Woke Up One Morning... Part 45
Seated in one of Peacemillion's interrogations rooms is a man by the name of Angelo Rossi. His face composed of strong features from his squared, head of dark hair to his boxy chin; the man's dark eyes bore through the 'window' across from him into the observation room.
Even with his wrists cuffed together as they sit in his lap and having more than a day to sit in his cell to think over his situation, he does not exactly seem like the kind of guy that will be too willing to talk.
Heather was absolutely giddy when she heard the name this morning. Apparently, he made the list of interest for being a successful chemical engineer that as recently as months ago had meetings with Ivanov, and since then he has been doing quite well for himself financially.
It's just the kind of lead we've been looking for in getting that step closer to the right leader of this massive undertaking.
Lady Une stands, her arms folded and eyes staring back at the prisoner as I turn to face Jacobs and Hernandez.
"You're sure we'll get through to this guy for some answers?" I ask, my skepticism coming through in my voice. Frowning, I comment, "He looks like he's going to be a pretty tough nut to crack.
Standing at my other side, Heero is peering at our former enemies with a hint of his own hesitation in his cobalt eyes. The Commander shifts her focus onto our half of the room to listen in better.
A dark smirk tugs the corners of their mouths. Gazing through the glass at the prisoner that they brought into custody, Ryan replies, "Oh, yea. The whole time we had him, he talked a big game, but he's scared shitless."
His smirk growing, Pedro keeps his own eyes on me as he states, "He fidgets when he thinks no one is looking. As soon as we made it known that we were watching him, he would stop. But he wasn't able to cover up how sweaty his hands were."
Suddenly very interested by that, Heero's eyes blink and widen the slightest bit along with mine.
Oh, that is a good sign.
"Nice work," Lady Une commends as she nears Jacobs and Hernandez. "You both did an excellent job capturing him. And for that, you're welcome to sit in and listen in on his interview." Beaming at the chance to have some of their own questions over the attack answered, the two bow their heads and express their appreciation.
With a deep breath, the Commanded turns to Heero and I to grin, "Well, boys, Mister Rossi is all yours."
Chuckling, I crack my knuckles as 'Ro gives a firm nod that he is more than ready.
* * * * * *
Armed with a very stuffed and closed manila envelope tucked under my arm, Heero and I step into the interrogation room where Rossi lifts his head and watches our entrance. Smirking, I take one of the chairs across from him as my husband takes the other. "Hey, Angelo," I greet brightly, only making his face crunch up in more frustration.
That frustration ever so slightly pulls back when he casts his brown eyes over at my partner. 'Ro always has this uncanny ability to make anyone feel unnerved just by sitting back, arms folded, and a less-than-thrilled expression on his face just as he is doing now.
Even though I can't see his hands under the table, I can see Angelo's arms shifting the slightest bit to know that he fidgeting.
Good... Very good.
While setting the envelope down on the table, I fold my hands over it and begin, "Okay. Let's just cut to the chase here, pal. We all know why you're here. And not one of us is leaving this room until you tell us all you know about Sergey Ivanov and the Glycaminum that he is selling."
His arms suddenly no longer shifting, Rossi tilts his head of dark hair and shrugs, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I've never even head of those names before."
When he speaks, it's with a European accent that is hard to miss, but it's easy to make him out. And his communication continues in the form of the slight shift of the demeanor in his eyes when he peers from me to Heero, who has not shifted since he took his seat.
Leaning forward, I reply, "Come on, pal. Any chemist worth his salt has at least heard of Glycaminum. And I'm sorry to break it to you, but if you think you're about to claim ignorance things are just going to go very badly for you."
I open the envelope to remove the first couple of large, black-and-white prints Agent Storm and her team had pulled up from old satellite shots. Pushing the pictures across the table, I comment, "Because this looks an awful lot like you meeting with Ivanov weeks ago."
Rossi's eyes blink in surprise at the shots of him casually sitting with his boss at an outdoor cafe in Italy.
It's enough to make his arms move again and the color of his face fades a bit. Quickly trying to recover, he peers back up at me and shrugs, "Simply sitting and talking with a person is not a crime. I have no idea of what he has ties to."
"Ah, but since your first meeting with Ivanov, your bank account has been doing quite well. Enough so that you were going to have to open up more accounts as to not draw too much attention to it," I am quick to throw back at him.
Smiling darkly, I bend forward again and tell him quietly, "Those two coincidences make it our obligation to get the answers we need from you and there are no legal rights that will protect you."
From my spot, I was seeing a few tiny beads of sweat glimmer behind the thick bangs on the captive's brow. But, his jaw tightens and he sits up in defiance in spite of his situation as a clear demonstration that he'll just keep his mouth shut for the duration of the interview.
Sitting back in my seat, I sigh and frown, "See, we're giving you every chance to speak up and protect yourself here, man."
