17 Interrogating someone who has nothing left to lose

Albert briskly arrived at the Military Police HQ, his eyes flashing with determination and intensity. He swiftly barked orders to the police brigades to begin preparations, his mind solely focused on the critical task at hand. He had one goal in mind: to extract information from the captive bounty hunter and use it to take down the criminal organization responsible for the chaos that had ensued in the city.

Without wasting any time, he headed straight to the cellar where the bounty hunter was being held captive. As he approached the door, he could hear muffled sounds of screams and pain, making his stomach churn with disgust. He pushed the door open, and what he saw inside made his blood boil.

Two officers, Lieutenant Colonel Aramis Payne of the 4th Officer and Research and Development Section Officer Slade Gray, were torturing the bounty hunter. Their faces twisted with malice and cruelty as they took pleasure in the bounty hunter's suffering. The man was strapped to a chair, his body bloodied and bruised, his face covered in cuts and bruises. A tray of chemicals lay beside him, evidence of the brutal torture that had taken place.

Officer Gray grinned slyly as he saw Albert enter the room. "Oh, general, you're back so soon? You're fast, aren't ya?" he said with a hint of amusement.

Officer Payne's sickening smile matched Gray's as he spoke up, "We couldn't get anything out of him. Yet… we were planning on experimenting with new torturing techniques we researched to get him to talk."

Albert's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the gruesome scene before him. He had no patience for this kind of cruelty and was determined to get the information he needed without resorting to such barbaric methods. But due to Military Police doctrine, torture is mandatory, and Albert needs to get his hands dirty. But this is not the first time he'll do this. He has gotten used to it after countless torture sessions, but in his conscience, he hates the method.

"Get out of here. Start preparations. Pain isn't enough for him to talk. I'll handle him," he ordered, his tone brooking no argument.

The officers quickly scurried out of the room, eager to avoid the wrath of their superior. As the door closed behind them, Albert walked closer to the bounty hunter, his eyes fixed on his prey. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he put on a pair of gloves, his mind racing with the possibilities of what he might uncover.

The room was dimly lit, and the air was thick with the scent of blood and sweat. The bounty hunter's breathing was ragged and shallow, and Albert could see the fear in his eyes. Despite the man's obvious pain and suffering, he seemed to possess a fierce determination that Albert found impressive.

"Mind telling us some information about your contractor?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. The room was silent for a moment, except for the sounds of the captive's labored breathing.

The atmosphere in the room was tense, the air thick with anger and resentment. Von, the bounty hunter, was seething with fury as he hurled accusations at Albert, a high-ranking officer of the Military Police. His voice was laced with bitterness and disdain for the very people he once served.

"Heh, like I'd tell the likes of you! Just because I rejected conscription, I was shunned from society as a useless dog who refused to serve this kingdom, that is the reason I'm working as a bounty hunter!" he spat, his eyes blazing with defiance.

Albert's expression remained stony as he ignored the bounty hunter's diatribe, his attention fixed on the array of tools laid out before him. But Von was not one to be silenced easily, and he continued to rail against the Military Police, his voice rising with each passing moment.

"Your military police hides under the facade that you are here to keep and protect peace and prosperity, but look what you're doing. You guys are a bunch of degenerate psychopaths!" he shouted, his voice filled with venom.

As the tension in the room reached its peak, Albert's jaw clenched in frustration.

"Yeah, yeah, I asked you about your contractor, not your life story," he retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

But Von was beyond reason, his words fueled by a deep-seated anger and resentment towards the very institution he once served. "Taking this time to go all out against the entire Military Police, I see…" Albert murmured, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Von continued to vent his anger, his words filled with bitterness and pain.

"You high-ranking officers need to know how hard it is to lose a life! You sit comfortably in your high-ranking positions, not knowing how hard it is to see friends and family die! That's what we have to go through just to fight your meaningless war!" he shouted, his voice cracking with emotion.

Albert was taken aback by the sudden outburst, and he dropped the tools he was inspecting in surprise.

"Woah! Let's not take it that far!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with disbelief.

But Von was not in the mood to be placated. "You sit comfortably in your high-ranking positions, not knowing how hard it is to see friends and family die! That's what we have to go through just to fight your meaningless war!" he continued, his voice rising.

Albert's initial surprise turned into amusement as he listened to Von's tirade. He started to chuckle, and then it slowly became a psychotic laugh. Von immediately regretted his decision. He had never seen Albert like this before, and it scared him.

The only moment Von feared for his life was this one. He watched in horror as Albert stopped laughing, turned to face him, and punched him in the face, breaking his nose.

"If I had a gun, I would've shot you dead by now," Albert growled in a deep, quiet voice.

"Oh wait, I do." He pointed a pistol at Von's head.

"Don't ever say those things again. You never know what I've been through, worthless bounty hunter!"

Von remained silent, knowing that any further protest would only make things worse. Eventually, Albert calmed down and sighed.

"Anyways, your brother is stalling for us for as long as he can, so I shouldn't be wasting time like this," he said, putting his gun back into its holster. He headed outside, but Von had one more thing to say to him before he left.

"You guys are underestimating Ivan too much," Von said, his voice strained with pain. The mention of Ivan caught Albert's attention, and his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Oh, so Ivan IS your contractor, now I've got something to pin against him," he muttered under his breath.

As he left the room, Albert couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong. He needed to find out what Ivan was planning, and fast. He hurriedly made his way to the command center, where his team was waiting.

Officer Gray noticed the worried expression on Albert's face and asked, "How did it go, sir?"

"We got a confession. That's everything we need," Albert replied curtly, trying to hide his concern. He didn't want to worry his team unnecessarily, but he knew he couldn't keep them in the dark for long.

"I see... what happened in there? You look down," Officer Gray observed, noticing the tension in the room.

Albert hesitated for a moment, then decided to share his concerns with his team. "Von mentioned that Ivan knows about our plan. I don't know how he found out, but we need to be extra careful from now on. Ivan is a dangerous man, and he won't hesitate to use any means necessary to stop us."

The team fell silent, absorbing Albert's words. They knew Ivan was a formidable opponent, but they had faith in their leader's abilities.

"Alright, everyone, let's stay focused and stick to the plan. We can't let Ivan get in our way," Albert declared, trying to rally his team.

They nodded in agreement, and the clock struck 12, the operation continues

End of chapter 17