Chapter Seven: Wednesday in the Tunnels

[Stirling]

Tiberius O'Hare

Drags the man inside the house, closing the door as much as he can behind him. I will use my handcuffs to bind Jensen, perhaps to a radiator pipe or bannister, bedframe. Somewhere that secures him. The property was set aside for a week and while the embassy chamberlains may not have equipped the place with every household item, I trust to be able to whistle up some strong coffee. For himself and to caffeine inject Jensen to some form of lucidity as I want to question him regarding various subjects such as the safe house bust, the burglary at Tansu's and the hotel assasination attempts upon Noor.

Tibbs is quite happy to play 'bad cop, bad cop' and will press Jensen with some opening gambits.

"Tansu is angry true enough but not as much as me. Who did you send around to her apartment? We both know it was not a burglary. The rogue left without taking anything. Not that there was anything or anyone to find there. Noor En Sabah is in safer custody elsewhere.

Not that I really care what happens to the socialite but I do care for what happens to Tansu. Now let this coffee loosen your tongue enough to spill the beans or else we will be your spilling guts".

Tiberius uses Persuade (strength bonus to intimidate) [2d6+2]=10+2=12

[BackworldTraveller]

Tiberius O'Hare

Drags the man inside the house, closing the door as much as he can behind him. I will use my handcuffs to bind Jensen, perhaps to a radiator pipe or bannister, bedframe. Somewhere that secures him. The property was set aside for a week and while the embassy chamberlains may not have equipped the place with every household item, I trust to be able to whistle up some strong coffee. For himself and to caffeine inject Jensen to some form of lucidity as I want to question him regarding various subjects such as the safe house bust, the burglary at Tansu's and the hotel assasination attempts upon Noor.

Tibbs is quite happy to play 'bad cop, bad cop' and will press Jensen with some opening gambits.

"Tansu is angry true enough but not as much as me. Who did you send around to her apartment? We both know it was not a burglary. The rogue left without taking anything. Not that there was anything or anyone to find there. Noor En Sabah is in safer custody elsewhere.

Not that I really care what happens to the socialite but I do care for what happens to Tansu. Now let this coffee loosen your tongue enough to spill the beans or else we will be your spilling guts".

Tiberius uses Persuade (strength bonus to intimidate) [2d6+2]=10+2=12

What the heck are you doing? I mean you're a nice guy and all - but I'm really not that kind of guy and I've never been into handcuffs.

is followed by squeaks of pain and...

Shit you're nuts. What do you want me to say? I don't know what you want

[Stirling]

Tiberius O'Hare

Hushes Jensen by placing a finger to my lips.

"Well let's start at the beginning shall we. I am going to play 'ten questions' and for each truthful answer I get, you get to keep one of your fingers.

Now you may not recognise this place but the address is certainly known to you. In fact only four people know it's actual purpose, being the Touchdown Embassy safe house. I don't think 'Top Dog' has gone rogue, which leaves you, me and Tansu. You can see my reasoning on wanting to question you first and foremost.

So, in exchange for the pinky on your left hand, who did you inform that Noor En Sabah would be housed here?"

While Jensen deliberates on wether I will follow through my interrogation, I will check his comms unit for details of contacts and messages.

I want Jensen to take in the fact that Tansu was burgled right after the safe house got busted. So obviously connecting that whoever wanted to locate Noor at one place then went to the second address.

To help set the mood for Jensen, Tibbs will play a track from 'Stealers Wheels', singing along the chorus, "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am stuck in the middle with you."

[BackworldTraveller]

Jensen
Really, Li's sent you about my trysts with Bea? He's gone right off the tracks. She's her own woman and can come here with me if that's what she wants! Still after this, he's going to find he's got no place here and I doubt she'll go with him. And You - You think I'm going to go for you, me and Tansu. She's not my type. You really are barking up the wrong tree there.

And what about Noor? That's your case not mine. And that is a right cock-up. Completely vanished with everyone looking for her. We've got tetchy investigators from half a dozen nations all arguing over every bloody titbit and I have to put them up and sort out their every request for an arse-wipe. So you had her stashed here? Now that's a laugh. I'd not have thought you the type to run two women at once - but it seems you're not so different after all.

[Stirling]

Tiberius O'Hare

"I am glad to see the coffee has woken you up from a stupor and you can converse. Though your allegations and comments are not the answer I was looking for.

As I said you get to keep or lose a pinkie if I don't get the right answer ... "


Tibbs, without further questioning or remorse will crush his trigger finger with his baton.

"Now I have some more questions.

The safe house bust and apartment burglary were not coincidental happenings. Someone informed that Noor was being held in either location. All the evidence points that 'someone' is you. So Jensen, for the index finger and the ring it so proudly sports, who did you inform?"

I will not wait too long for an answer and any swearing and hollering instead of confession will result in more bones broken.

[BackworldTraveller]

Jensen
Screams

You are a moron - you know that. That is 3-5 years in jail just for that! And you are just wrong. It's not me!

Or do you want me to say I told the Ambassador, the President and his dancing faries? I could do that?

[Stirling]

Tiberius O'Hare

Starts by removing one of Jensen's shoes and taking his sock off, he rolls it up into a ball and stuffs that into Jensen's mouth.

"Just bite on that a moment will you ..." he says as he batons the next digit.

He waits patiently as Jensen undoubtedly kicks and muffled screams again and waits for him to calm down. "Maybe you are right. On the moron bit at least. But three to five years? 'Justice for Jensen' stopped at the door threshold. No one gives a rats arse for you or me. Assaults and trips on staircases are very common occurrences upon Sparks these days.

