the water to be turned down so the drip would be slower. The room was silent. Too silent. The sound of the water dripping, on the metal pan, just by his right ear disturbed him. It was like a brass band walking down the street and only the drums were being played all at the same time hitting just one note repeatedly...

"You do realize," he nodded towards a door that existed just at the foot of the bench John was strapped to, "that we have ten good ways to torturer you with water?"

John said nothing.

"They are all lethal," he added with a smirk. He motioned for a different officer to retrieve a towel which was laying just at the edge of the table.

"Please, put that over our friend's face and let's see how well he deals with drowning."

John said nothing as the towel was placed over his face. There was little he could do except tell them what they wanted to know, and he'd already decided that he'd die with that information.

A few moments later he felt water being poured over his face. He held his breathe as it seeped into the cloth and closed the openings to his mouth, eyes and nose. He forced the muscles around his rib cage to move as if he were trying to breathe. Just when he knew he'd have to take a breathe the towel was removed.

He gagged as air escaped into his lungs from the space around him.

"The information, John?" The officer asked again as he looked down on John.

"My name is John Edward Oa... He coughed.

"Enough!" The Sargent commanded!

The towel was placed over his face again and more water followed. This time he'd not been ready for the water. As it flowed over the towel he tried to cough, he struggled with his head trying to turn it back and forth to knock the water out. Nothing helped. He was drowning!

Just as stars swept pasted his closed eyes the towel was removed and he struggled to take a gasping breath. Now he felt weaker. He felt as if a breath was all his lungs would hold. Darkness closed in...

------

"Mr. Oakley," someone was tapping his face with the back of their hand.

"Mr. Oakley?" he opened his eyes and stared up into the face of the torturing officer.

"It's so nice of you to wake up and join us again." The Sargent moved out of John's eyesight.

"Now, are you ready to tell us what we wanna know?"

John said nothing. He was prepared to die with the information.

"Alrighty," the Sargent replied sounding kinda disappointed.

John felt himself being tilted backwards. The feel of the cold water as it alighted onto his skin sent shrives down his spine. Before he could take a breath he felt water covering his face. He was going to drown! Panic surrounded him like an angel in darkness. He knew he had no chance to survive.

Already his lungs were bursting for oxygen! He twisted his hands up into fists. No matter how much he struggled the bonds that surrounded him would not surrender. His lungs opened and he inhaled water. The chair was lifted up and he coughed.

"There are lots of mysterious and bad ways to die with water, John. You've just experienced three."

John stopped coughing.

"Care to experience four?" The Sargent asked.

John once again chose not to answer. The Sargent just smiled and ordered the dunking machine to repeat itself again.

This process went on for several hours, and John refused to give out the information the Sargent was trying to extract from him.

"Gentlemen," the Sargent said sadly. "I think its time to move onto the next machine." He nodded his head towards door number four and a buzzer went off. John smiled.

"You owe me one hundred dollars, Mate!"

Another officer came into the room and opened the ties holding him into place.

"He has you there the Sargent said between grins. We thought we had him with the towel."

John stood up and held out his hand towards the officer.

"Damn it, John!"

John just laughed. "I'll give you a chance to win it back!"

"You survive punishment to and including level four!" He pointed at the door marked four.

The Sargent motioned for John to remove his shirt and trade it with the officer.

"What about level three, John?" The officer asked in a somewhat begging voice.

The drill Sargent laughed. "You have to survive up to and including level five gentlemen," he nodded his head while pointing at door number five. "In order to even be considered for this branch of the service."

John just nodded his head. "Keep the bucks," I'm not too sure I can survive level five.

No one knew what was behind level five's door. But the ominous sounds of dripping water was enough to cause worry to every soldier in line for the duty. Few volunteered for the testing. But volunteers were not needed...

The drill Sargent smiled as he closed level five's door behind him. I wasn't long before the screaming began...