Agents On Campus

Questions, Answers, and Riddles

Chapter 2

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Questions, Answers, and Riddles

Captain Montgomery's office is almost exactly as I remember it, large and clean. The only difference is, there is only one chair in front of his desk instead of six. His awards still glinted on the wall and his desk looked as organized as ever. Captain Montgomery was sitting at his desk, an open folder laying on the desktop. He was typing quickly on his computer and I assumed he was writing up something about Parker's interrogation.

He glanced up over his laptop and gave me a stern look. "Sit down, Miss Wentworth," he commanded. His voice was deep and powerful, the kind you wouldn't even think about interrupting.

Obediently, I sat down in the chair directly across from him. He continued typing for a few more seconds, and then closed his computer. He then proceeded to flip through the large file until he found a few pages that I assume related to me. I began feeling self-conscious knowing he was reading stuff about me. His eyes moved quickly across the page, glaring up at me every few seconds. Calm down, I told myself as my breathing quickened at every stare. This was just a scare tactic—and an effective one at that. This was another one of his famous interrogating techniques. It combines the informational overload technique with the silencing stare. He's using the informational overload by letting me see the large file folder, making me believe he's been keeping tabs on me and knew a lot about the things I've been up too. The silencing stare is another good one—it's pretty simple too. You literally just sit and stare at the person menacingly for a few minutes. It doesn't work on all people though. I did my best (which, might I add, is exceptionally good) to mask my facial features into an indifferent, cocky smile. I thought about appearing ambitious and excited, but judging by what I know about him, he'd be most interested in someone who is unfazed by a tough interrogation. The tricky thing was to figure out who should talk first. Would it impress him if I said something, or would it make me look weak, as if I couldn't stand the silence?

After a few very long seconds he finally spoke, his deep voice controlled. "Miss Wentworth, you have been training here for nearly a decade." He didn't continue; he just stared at me with cold eyes.

"Yes. Almost ten years," I answered.

"What have you learned?"

I stared at him in disbelief. What kind of a question is that? That's like asking a doctor to tell you everything they've ever learned since kindergarten. "Would you like me to go into depth or just give you a run down? Ten years is a lot of information," I replied coolly.

"I will rephrase that. What are you best at?"

"That's hardly a less extensive topic," I said with an arrogant smile, "I am exceptional at language, manipulation, interrogation, problem-solving, and going undercover. I am excellent at everything though. Those are just the ones I am supremely accomplished at." I am not normally this cocky (I can't stand people who are this big-headed), but I knew that in order to impress Montgomery I needed to play the part of someone who is completely unperturbed.

"Language..." Montgomery repeated, "How many languages do you speak fluently?"

"Twelve," I answered carelessly, "and I also know all of the corresponding accents."

"Name them," he ordered.

"English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Polish, and Bulgarian. I am learning Swedish, Danish, and Greek."

He nodded slowly. "Speak French with a German accent."

I frowned and replied in French/German. "Well that's the stupidest idea I've ever heard. Why on earth would I want to prance around in France with a German accent? The French aren't too fond of Germany even today and speaking with a German accent would only make them suspicious of me."