Besides as you said. The corporation put me back on the casework and as this one deals with rather delicate international relations I have been assigned diplomatic immunity while I investigate. So the most I would get is berated in public and a medal on my chest in private."

Tiberius. Deception [2d6+1]=7+1=8

Tibbs tries to substantiate his ploy as being officially backed.

"Do you smoke? I picked up these cigars from the Paradiso earlier." He lights one and puts it in the lips Jensen for him to puff.

"Perhaps I am being too hasty. No need to rush through questions. You need to think clearly and concisely and we are alone here all night. Why the extra hours could mean I think up a few extra questions and as you are barefoot I can see a few inviting toe digits that can be traded for truthful answers.

Shall we move on to a thumb or big toe next? Your choice." He takes the cigar away, almost stubbing it out as he taps on a thumb and toenail, raising his eyebrows as he questions the preference.

I would like to take time and 'go slower' with the interrogation as I also want to spot any counter deception or persuade that he is using to lie to me and bar the pain, ignore the intimidation.

Tibbs asks again regarding the burglary at Tansu's and makes a specific question about what the burglar was searching for? I want to know who was contacted and what information was passed to them? What reward is he getting in return?

He will go through the comms unit contact details asking who they are and check recent search histories. If the unit is password coded he will politely ask or get him to chew on the sock again.

Tiberius uses Persuade (strength and 'go slow' bonus to intimidate) [2d6+4]=8+4=12

[BackworldTraveller]

Tiberius
After a number of broken digits, Tiberius has been unable to get any coherent story of who Jensen has told. He has accused almost everyone he could think of in the department of being that person in a desperate attempt to answer as he thinks he should. He reaches the conclusion that he has picked up the wrong guy. If so, then who could it be? Tansu passed the supposition that Noor would come to the belt on to her boss, Li Anderson. And similarly, Li would have known of the safe house. Did this get discussed with The Ambassador or one of his aides? Jensen appears to have been guilty of nothing more than womanising and seeing Tansu as a woman he might "womanise" with!

Questions about safe houses gets the impression that the embassy doesn't have an extensive network - it only maintains a couple at any one time. So if a safe house was known about, did they know which? Has the other been raided too? And the safe houses question gets three other names mentioned: Nola Degu (Military Attache), Christian Samson (Property) and Wilhelm Berlin (Trade). Nola would have allocated a specific house; Christian would have arranged for it to be ready and Wilhelm knew of them because - well just because.

And of course Embassy Security might know of them too, although they weren't supposed to.

Jensen is, by this time clearly desperate, confused, bloodied and in pain.

[Stirling]

Tiberius O'Hare

Tries not to be as confused as Jensen is as he muses on a few justifications.

Tansu passed the supposition that Noor would come to the belt on to her boss, Li Anderson.

If I remember correctly the pair of them were both perplexed to discover Noor was a shareholder in the Queen and had legitimate business and relational reasons to be in Sparks with her twin sister giving a news conference and concert. It was pointed out by me that though she was 'wanted for questioning' by Touchdown authorities as a witness to the En Sabah massacre she was not suspect and therefore could only be asked to give voluntary statements and should not be subject to any rendition. Despite having no judicial authority at that point, I was asked to shadow protect Noor from possible assasins.

As part of safeguarding Noor, I asked Tansu to arrange with the boss to advance the use of the safe house under a 'for your eyes only ' message and that as a trio, we were the only ones aware of Noor's whereabouts. After this I was warned that Jensen was acting suspiciously and asking about Noor after this request was enabled. Informed of possible insider trading, I housed Noor at Tansu's place without her knowledge as she worked through the night.

So my suspicion was Jensen blew any whistles to Noor's whereabouts. Now it seems that the safe house was anything but that with a whole staff of possible moles. It was not coincidental that straight after the drug bust on the empty house that Tansu's place was burgled. Few people could link Noor to Tansu's via Tibbs.

Tibbs can see where the questioning leads and the futility of pressing Jensen further. At least Jensen can point figuratively if not literally, to other potential guilty parties.

"Well thank you Jensen old chap. You've been inestimably helpful, more than you realise. I'll put in a good word for you. And both Tansu and I accept your deepest regrets over those insidious wanton thoughts and that little pinkie boner between your legs can rest in peace rather than lie in bony pieces.

Moving on. I think it best that we both draw a line under this torrid affair and as you recover 'away from keyboard' you may dwell on the stiff upper lip and resolve you so proudly demonstrated and agree that no further diplomatic or not-so diplomatic scenes need to be engaged. Certainly 'Mr Smith & Wesson' have priorities elsewhere and should not be troubled by your presence again.

Do we have an understanding?"


I relight the cigar and give it to Jensen to puff upon as I tap my revolver lightly on his forehead.

"Great. Well I have been most entertained but commitments and duty call me elsewhere.

I will let the ambassador know you are here so he can arrange for the mess to be cleaned up."

Leaving the unfortunate handcuffed to the radiator, Tibbs heads back to his hotel suite.

[BackworldTraveller]

Tiberius
As Tiberius arrives at the Hotel, he notices that there are now two bouncers on each door and additional (burley) porters in the lobby. They may be wearing cloth armour, but short of hitting one it's hard to be sure - it's good quality if it is.

He also notices that the booking system appears to be manual - cards for each guest! The computers must have been completely hacked if they have invoked the "Manual Backup Plan". Checking out is going to be slow.

And with that, and after a top-up at the bar, he retires for a shower and a well deserved sleep.

[BackworldTraveller]

Anne and Noor/Sam
The two women retire to bed for a night uninterrupted sleep after sharing a bottle or two and mulling over the information they have.