I gesture to myself and Heero while laughing, "And I don't mean that you need protection from us. You need to defend yourself from Ivanov before he realizes you're in Preventer custody and tries to make sure you stay as quiet as you are now." Those brown eyes widening with a slight gasp, Rossi sits up and gazes frantically from one face to the other.
Bingo. Just what I wanted.
"Oh yea," I nod. "We know that you only recently started making a connection with Ivanov, not like Jesse Krutza or some of his longer-termed associates. So, you have no idea how badly he is willing to keep from being found."
Angelo comes to even more attention at the mention of Krutza's name so I press on, "Krutza knew what the man is capable of and he did what he could to see that he got Ivanov before Ivanov got him."
Swallowing roughly, our little mouse whispers in a near whimper, "D-did what he could...?"
I nod firmly, "Up until half of the Preventer's headquarters fell on him." Angelo's mouth hangs open to give off his disbelief that he heard me correctly. Opening the envelope again, I pull out the stack of full-colored pictures and throw them over the table where they fan out before him.
Brown eyes widening as far as they can go, our captive begins to pant heavily in near hyperventilation as he takes in the images of the devastated remains of the building taken from the inside and out.
Nothing was kept from this pack, including the shots of those killed in the blast. Those pictures in particular are the ones held in the most horrified interest by the man in cuffs.
"Oh... oh my God," Rossi whispers breathlessly. Frantic, he meets my eyes and cries desperately, "These aren't real! He... he wouldn't have..."
My patience has officially run out for this bastard.
Glaring heatedly at him, I point at one of the more gruesome shots and hiss, "It was pretty goddamned real for your friend, Krutza, here. And it sure as fucking hell was real for the dozens of others killed along with him!" I can feel my face burning with rage and I'm actually shaking a little as I shout, "You want to test me, go on and tell me this shit isn't real again!"
Instantly jumping to his feet, his gaze stays solidly on the image beneath my finger. Angelo turns a couple tints of green and is sweating profusely now. "That's not Krutza," he breathes, as if trying like hell to convince himself.
Beside me, Heero shrugs nonchalantly, "It's not exactly easy to make him out with his head crushed in that way, but we can show you the DNA proof if you want. That should clear up any further doubt that you may have." Unfolding his arms, he straightens in his seat and states, "But somehow I get the impression you don't really need that much evidence to know who that body belongs to."
Whimpering, Rossi collapses back into his chair and continues to gaze on the display of images. I hold up the shots displaying the structural damage to headquarters and growl, "You know what kind of chemical would be needed to rip a building like this in half. This is the direct result of your handiwork in helping create the Glycaminum that Ivanov is using. And now he's proven that not even his own are safe now that he has this kind of power."
My eyes still narrowed, I hold the shots in my hand closer to his face and ask in a growl, "Do you really want to see this sort of weapon used against innocents? Kids? Defenseless people just trying to live their lives?" I can see that I'm finally getting through when there are actually small tears building in the brown eyes across from me.
Finally, my edge settles at the sight of that. Lowering the pictures, I sigh deeply and dry-wash my face with my hands to catch my breath.
When I lower them back into my lap, I level Angelo with a deep frown and tell him quietly, "You can help us, and yourself by telling us whatever you know that will help stop this monster. Otherwise, you'll have a whole ship filled with pissed off Preventers that would be more than happy to beat the information out of you. It's your choice."
Shaking where he sits as he almost doubles over on himself, Rossi looks absolutely nothing like the strong, defiant man he was minutes ago.
His tight lip sucked tightly in, he looks back at the shots spread on the table and whispers so softly I have to strain my ears, "I... I know where you can find the lab where the chemical is being made."
Even Heero can't hold back his reaction as he sits up at full attention with wide eyes, just as I am doing now. Holy... shit. That's is far more than I would have ever hoped to get out of this guy.
Not wanting to have the man revert back on us, 'Ro responds, "I hope that your saying that means you'll be willing to tell us where that plant is. If you are willing to do that, we'll be willing to assist you when the time comes for your trial."
"I don't even care about that right now," Angelo says meekly as he turns his head towards my husband. "When I signed on, I was pulled in by what the money would mean for me and my family."
Shaking his head, he trembles a bit when he stares back at the table of graphic images. "I... I never thought that it would be like this."
With another shake of his head, he raises it with that determination back in his eyes even as the rest of his face is clammy with sweat and a sickly color. Nodding firmly, he vows clearly, "I'll tell you exactly where you can find that lab."
My breath catches in my throat as he informs, "There is a stretch of Alps mountains in Austria that are completely secluded and snow-capped year-round. A cavern was created there, in the side of one of the cliffs just before the air gets too thin for a person to operate without trouble. It's the ideal location to make the chemical."
