A Lost Ghost

Chapter 17: Dangerous Games

I sit in a cold, small, dark room for hours, days. I have a bag over my head. My hands are cuffed behind my back so tight that it feels like it's cutting off circulation. I'm not wearing my flight suit anymore. Now I'm wearing a scruffy, smelly prison jumpsuit with somebody else's blood stains on it. I can't stand the thought that they have Akio's necklace. At least they didn't take Daiyu's. I wonder if they just didn't see it or if they didn't care enough to take it off. A door opens, and I hear people walk in.

I suck in a sharp breath as I fidget uncomfortably in the hard chair. My heart pounds as I hear them set down something heavy, and a sloshing noise follows. My heart beats rapidly. I try not to think about the pain that's probably on its way. The bag is ripped from my head. I blink a couple thousand times until my eyes adjust. I look around. A guard wearing a ski mask is standing in the corner, and another man is standing right in front of me. The guy before me looks like he's in his late fifties. He has a skinny face with stony blue eyes. His eyes were such a light shade that they almost looked colorless. He smiles, but more like a wicked smile. I can't imagine him smiling a genuine one. He's short. Maybe 5'4 at the tallest. He chuckles as he walks closer to me. My eyes drift down to my helmet in his hands. A twinge of anger rushes through me. That helmet, the design on it at least, is a direct representation of a naval aviator. Of the team I was apart of. Of me. He has no right to have it. I can see the joy in his eyes as he catches the anger in mine.

"Binky? Huh?" he says. "That what they call you?"

I stare blankly at him, trying not to show any emotion. He laughs.

"Yes, I speak English. So do not think you can play word games with me, American. My English is probably better than yours."

I say nothing. Do nothing. I just keep my eyes locked on his, trying my hardest not to look phased. He shakes his head and points to himself.

"Where are my manners? My name is Volkov."

He laughs and pretends to wipe sweat from his forehead. "We've been hunting you for a long time. I'm not going to lie; I thought we lost you at the Chinese border. With all that blood everywhere, I thought, there's no way he could've survived. That is until we intercepted a radio call to NATO forces."

He smiles again and shakes his head. It unnerves me just how excited this guy is. How happy he is that I'm about to be tortured. After everything that's happened, though. To Akio. To Matrix. I don't care much anymore. He nods to the guard. The guard walks over and picks something up. I don't see what it is until he plops it down in front of me. My heart sinks. It's a big tub of water.

"This little thing here, I call the bathtub. It's quite a simple game. Your head goes in over...and over...and over...however many times it takes for you to give me the information I want. How long can you hold your breath, American? Hm? The American in the other room isn't doing too good. Think you can do better?"

I try to keep my face steady, but the mention of the other American sends a chill up my spine. It's Dice. He has to be talking about Dice. "So," he starts again, "where's your fleet?"

I scoff to myself. How should I know? It's been months. It's definitely not in the same place. He laughs at my silence. "Yes! I'm so happy you didn't say anything. I don't want the game to end too quickly."

He points to the guard and then snaps his fingers.

The guard latches onto my scalp and shoves my head below the water. I refuse to struggle. I don't want to give him the satisfaction, but my lungs quickly start to burn. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out the fact that I can't breathe. I clench my fist, wanting to scream to struggle, but I still don't. The guard grabs my hair even tighter and yanks me out. I suck in a sharp breath, gasping as the air re-enters my lungs. My hair falls over my eyes.