Greek Fire.

The voice continued; “I think it will be easier if I tell you what we already know and then you can fill in the blanks at the end.”

“We?” asked Brubaker “Who is we?”

“Are you going to interrupt every step of the way Alex?” asked the voice.

Brubaker tensed up involuntarily as the man stepped into his line of sight without warning.

The voice belonged to a very nondescript looking man dressed in a dull pair of olive chino trousers and a linen shirt.
The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.
No visible tattoos.
No remarkable features.
Average height.
Average weight.
John Q.

The man stared down at Alex Brubaker with a look of mock indecision.
He tapped a finger to his lips as if considering a puzzle in the morning paper.
“Do you know what this is?” asked Mr. Average, pointing to his left lapel.

Alex chose not to answer.

“This is a lapel pin. You can get them for all kinds of things these days. Flags, Sports clubs, political support…you get the idea. Now this one is a little special.” Mr. Average plucked it from his shirt and turned it deftly in his hand. A two inch needle sprang into view with a soft click.
“Now Alex, I’m going to tell you what I already know, and you’re going to answer my questions when I’m ready to ask you them. Got it?”

“Fu..” but Alex’s curse turned to an agonising intake of breath as Mr. Average slipped forward and stabbed the length of the needle deep into the tip of his nose.

The pain was unlike anything Alex Brubaker had ever imagined.
A nexus of incandescent darts filled his nervous system. Pain, agony, words didn’t begin to describe the sheer brutality and overwhelming effect of the needle point.
Alex tried to scream but his vocal chords were paralysed.

Mr. Average looked on impassively then after what seemed like an eternity to Alex, removed the lapel pin’s needle.

Alex sagged in the chair. The plastic ties held him in place, but he sagged spiritually as much as physically.

“Just a little trick I learned from an old friend in the UK” smiled Mr. Average. “Now shall we proceed?...Good”
“Two years ago you were sanctioned onto ‘Operation Greek Fire’. You and your team were tasked with the security of one of our keystone assets. You and seven others of your team were dispatched for a rather unique mission.”

Alex’s blood turned to ice water as the John Q. talked.

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