Recalling what I do know about Glycaminum, I hear myself think aloud, "It needs almost extreme cold for the cells to be broken down. Also helps to break it down into a fine dust that can be put into a canister or any kind of container."
A little more than impressed, Angelo blinks in surprise at me and responds, "That's right." Sobering, he shares, "The area is heavily guarded with everything from machine guns to rockets and a decent sized army. Were there to be any retaliation used on their part, they are buried so deep and high in the mountain ranges that any sounds of explosions would not echo back to the nearest city to draw attention."
Lowering his head, he mutters, "Ivanov thought of everything when he picked that location. He always thinks of everything."
Heero presses, "And you will give us the coordinates and any further information that you have regarding the site?"
Without hesitating, Rossi answers, "I have only been there twice since I was first approached by Ivanov, but I never forgot it. For anything that I can tell you, I will be an open book."
Biting his lip, he frowns, "But I must tell you that the chances of Ivanov being there when you go will be slim. He is quite elusive, even to his most loyal of workers. But, there is quite the digital network used within that base and perhaps there will be information that can be obtained from that."
If there is anything to be found in that network, Agent Storm and her team will find it. Elusive or not, there is going to have to be a way of tying down Ivanov's location. And taking out the base of his operation would be like us knocking on his front door.
Everything depends on us locking down that lab.
Our interrogation is wrapped up after a series of coordinates is passed on by Angelo so that his information can be digested.
The second our captive steps out of the room with his escorts, I jump into the air with a loud hoot and throw my arms around Heero. Laughing quietly, he pulls me close in a tight embrace and kisses my cheek with a whispered, "Nice work."
Our Commander gives the same sentiment as she steps in with a wide, proud smile on her face with Jacobs and Hernandez in tow.
Scanning the four of us, she announces, "A team will be assembled within the next twenty-four hours. I am not going to let this information sit for any longer than that. We need to hit that location with everything that we have so our own message can be sent to Ivanov in response to what he did."
My skin is practically tingling in anticipation. It's only a matter of hours now before we'll get to cut the live cord to this massive terror operation.... only a matter of hours before we've won a huge battle in this war.
It's more than obvious that Ryan and Jose are every bit looking forward to such an opportunity as they look at Lady Une with wide, almost pleading eyes.
An amused smile on her face, she promises, "Don't worry, you will both be a part of that mission. My suggestion would be for you to start resting up now before you are called on. We'll need everyone sent out there fresh and at their best." Our former rivals fall into a series of 'thank you's' and 'yes, ma'am's' before hurrying out.
Those warm eyes falling back on us, she smirks, "Again, excellent job to the both of you. I would suggest that you both take up the same advice as I will be able to find roles for the both of you."
Bowing her head at 'Ro, she reassures, "Including you. If you cannot be a part of the field team, I will see that you are an instrument to the attack in some fashion."
More than relieved by that, my husband says quietly, "Thank you, Commander."
With a wink, our 'Ma' turns on her heels and begins to head out of the room just as a thought suddenly strikes me.
Quickly, I call, "Um... Commander?" Pausing at the doorway, she turns to meet my eyes. As I approach, I tell her with a smile, "We never did get the chance to thank you for keeping us together for the rest of this mission now that everyone knows we're married." Heero nods his head with a sincere appreciation in his own eyes.
Chuckling, Une approaches us again and shrugs, "Well, I was not about to break the two of you up on your last case as Preventers."
Taken completely aback by that, my husband and I both gape at her with wide eyes. How in the hell did she...? Now it hits me that if she had not known about our plans to retire before now, our reactions to her comment certainly cleared that up.
Her smile growing a bit, our 'Ma' states, "Women's intuition. I've noticed over the weeks how neither of you mention your plans after this investigation around me." Both of our mouths open so that we can explain ourselves when she raises her hand to stop us before we even start.
"I am happy that you're both going to finally be able to enjoy the peace that you both fought so hard for," she reassures with a grin. "And there is no offense taken on my part that you would want to move on and fulfill your life goals. To be honest, it was a surprise to me that you both stayed with the organization as long as you have."
Waving her hand, the Commander laughs, "There will be plenty of time to talk about all of this when we finally put this case to rest. Right now, there is a lot that needs to be done that I need to get to work on." Both Heero and I smile, more than happy to allow her the room to do everything she needs to focus on.
As she turns to leave the room again, she advises over her shoulder, "I will be contacting the both of you as soon as there is a plan to set in motion." That said, she waves and heads out to disappear in the hallway.
Still dumbfounded over how easily she took the whole thought of us leaving, I stare at the empty door frame and shake my head. "To hell with just Christmas. That woman is getting one hell of a Mother's Day gift from us," I sigh in relief with the breath that I had been holding up until then.
"Yes, she is," Heero snickers quietly beside me.
TBC...
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